Kapamilya star Kyle Echarri opened up about his friendship with actress Xyriel Manabat and how they grew closer while working together.
Speaking with PUSH ABS-CBN, Kyle Echarri shared that he and Xyriel have known each other since they were young, forming a bond along the way.
“I've known her since we were younger so matagal na kaming magkakila ni Xy na parang ‘Tol’ talaga yung parang from the brotherly yung binu-bully namin ang isa't isa. That's what I love about my relationship with Xy ever since,” Kyle recalled.
Kyle and Xyriel will both star in the upcoming Netflix film, 18th Rose.
“But that's also what made us so comfortable getting on that set. And building the connection of Jordan and Rose. Yun yung maganda samin ni Xyriel,” he shared.
“I feel like we're really committed to our characters. And the beautiful love story that they have for each other. And napakaraming matutunan sa kanilang dalawa kung paano magmahal.” he added.
Kyle also expressed that the foundation they both held on to during the filming was their belief in the characters they portrayed, which made the process easier and more lighter because of the trust they had in each other and in their roles.
“I think the one thing that we've always held on to when we were shooting was yung tiwala. Yung tiwala talaga namin sa isa’t isa, sa characters namin. She believed in Jordan, I believed in Rose. And pumupunta kami sa set siguro binasa na namin yung buong script pero pag pumunta kami sa set hindi namin binabasa ang script until we get to the cameras. And pagdating namin sa set lahat ng mga lines binabago namin,” Kyle said.
“And yung yung masaya, you can’t feel like acting at all you're just... nagbabatuhan lang kami ng linya sa isat isa nag re-react and yun yung pinaka gusto ko kay Xyriel— she's a sponge and she's an amazing actress. I always call her the iconic child star so I'm very happy to work with her,” he added.
Photos courtesy of Netflix
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Photos courtesy of Netflix
In a separate interview with PUSH ABS-CBN, Xyriel also shared Kyle’s enthusiasm for their team-up as lead actors.
“Natutuwa ako kasi pareho kaming excited and pareho kaming nilo-look forward na gawin itong movie together kasi parang surprise siya eh and at the same time nakaka-excite kasi first time namin magiging seryoso sa isa’t isa kasi nga, buong friendship namin bardagulan lang talaga kami,” Xyriel said.
Xyriel also reflected on how their relationship transformed, moving beyond friendship into a deeper connection as they explored and embodied the emotions of their characters together.
“Ang ganda ng transformation and noong transition from bardagulan to something deeper and something meaningful for the sake of Rose and Jordan’s story sa 18th Rose,” Xyriel said.
“Ang ganda noong transition ng friendship namin mas nakilala namin yung isa't isa to the point na may mga rest day tapos para kaming nag-o-open forum kwentuhan kami ng buhay ng isa't isa. Mas naging solid yung friendship namin ni Kyle because of 18th Rose,” she added.
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Photos courtesy of Netflix
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Photos courtesy of Netflix
Kyle also recalled having a fun time on set with Xyriel, praising her for being a natural actress. Their scenes often turned into moments filled with ad-libs, making everything feel light and organic.
He also described being Xyriel’s first partner in a leading film as an honor.
“Talagang nag enjoy ako andami naming ad lib ni Xyriel, super natural and siyempre its even more natural when I'm working with such a natural actress like Xyriel. And I'm very honored to say I'm her first partner in a leading movie for her,” Kyle said.
“She finally gets to lead and talagang deserve ni Xyriel to. So I'm super excited and super happy., he added .In 18th Rose, Kyle and Xyriel portray Jordan and Rose, two teenagers who form a meaningful connection through music while pursuing their dreams.
The movie begins streaming on April 9 on Netflix.
—By Kent Joahs Escabarte, PUSH ABS-CBN Intern