Strike while the iron is hot.” This seems to be the motto of GMA Films and Regal Films as they collaborate anew for a Valentine movie offering.
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And the motto works as well for stars Richard Gutierrez and today’s hottest It Girl, Marian “Awwww!” Rivera.

Billed as BFGF or its longish title My Best Friend’s Girlfriend, the movie is about Evo (Gutierrez) who hires Grace (Rivera) to pretend to be his girlfriend. The idea is to make Evo’s ex, Akiko (Ehra Madrigal), jealous so they can get back together. Evo gets Grace to agree to his scheme because she harbors a secret. She knows Evo will tell her own boyfriend (JC de Vera) that she was the star dancer of a stag party Evo had attended.

This is the first time Gutierrez and Rivera are appearing as an on-screen couple and the producers, from Mother Lily Monteverde and Annette Gozon Abrogar and director Mark Reyes, are bullish about the prospects of the film.

Richard Gutierrez, everybody’s dream Valentine

In previous years, Richard Gutierrez and former screen partner Angel Locsin have been making hearts flutter every Valentine’s Day. With a trio of box-office hit movies tucked under their collective belt – Let the Love Begin, I Will Always Love You, and The Promise – they gave new meaning to saccharine overload.

“It is refreshing for me to have a new partner in the person of Marian Rivera,” Gutierrez admitted. “We easily hit it off; we had no problems while we were doing the shoot. I have a new leading woman and I find it as a good sign. What I find most impressive about Marian is her acting range; she can easily shift from drama to comedy, magaling siya, talagang magaling, promise!”

He also revealed, “I never expected that we would be having so much fun in the set. Sobrang saya pala niyang kasama and I enjoyed her company. Ang taas ng energy level niya! Even if she just came from her Marimar shoot, you would never see her sulking in one corner or acting irritable. We all get our energy from her. It was a very pleasant working experience.”

“I also admire her beauty,” he added. “I always make it a point to tell her how beautiful she is. I find her very stunning, especially her eyes.”

So, what can people expect from you as Evo?

“Well, it is a very light role. People will see a different side of me as an actor. Dito may pagka-makulit at mayabang ako but eventually he will have a change of heart and attitude. People should also look forward to the romantic scenes between our characters. We have a lot of kissing scenes. Yung isa nga, take 8 yata. I think we shot that before Christmas and I remember I told direk Mark, ‘Direk ako ang bahala sa iyo.’”

He guffawed and back-pedaled. “No, of course, that was a joke.”

And of future collaborations?

“I want to take it one step at a time,” he said. “Let us just concentrate and focus on this movie now. Let us not even go to me and her being in Captain Barbell Meets Darna (a new series being planned by GMA Network) since we still have our respective shows that are still airing on TV. (For Richard, it’s Kamandag.) I would love to work with her, that is one thing for sure.”

Marian Rivera, the object of everyone’s affection

As for co-star Marian Rivera, to say that her career is on an upswing is a gross understatement. Her show Marimar continues to reign supreme with more than half-an-hour of advertising load. It once held a nosebleed 47 percent rating in TV surveys.

She is the face one sees in three high profile-advertisements, namely a slimming pineapple drink, a facial exfoliant and a phone card produced by PLDT, the country’s telecommunications giant. She is also the only young actress who starred in two movies in the recently concluded Metro Manila Festival – Desperadas and Bahay Kubo.

Now, she boots her co-star’s erstwhile Valentine movie partner, Angel Locsin, and gamely takes her place. She has even learned the sound bites of the game, giving enough to titillate but revealing little or nothing.

“I always said this in all my interviews, even before I started doing Marimar; he was always nice to me. Hindi siya suplado sa akin,” said Marian of Richard. “He admitted to me one time na he always admired how I look and my reaction was, ‘Oo, bolero ka! Echosera ka kasi!’”

She laughed loudly. “To think that time, I was dong the role of the mom of Super Twins! That made me feel good because he is the Richard Gutierrez. When we were shooting, he never made me feel that he is a superstar. He is very humble, very down to earth; working with him is a breeze.”
She also sounded off on his thoughtfulness.

“He keeps on inquiring if I have eaten already since he knew I just came from my taping. He asks what do I like to eat. He is consistently thoughtful during the shoot. Shooting BFGF gave us the chance to be honest and open with each other and I think that positive attitude (came out) in the movie,” she relates.

Does she feel any pressure knowing the fact that all the movies of Richard with Angel Locsin were box-office hits?

“Well, I pray that our movie would also be a hit. Honestly, I do not feel any pressure. What is important to me is that whatever role that comes my way, I give it my 100 percent.”

Well, we ventured, what if their hit onscreen partnership continues off-screen?

“I guess it is better for us just to be friends,” she replied, dousing the reel-to-real fantasy.

“Any girl would easily fall in love with Richard. Aside from the fact that he is very good looking, he has a good heart,” she explained diplomatically. “However, I think being friends is the best that we can have right now kesa yung instant na boyfriend-girlfriend; I am not comfortable with such a set-up. I never hurry when it comes to love, I always make it a point to know the person well, to ask many questions and have a lot of time to get to know one another. Ayoko naman na porke we have a movie, magliligawan na. In case I do have another relationship, I want it for keeps.”