Bea Binene, the lead star of GMA’s afternoon fantasy series Alice Bungisngis and Her Wonder Walis, belied rumours that she and fellow “tweenstar” Barbie Forteza are not in good terms. In fact, she said that they are “very good friends.”
“Hindi ko nga alam kung saan nanggaling ‘yung mga issues na ‘yan na magkaaway kami ni Barbie or something. Pero kami, we’re very very good friends. We’re very OK, and sa set walang ilangan, walang something,” Bea said in an interview.
Bea and Barbie are going to star as twins in GMA’s upcoming fantasy-drama series Luna Blanca, which according to the network’s press release is a sequel to Luna Mystika, a 2008 fantasy series starring Heart Evangelista.
“Ako dito si Luna, kakambal ako ni Barbie at meron akong anino. So ang character ko dito jolly, playful, mabait, masiyahin,” shared Bea.
Her character in Luna Blanca is not very far from her comical and bubbly character in Alice Bungisngis and Her Wonder Walis, which is also a fantasy series. Is she more comfortable with fantasy series than heavy dramas?
“Hindi naman. Kahit ano naman ang ibigay sa akin ng GMA, wala namang problema sa akin. Ang sa akin lang naman ay yung challenge.”
Bea’s team-up with kapuso tween star Jake Vargas was recently recognized by the Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Scholarship Foundation as the “Most Promising Love Team” of the year. How does she feel about the award?
“I had mixed emotions: super happy, honoured and thankful. We (Bea and Jake) feel very blessed to have received such a distinction,” she said.
The Jake-Bea loveteam, endearingly called by their avid fans as “JaBea,” has gained quite a big following especially among teenage viewers. The two are almost always together in TV series and movies. Have they not gotten bored with each other?
“Hindi naman. Kahit almost every day kaming magkasama marami naman kaming ibang napag-uusapan. Meron naman kaming iba’t-ibang mga bagay na ginagawa kaya hindi kami nagkakasawaan.”
Sometimes, networks experiment on forming new team-ups to break the monotony of seeing the same faces together on television. Is the “JaBea” love team to be split apart soon?
“Hindi ko po alam. Wala pa naman ding sinasabi sa amin ang GMA na maghihiwalay (ang loveteam) or something. Wala pa naman.”
If ever Bea’s network decides – JaBea fans knock on wood – to team her up with another star, she says that she won’t demand for anyone in particular.
“Kahit naman sino ang ibigay sa akin ng GMA I will accept him nang maayos. At kahit sino basta, I’ll promise to do my best. Kahit anong show, kahit anong project, kahit sinong ka-loveteam.”
This year has been a fortunate one for Bea; she was never without a show. How does she feel about it?
“Super thankful ako kasi ipinagkakatiwala sa akin ng GMA ‘tong mga shows na ito. Super nagpapasalamat ako kasi patuloy pa ring sinusuportahan ng mga viewers ‘yung mga shows ko. At the same time nervous kasi panibagong story, panibagong challenge, panibagong show.”