You know a conversation is going to be good when it feels like just two friends catching up, laughing one minute and tearing up the next. That’s exactly what happened when Joshua Garcia sat down with his newest mother figure in showbiz, Maricel Soriano, for a heart-to-heart on her YouTube channel.
And somewhere between the travel stories and behind-the-scenes memories from their movie "Meet, Greet & Bye," Joshua found himself going way back to the path that brought him to the showbiz A-list status he has now. Back to the 16-year-old Batangueño whose “antukin” moments became a running joke in Kuya’s house. But hey, that sleepy boy who once got carried around as punishment is now carrying huge roles, endorsements, and major projects on his shoulders. When he visited Bahay ni Kuya as a houseguest on "PBB Celebrity Collab 2.0," Big Brother told him he was proud of how far he’s come.
WATCH: Piolo at Joshua, muling nagkasama sa bahay ni Kuya
PBB Days
Before movie sets and red carpets and a schedule that barely leaves room to breathe, Joshua was just a kid from Batangas who took a chance. He remembers traveling with his dad from Batangas all the way to the Marikina Sports Complex to audition for “PBB All In,” with his lola covering their pamasahe and their stay. “Masaya ‘yung audition na ’yan. ‘Yan ‘yung parang isang magandang milestone sa buhay ko,” he said, remembering how exhausting the callbacks were, but how all the "pagod" disappeared when he got the letter saying he made it to the reality show.
Joshua was tagged as his batch’s most “antukin” housemate, as he was often caught dozing off at random moments during the day, which he explained wasn't really laziness on his part. "Centralized kasi ‘yung aircon doon. Sobrang lamig. Tapos hindi ko alam, sa ‘PBB’ pala, no'ng time ko ah, hindi ko alam na two hours or three hours lang kami natutulog," he shared. "Kasi wala kaming orasan eh. Wala kaming [alam sa] date. So nagugulat na lang kami, umaga na bigla, tapos siyempre antok pa rin kami. Kapag nag-wake up call, bawal ka na matulog sa kwarto. Doon ko itutuloy sa sofa."
"So nakilala nila ako bilang tulugin," he laughed, "tapos si Kuya, sinakyan." Big Brother once made him sleep the entire day while his housemates carried him from place to place as "punishment," which he admittedly enjoyed.
More than a decade later, Joshua still gets to talk to a few of his fellow housemates, especially Maris Racal (as they're under the same handler), Loisa Andalio, and Jane Oineza, the ones who stayed active in showbiz just like he did. And he's genuinely proud watching everyone shine in the industry. He remembers they used to call Maris their “idol” during their first acting workshops after "PBB" because she was always getting praised by the workshop instructors.
As for the rest, he understands that life naturally takes people in different directions. But of course, the memories they all shared as housemates would never fade.
After “PBB All In,” Joshua thought he’d be fine doing occasional guest performances on “ASAP" since acting wasn’t even part of the plan. But moving to Manila meant rent, food, and other expenses, and the irregular “ASAP” stints weren’t enough to cover that. So he slowly began taking on acting jobs, even if they were just minor roles. That’s when he realized he needed real training to upgrade his skill. So he signed up for acting workshops.
That move changed the game. His first big break came in 2016 via the Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla film "Barcelona: A Love Untold," followed by more roles that made him fall in love with acting, not just as a job, but as a craft. Joshua says acting is easy to learn but harder to truly love, especially when you're dealing with strict directors and sky-high expectations. You need a strong gut or "matibay na sikmura," as he put, to survive this business. But he stayed in the grind, and it paid off.
However, for all the blessings that came after "Pinoy Big Brother," Joshua also had to face the bashing, which he considers the hardest part of his journey as a then-newbie actor. "Hanggang sa ma-immune ka na lang," he mused. "Ngayon, parang wala na sa akin ‘yung bashing."
Imagine a 16-year-old boy from the province suddenly exposed to everyone’s opinions. It felt overwhelming, but strangely eye-opening just the same, as it taught him that trust is a rare currency. "Hindi ka dapat open din sa lahat. So, pipili ka lang ng pagkakatiwalaan mo. Kasi hindi lahat totoo sa'yo," he pressed, though he hasn’t been burned badly, he's learned to gauge people fast. "Kung magaling ka rin sa tao, una pa lang, ramdam mo na 'yung intention, eh."
Joshua has learned to trust his instincts and listen to himself more. In moments like that, he realized the only person who could truly stand by him is himself.
Joshua as a son and brother
As Brad Facundo in “Meet, Greet & Bye,” Joshua plays one of Maricel’s kids, and a sibling to Piolo Pascual, Juan Karlos, and Belle Mariano.
Off-cam, the cast pretty much stayed as a family. They joke around, trade banter mid-interview, and still check in on each other even after filming wrapped and the movie premiered worldwide. Joshua treasures that bond, maybe because he’s very much the good son, good brother type in real life too.
The Kapamilya actor describes himself as quiet and very giving. One time, he let his older sister decide where to eat even if it was his own birthday just so she wouldn’t feel bad, because she thought their dad was playing favorites by asking him where he wanted to eat. He laughs about it now, but it says a lot about who he is. Maybe it comes from being raised by his uncle, a priest, and his grandmother, who both taught him to be considerate.
Much like his character Brad, he puts family first. He became the breadwinner early, helped his sister finish her degree in pharmacy and now pursue medicine. He also helps his half-siblings from his father’s side, sending two of them to school as well.
Joshua doesn’t see it as a burden. When his sister got her diploma, he swears it felt like he was the one graduating. That’s how much he’s poured into his family, even if he wasn’t raised by his parents for most of his childhood.
While filming "Meet, Greet, & Bye," he realized he's been to Paris, Rome, Morocco, everywhere, but his parents haven't. So next year, he’s taking them on a trip abroad. Another one of his takeaways from the movie is to say "I love you" more often. He said it feels strange at first, but only because it’s unfamiliar. So, Joshua's advice to younger people is to start saying "I love you" even in small doses until it becomes natural.