Following the success of Star Cinema’s newest family-drama film Meet, Greet & Bye, Kapamilya actor Joshua Garcia has earned praise for his heartfelt performance as Brad, the second child in the Facundo family.
In an interview with PUSH ABS-CBN, Joshua shared how portraying Brad allowed him to better understand the often-unheard stories of middle children.
“Noong nagampanan ko ‘yung character ni Brad, mas naintindihan ko ang mga middle child, of course. Naintindihan ko kung saan… kung ano ‘yung dinadala nila so sila pala ‘yung hindi mo masyadong naririnig pero sila ‘yung may pinakamalalim at pinakamarami ang dinadala,” Joshua said.
Although the role is far from his real-life personality, Joshua said he, director Cathy Garcia-Sampana, and the rest of the cast worked closely to build each character’s emotional depth.
“Ito talagang binuo namin ‘to, lahat kami — mga cast and Direk mismo. Mayroon nga kaming ginawa ni Direk na backstory ni Tupe — ako, Direk, and si Piolo (Pascual). Gumawa kami ng backstory nilang dalawa, ni Tupe and ni Brad na hindi pinakita sa movie pero alam namin, nasa loob lang namin na may ganoong backstory para mas may sakit, para mas may pain,” Joshua revealed.
Direk Cathy even encouraged Joshua and Piolo to revisit their own memorable experiences with their families to add authenticity to their roles.
“Tinanong kami ni Direk Cathy kung may memorable experience ba kayo with your brothers or your father or mother and then, since kinuwento lang namin ‘yung mga memorable experience namin and then tinignan namin kung ano ‘yung pwedeng sa aming dalawa na nakalimutan na ni Tupe,” Joshua added.
Through this collaborative process, the cast built a genuine bond that Joshua treasures deeply.
“Mahal na mahal ko ‘yung cast namin para kaming pamilya na. I think every day na magkakasama kami, ang daming nangyari kasi so memorable siya para sa akin, lahat at mate-treasure ko siya kasi nagkaroon ako ng pamilya na bago (sa mga susunod pa na projects) kasi hindi gano'n kadali makahanap ng mapagkakatiwalaan sa industriya natin,” Joshua got candid.
“With them, I can be myself. I can be vulnerable,” he expressed.
Meet, Greet & Bye is Joshua’s newest project following UnHappy For You under Star Cinema. Reflecting on the challenges of portraying two very different characters—an ex-boyfriend still hung up on his past love, and a son who sacrificed everything for his family—Joshua admitted both roles pushed him in unique ways.
“Magkaiba siya ng challenge for me, eh, kasi ‘yung Unhappy For You parang may kinakalkal kang sugat na healed na pero sinusugatan mo pa lalo… parang gano'n ‘yung nangyari sa ‘kin doon, eh. Tapos dito naman sa Meet, Greet, and Bye, ang challenge kasi dito is ‘yung acting mo. Para kaming na wo-workshop ni Piolo everyday with Direk Cathy and ang daming mga surprise elements ni Direk Cathy,” Joshua explained.
One unforgettable moment for Joshua was when Direk Cathy pulled an unexpected trick to capture a genuine reaction during a scene with Kaila Estrada.
“There was one-time na may eksena ako and then first time ulit naming magkita ni Kaila after naming hindi magkita nang matagal and then ang baho ko tignan, ang dungis ko tapos siya ang ayos niya then gustong maramdaman ni Direk ‘yung kilig. Nagulat ako nilagyan niya ako ng yelo sa likod pero nakuha niya ‘yung reaksyon na gusto niya so marami siyang mga surprise na elements.”
“Maganda siyang proseso bilang aktor kasi ang dami mong matututunan na pwede mo siyang mabaon sa susunod mo pa na gagawin,” Joshua continued.