MANILA, Philippines — According to fans of the love team KathNiel, a netizen, who the fans claim is in love with actor Daniel Padilla, described Daniel’s real and reel-life partner Kathryn Bernardo his “demonic gf.”
Actor Juan Miguel Severo, who recently worked with KathNiel in the blockbuster movie “The Hows Of Us,” is among those who attest that Kathryn and Daniel are far from being “demonic.”
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“Approachable, accommodating, chatty, sweet, thoughtful, open.” Those were the words the singer and spoken word artist used to describe KathNiel.
In “The Hows Of Us,” Severo played Doc Mikko, Kathryn’s best friend.
Juan Miguel said his favorite quality of the on- and off-screen couple is that they knew and called every member of the crew with their names.
“Mula sa matataas ang posisyon, hanggang focus puller at PA, alam nila ang pangalan. Hindi nakakapagtaka na inaalagaan sila ng team kasi ina-acknowledge nila lahat e. Ako nga, bago ako ipakilala kay DJ, alam na niya ang pangalan ko. At hindi dahil sikat ako ha. Dahil pinagtanong niya siguro,” Juan Miguel told Philstar.com in an exclusive interview.
Juan Miguel also noted about the couple’s sweetness while on the set of the movie.
“Hindi nakakaumay ang ka-sweetan pero kapag nagpaka-sweet e nakakakilig pa rin, kasi nasa subtleties ‘yung sweetest moment nila e. Like DJ holding the script and helping Kath memorize the medical terms she had to say for the scene, or the random holding hands or tinginan after a take.”
But for Juan Miguel, his favorite part about the tandem was on how they support each other on different scenes.
“I saw why their duo, plus Direk Cathy’s guidance, makes a great team. My first day on set ‘yun e. Si Kath lang ang nasa shoot. Kunwari pinapanood niya si DJ sa stage. Si DJ, nag-stay sa stage kahit wala siya sa eksena. Tinitignan niya si Kathryn with a small smile on his face, as if to say silent I love you’s with only his face,” Severo recalled.
“All that while Direk was motivating Kath, playing music, asking things like ‘Why do you love this man? Hindi ka madaling mahulog di ba? Bakit siya?’ And bilang aktres naman, natuwa ako kay Kath noon kasi after one take in which naiyak siya, she herself asked Direk Cathy for another take. Hindi naman nagreklamo si Direk kay Kath sa take na ‘yun ha. Pero she said she didn’t like what she did with it because she said wasn’t being George in that take. She was just being Kath,” he added.
A proud KathNiel fan since the love team was established, Juan Miguel said being with Kathryn and Daniel, plus the movie’s director, Cathy Garcia-Molina, made him realize why their chemistry is so successful.
“To me, who’s been a fan of all three of them since years ago, that was like taking a peak at the magician’s den. Suddenly I understood how my favorite magic trick works. One, because there’s real love in there. Two, with that love comes incredible support. Three, they love their craft enough to want to be better at this. They both really, really do.”
After being in “The Hows Of Us,” Severo continues to shine in the showbiz industry as he is a part of a musical reality TV show, a theater play, and four upcoming films, one of this as screenwriter.
The spoken word artist said he is grateful to all the blessings but sometimes, he feels embarrassed because he knows of many theater and music artists that still has no opportunity.
“From an artist’s perspective sa totoo lang, of course I’m grateful, no? Pero I am sometimes embarrassed by everything happening to me, dahil andami kong kilalang artista sa teatro at mga musikong mas matagal nang nagtatrabaho sa akin at mas magaling kaysa sa akin na hindi nakukuha ang parehong mga oportunidad. I think I’m still in the process of becoming deserving of all these, but I’m nevertheless very grateful,” the actor said.
Juan Miguel is part of the Coke Studio PH that started on September 16 on ABS-CBN before “ASAP.”
For its second season, Coke Studio PH also further establishes itself as a hub of Pinoy talent, as it introduces a stellar lineup of local and international Filipino artists across various genres that includes Quest, IV of Spades, Moira, KZ Tandingan, Ben & Ben, Sam Concepcion, to name a few.
“Sa akin wala naman masyadong transition, bukod siguro sa sana mas magkaoras na akong matulog ngayon at makapagpraktis para mas buo ang boses ko kapag tumutula at kumakanta. Walang transition kasi when I perform spoken word or when I sing, for me I’m still performing. I still try to walk in character’s shoes or at least go back to the places inside me that made me write my songs and poems,” he said.
His one-act play at the 2015 Virgin Labfest “Hintayan ng Langit” is now a movie and will be going to be a part of the QCinema International Film Festival in October under the direction of Dan Villegas and creative producer Antoinette Jadaone.
“Grabe ‘yung dalawang ‘yun. Ang lala ng utang na loob ko at respeto ko sa kanila at ramdam ko ‘yung respeto rin nila sa trabaho ko. Napakabuwenas ko to have been friends with them and be their third wheel in creating this movie. Tapos Eddie Garcia at Gina Pareño pa ang mga artista namin. Ngayon pa lang kapag iniisip kong sinasabi nila ‘yung mga sinulat kong linya, naiiyak na ako e,” he said.
Apart from these, Juan Miguel also comes back in theater via PETA’s “A Game of Trolls.” His upcoming movies include Alex Gonzaga’s “Nakalimutan Ko Nang Kalimutan Ka,” Rufa Mae Quinto’s “Bagyong Bheverlynn” and Jericho Rosales’ MMFF entry, “The Girl in the Orange Dress.”