She was the child star who grew up; the leading lady who, along with real-life partner Daniel Padilla, sent millions of hearts aflutter with her romantic turns in a handful of bankable films. And in 2019, Kathryn Bernardo, armed with a record-breaking P881-million in box office receipts for the top-grossing Hello, Love, Goodbye, became the undisputed “Box Office Queen” of her generation.
By Hermes Joy Tunac
Two stars on the rise—Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla—found each other in 2011 in a teleserye about family and friendship called Growing Up. And from that union, “KathNiel,” the love team (that would soon prove to be a golden goose for Star Cinema and ABS CBN), was born on television.
Ever since that fateful moment, the two, for a number of years, proved to be inseparable. Their movies—which include She’s Dating the Gangster, Barcelona and The Hows of Us, among others—all made a killing in the box office. The two have a chemistry no one can contest. From Daniel’s bad-boy image to Kathryn’s charming smile, the two knew exactly how to catch their audience’s attention. And just when everything is going right for this generation’s most sought after love team, Kathryn ventures on her own.
As the famous, modern saying goes though, “Walang forever (no such thing as forever).” In 2019, Kathryn and Daniel mutually decided that they would no longer work together, at least for the foreseeable future.
In her own terms
It was a huge step, a leap of faith that could bring them to greater heights or plunge them into the abyss. “I was terrified,” Kathryn tells PeopleAsia, talking about her first project without Daniel. “I just don’t want to deny him of the roles that he can explore outside of us, and he feels the same way,” the actress says.
In the end, the real-life couple both didn’t want to be selfish. “We didn’t want to deprive each other of the opportunities that were outside of our comfort zones,” Kathryn says. The path led her to “Joy.”
Hello, Love, Goodbye, a film by Cathy Garcia Molina about two struggling OFWs, Joy (Kath) and Ethan (Alden Richards), who met in Hong Kong at the wrong time, was full of firsts for Kathryn—first time to work with Alden and a first without Daniel by her side.
“It was hard when I was away from DJ (Daniel’s nickname), but I learned so much. In the past, during our tapings, I would know that he’s just in his tent, and I can go to him anytime. But for Hello, Love, Goodbye, I was in Hong Kong. And I felt so lonely because I was so immersed in Joy’s character,” the 23-year-old actress says, looking back on the challenges of her latest film.
There were a lot of awkward moments between Kath and Alden in the beginning. According to the actress, she needed a lot of adjustments. “It was challenging, but then, Alden was careful and respectful. I’m really thankful that it was Alden who I worked with on this film because I needed someone who will guide and help me with the adjustments, and he did,” Kathryn shares.
Daniel, on the other hand, was very supportive of the entire endeavor. “Even after Hello, Love, Goodbye, he was still 100-percent cheering me on. It’s his turn to produce a movie next year, so I think it’s my time to support him back. We just need to give each other this time for ourselves, so when we meet next year for a new teleserye, we’re more solid,” she shares.
Back-to-back success
Kathryn’s doubts and fears about getting out of her shell were all invalidated with the release of Hello, Love, Goodbye earlier this year. “What I feared most was how people would react to the film. I already expected the worst,” she says. But to her surprise, critics and viewers alike sang the film praises. The Noontime Prince of GMA 7 and the teen queen from ABS-CBN, both products of now-defunct loveteams, united “Kapusos” and “Kapamilyas” alike.
For this, Kathryn has much to be thankful for. “KathNiel fans understood why DJ and I needed to spend some time apart for the meantime. That’s why they supported me, “ she shares, eyes beaming as if the film’s success just happened yesterday.
KathNiel’s latest project together, The Hows of Us, a film about a young couple George (Kath) and Primo (Daniel) who dreams of growing old together as they deal with the struggles of being in a long-term relationship, was once considered the highest-grossing film in local movie history with P805 million in revenues. But Hello, Love, Goodbye took the top spot with P880 million.
This speaks volumes for Kathryn’s maturity as an actress. In a span of only a few months, the actress achieved two significant victories at the box office—a first to ever make back to back top-grossing films. It was, indeed, a history that only Kathryn could write, a new standard set for Philippine cinema.
“Did that really happen?” Kath asks when this writer mentioned two of the top-grossing films’ that she’s leading. “It feels surreal. I didn’t think that I will receive this early the same success I had with The Hows of Us,” she says humbly.
Kath also acknowledges and owes the success of Hello, Love, Goodbye to the entire team behind it. “A movie will not be successful without a good script and a support system. My only wish for Hello, Love, Goodbye is for people to accept the first film I have with a new leading man. But I received not just acceptance, but huge support from old and new fans alike,” she says with a broad smile on her face.
Passion is fuel
Kathryn became an actress when she was seven. At such a young age, she spent her childhood shooting on a set while kids her age were probably in school or in the playground. Sixteen years later, Kathryn blossomed into an actress with a discipline that made her name stay on top, with or without a leading man.
Looking back, is this the life the actress envisioned to have? Kath, with such a humble voice, says, “I wished for this, but I didn’t expect it, [all of her success] to happen. There are days when my heart is so full, I wonder if these are all true, if all these blessings and opportunities in my career are true. But I guess if you really love something, it will come back to you. All my hard work and my love for my craft really did pay off.”
Kathryn summarizes the things that she’s most thankful for as an actress. These are the lives she touched, her experiences and the totality of the job itself. “Unknowingly, when you’re in this business, you touch so many lives by acting because you get to portray lives that people can relate to,” she explains. Through her experiences, she gets to appreciate the life she currently has.
She also expresses her gratitude for her craft. “Not everyone has the luxury to choose the job they really like. In my case, I love what I do. I make people happy through my acting, and I’m proud to call that as my career. It’s a win-win situation.”
When it comes to moving into more mature roles, she firmly believes that it’s something not to be rushed. “What if, two years ago, I accepted the role of a mother. I knew that I would regret it because it’s too old for my age,” Kath cites as an example. “I don’t accept roles I know I’m not ready for. I take it one step at a time. I’ve already had so many roles at 23, but there’s still so much I haven’t done. The secret here is to never rush things.”
Branching out
Aside from acting and brand collaborations, Kathryn has also been exploring her more enterprising side. In 2017, she opened her own nail salon Kathnails at SM North Edsa. It quickly gained a huge following that, as of this writing, Kathnails already has seven branches nationwide.
“I think it’s good to invest in something that I can use in the future. I’m aware of the opportunities that I have right now in my career. Still, there’s no guarantee that it’s going to last forever,” Kath shares. Apart from her nail salons, Kathryn and Daniel recently opened their first joint venture—a retro-themed barbershop Barbero Blues, also at SM North Edsa.
With all these said, Kathryn is definitely at the top of her game-breaking her own records as a star, testing her mettle as an actress and, at the same time, enjoying life with her prince charming away from the cameras. Indeed, despite the abundance of roles for her picking, nothing is quite as plum as that of being simply… Kathryn.
