YES! Magazine, October 2003
They are being billed as the next Guy and Pip, Sharon and Gabby, Kristine and Jericho. Like these previous loveteams, they have the chemistry that makes them number one. Unlike those previous love teams, they are not in love at all, nor do they pretend to be.
He’s heartthrob who has been in show business for more than five years. Starting as a fun-loving teenager in ABS-CBN’s “Kaybol” he gradually moved up to the rank of dramatic young star via the youth-oriented drama series “Tabing Ilog,” also on ABS-CBN. In the latter, he was paired off with Kaye Abad — a teamup that established his credibility as a leading man.
She’s an actress whose youthful innocence is hidden underneath mature physical features. She was discovered in a local beauty contest in Pasig when she was 13, and went to join ABS-CBN’s Star Circle Batch 10. She was first seen in that studio’s now defunct “K2BU” Who would have thought that, together, 20-year-old John Lloyd Cruz and 15-year-old Bea Alonzo would be the hottest love team on primetime television? Certainly not John and Bea.
“Hindi, hindi ko pa rin maisip,” says John Lloyd , still ambivalent about their loveteam’s growing popularity.
“Actually, it’s a mystery,” Bea says. “Hanggang ngayon, hindi nga naming alam ni John kung ano ang meron. Pinag-iisipan talaga naming. Ginagawa lang naman talaga ng lahat ito. Pero pag kami gumagawa, sabi nila kilig daw. Bakit? Ano’ng meron?”
The tandem started in Book2 of ABS-CBN’s soap opera “Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay.” When they were cast, neither John Lloyd nor Bea was aware that they were the ones who would be paired up. Truth to be told, it was their home studio that played Cupid to their onscreen love affair.
“Naka-peg talaga na sina Bea and John Lloyd will be a love team,” says Don Cuaresma, one of the show’s directors. ‘Pero noong una talaga, reluctant kami kasi parang hindi magwo-work. Eventually, tiningnan na naming. Nagkaroon ng VTR (video tape recording) test. Pwede naman pala talaga actually. So, ‘yon. Hanggang sa nag-succeed siya at maraming naging following.
“Talagang ano lang ‘yan e, gut feel and risk,” explained Lauren Dyogi [the third of “Kay Tagal’s directing trio] who was very confident na magwo-work yung loveteam. Sa tipo naman, kung titingnan mo silang dalawa, they look good together. So physically, may laban na yong tandem.”
Their hunch was right on the money. The John Lloyd-Bea now has soap fans glued to their television sets every weekday evening. Plus, there’s a whole new heap of commercials, endorsements , magazine covers , and newspaper features with either John Lloyd or Bea in them.
The amazing thing about all this is that there is no romance between John Lloyd and Bea at all.
John Lloyd has admitted to YES (September 2003 issue) that he is very happy with Ciara Sotto, his girlfriend of two years.
Bea now tells YES! that, at 15, she is too young to think about a serious relationship.
“Attached akong masyado sa work ko, with my family and friends,”says. “so, I don’t think I can manage another attachment in my life, like having a boyfriend and everything. Gusto ko, ‘yong first boyfriend ko, buong-buo na ‘yong time ko para sa kanya. Pag matured enough na ako. Alam mo, ‘yong long-term relationship. Hindi ‘yong curious ka lang kaya gusto mong magka-boyfriend.”
The relationship of John Lloyd and Bea is therefore limited to the confines of work..pure work. So the question is:what makes the tandem tick?
The Romance that Isn't
As professional actors, the two definitely belong to a mutual-admiration society.
“Si John Lloyd, sobrang galing niyang actor, e” says Bea. “ So feeling ko, malaking tulong siya doon sa development ng acting ko. Ang dami niya ring tips na nabigay sa akin.”
Bea also says that John Lloyd takes good care of her – on screen, that is. “May concern siya sa katrabaho niya. Hindi niya pinababayaan. Like, siguro pag pawis ‘yong ilong [ko] , pupunasan niya or something like that.”
She particularly remembers the time when John Lloyd gave her tips on how to make eye contact. “Kasi pag sobrang lapit ng mukha, naduduling ka na!” she says. “Sinasabi niya sa akin kung paano hindi maduling. Kailangan sa isang mata ka lang titingin para hindi ka maduling.”
Bea admits that her first impression of her onscreen partner wasn’t so great. “Noong una kasi, akala ko suplado ‘yon e. Lagi mo siyang aakalain na suplado kasi ang tahimik niyang tao. Sobrang lalim niyang tao. “Tsaka, sobrang aasarin ka niya! Sutil! ‘Kala mo tahimik , pero sutil!”
How sutil? We ask.
“Kasi di ba, may mga eksena na uupo ako sa lap niya. Tapos, sasabihin niya “Ang bigat mo, Bea! O, sira na ‘yong upuan! Oww!” Gumaganon’n siya!”
In another incident during taping Bea had to drive a car on a road that zigzagged down a steep hill. The problem was, Bea didn’t know how to drive!
Throughout the entire ordeal, John Lloyd was as sutil as ever.
“Tara, balik na tayo! Mahal ko pa ‘yong buhay ko!” he said to Bea inside the car.
“Ako naman, “Bea recalls, “tense na tense na hindi ko alam ang gagawin ko. Malay mo, baka mahulog nga kami doon sa bangin, ano?”
For his part, John Lloys says Bea is one good actress. Since “K2BU”—a very light teenybopper show — was Bea’s only show before “Kay Tagl,” he really hadn’t expected much.
“Nagulat ako, kasi, unexpectedly, magaling siya talaga e. Noong Makita ko siya [in “Kay Tagal”],may edge e. Iba talaga. Nagustuhan ko ‘yon, kasi, aminin na natin, kung hindi ka impressed doon sa partner mo, how will it work? Di ba? Mas mahihirapan kayo. And she’s very hardworking, very patient , and she’s very eager to learn. And wala kang makikita sa kanyang, parang, walang tantrum sa set. Wala siyang ganoon. Parang she’s willing to accept kung anuman ‘yong criticism or good comments. And gusto ko ‘yon, magandang trait ‘yon sa isang baguhang artista kagaya niya.”
Although John is all praise for his screen partner, he admits that he didn’t want to be in a love team at first. ‘In a way, it limits you, e, from doing roles na gusto mong gawin and mga projects na gusto mong gawin tanggapin, ‘cause you have a loveteam.”