Kapamilya actor Joshua Garcia felt grateful and fulfilled as he celebrated the success of the Philippine adaptation of the Korean hit series It’s Okay To Not Be Okay.
As the series wrapped up on a strong note, Joshua shared with PUSH ABS-CBN how thankful he was for the chance to work with the show’s cast and production team. “I'm really grateful na maging part ako ng isang show na ang ganda nung mensahe. Of course, I got to work with Anne Curtis and Carlo Aquino at marami pang iba. And of course, ito ‘yung first namin ni Direk Mae (Cruz-Alviar) na full-length talaga, kasi nung Ngayon at Kailanman, naging director namin siya pero one week lang. Ngayon, naging nanay ko na rin talaga siya,” Joshua said.
Joshua added that, from the moment the project was entrusted to him, he already felt deep gratitude: “Ang dami kong pagpapasalamat na naging parte ako ng show na ‘yon and una pa lang, binigay na sa akin, pagpapasalamat na ‘yon sa ABS-CBN, of course, kasi ‘di nila ako pinapabayaan.”
Looking back on their time on set, Joshua admitted he misses the fun and daily bonding with his co-stars. “Na-miss ko ‘yung lahat sila kasi ‘yun ‘yung nakakalungkot sa industriya namin, kasi parang after mo ng isang show bilang wala na, ‘di na ulit kayo magkikita-kita, and then parang ang hirap nang mag-catch up. Hirap nang makapagmessage sa isa't isa. But yeah, magkikita naman kayo sa mga events,” he expressed.
Among the cast, Joshua said he especially misses his on-screen brother, Carlo Aquino, with whom he developed a close bond. “Nami-miss ko sila lahat, especially Kuya Carlo kasi napamahal sa akin ‘yung kapatid ko, eh,” he said.
Talking about brotherhood, Joshua playfully mentioned which character from his film Meet, Greet & Bye he would introduce to Patpat, his character in It’s Okay To Not Be Okay. “Si JK (Labajo), kasi si Leo (JK’s role), walang masamang tinapay sa kanya eh. Siya ‘yung parang mas makausap, mas maalaga, maasikaso na tao, so feeling ko, siya makakaclose niya,” he shared.
Joshua even joked about how Patpat and Leo would likely bond over music, specifically JK’s hit “Buwan” - which he personally loves. “Ang song nila is ‘Buwan.’ Pwede! (sings ‘Buwan’) Taas, eh! Sabi ko nga na fan kasi ako ng mga kanta niya, so nung naka-work ko siya, sabi ko sa kanya, ‘Gawa ka naman, tol, ng kanta na medyo mababa para makanta ko siya sa mga mall show kasi ‘di ko makanta, eh.’ Sigaw palagi ako. Nakakanta ko lang siya kapag may celebration, ‘di ba?” Joshua laughed.
READ: Stars join and support ‘Da Facundos’ at 'Meet, Greet & Bye' world premiere
In a previous interview, Joshua admitted feeling nervous and pressured with taking on his first-ever Filipino remake of a K-drama. “Siguro kinakabahan ako na gawin pero parang natanggal na rin lahat ng kaba and hesitation pagdating ng shoot kasi kapag inisip mo pa ‘yan, ‘di mo na maiisip ‘yung trabaho mo. So kailangan mong alisin ‘yung ganong nararamdaman mo,” Joshua explained.
READ: Joshua Garcia opens up about the pressure of starring in 'It’s Okay to Not Be Okay'
The emotional complexity of his character also posed a major challenge, he admitted, adding: “Mahirap lahat actually kasi ang daming layer ng emotion ng character ko na nahirapan nga rin ako ilabas, pero tinulungan ako ni Direk Mae (Cruz-Alviar) ilabas lahat yon. Mahirap lahat. Mahirap umiyak. Mahirap magpatawa. Mahirap magpakilig. Kasi may timing lahat. So challenge talaga siya sa akin.”