Donny and Belle look back on ‘life-changing’ He’s Into Her journey

MANILA, Philippines — With He’s Into Her Season 2 coming to a conclusion tomorrow, Aug. 3, lead stars Belle Mariano and Donny Pangilinan looked back on their journey as onscreen partners in a media conference. They also shared lessons learned from portraying their characters Max and Deib, respectively.

“I can’t believe I can finally, well, not really finally, but (I’m) about to say goodbye to Deib and the rest of these people right here who mean a lot to me,” said Donny, who also mentioned that playing his character has changed him in many ways.

“I’ve seen life differently as well. I’ve learned a lot from him, so he is someone I really keep close to me forever. Kaya ayun excited na ko sa finale natin and we’ll see you guys there,” he added.

The young actor reiterated he was able to see the world in Deib’s shoes. He shared, “I got to relate to him, I got to understand more. Just in general and maybe, I also matured in the way like I would approach scenes the way that I would see scripts and the way I would approach my craft with the help of direk (Chad Vidanes), with everyone here, and the crew.”

Belle Mariano and Donny Pangilinan share learnings from playing Max and Deib, respectively, as they bid adieu to He’s Into Her Season 2.

He continued, “Just my whole perception perhaps of this industry, this craft, what I want to improve on, what I still want to get better at, what I still want to grow in, and the importance of teamwork and support for one another. All of those that really (were) evident during this He’s Into Her journey. And I really felt that. Parang na-feel ko talaga na nag-iba yung mindset ko lang about things.”

On the other hand, portraying Max holds a “special place in my heart,” said Belle. “And the other characters, too, they all have a special place in my heart and lahat ng journey ng bawat character dito, andami kong natutunan.”

The actress was able to apply in real life the experiences that she learned from her character’s perspective. “She went through a lot. And nakikita niya rin kasi ang story ng friends niya kung anong nangyayari, so a lot of us and (the) viewers as well, andami nating natutunan. And I was able to apply (them in real life). It happens talaga to us people,” she said.

“In terms of Belle naman (as my character), like what he (Donny) said earlier, I really learned a lot (which I can use in) my craft, especially with the guidance of direk (Chad Vidanes), Ms. Van (head writer Vanessa Valdez), and with the whole cast here, andami kong natutunan na ma-apply ko pa sa soon projects,” added she.

If they were to describe the entire experience in the fairytale-like romance series, it would be “life-changing” for Donny and “great discovery” for Belle.

Having worked with Donny for four years, Belle said she has gotten closer to the former “and throughout those years, I’ve discovered so many things about him. So many great things. And yeah, I’ve gotten so much closer with him.”

She also saw the “growth” in Donny, while collaborating with the actor from Season 1 to Season 2.

Donny also recalled a particular scene from the show where he felt “real,” being with his co-star, Belle.

“Maganda yung part na sabi ni Max kay Deib na, ‘Takas tayo,’ tapos nag-da-drive lang, tapos forget about your worries and then, maybe just enjoy each other’s company,” he shared.

“Yeah and I do that with her in real life when there’s so many, like, problems going on or like, things get pretty crazy. When we (are) just tired, there are moments we just talk and forget about everything and just enjoy each other’s company.”

The two are currently working on a “big project,” following their hit series. “Meron pa kaming project na we’re working on. We’re super excited, the material is really nice, it’s very different from what we’re used to doing and we’re excited to do it and (for) you, guys, to see it,” said Donny.

He’s Into Her Season 2 also stars Joao Constancia, Turs Daza, Vivoree Esclito, Jeremiah Lisbo, Kaori Oinuma, Janus del Prado and Criza Taa.

The finale concert, HIH: All-Access, will be held on Aug. 27 at the Araneta Coliseum.

The final episode of He’s Into Her Season 2 will be streamed for free on the iWantTFC app (iOs and Android) and website (iwanttfc.com).