Those who got to watch TV in the early to mid-2010s had probably seen Xyriel Manabat and Louise Abuel a lot, as they starred in some of the most remarkable teleseryes of ABS-CBN, two of which they headlined together—”100 Days To Heaven” and “Ikaw Ay Pag-ibig.” And 14 years later, they got to work again with each other on the same project, which is the well-loved primetime series “It’s Okay To Not Be Okay.”
Since we seem to not have seen them in one frame yet anew, Kapamilya showbiz correspondent MJ Felipe caught up with them in the latest episode of the The Filipino Channel’s online talk show “Are You G?”, wherein they talked about how their lives have been in the local entertainment scene through the years—over some servings of Pinoy comfort food.
While waiting for Louise, MJ quizzed Xyriel first regarding her highly talked about stint in “Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Collab Edition,” in which she was dubbed “Ang Golden Anaktres ng Rizal.” Many were seemingly surprised about her participation in the reality show, commenting that she no longer needed to do it since she is already popular and she didn’t have to prove herself further.
However, Xyriel begged to disagree, as she told MJ that she actually needed the exposure that the show offers, which is one of the reasons why she wanted to take part in it, apart from the experience.
"Ako, hindi ko siya naiisip or never ko siyang na-sink in na may mga hindi na ako kailangang gawin kasi for me experience talaga ‘yong number 1 teacher. So, kahit ano ‘yan, kapag ininvite n’yo ako, kung kaya ko, kung okay at fit sa akin, go-go ako talaga,” she related.
Then she added, “Siyempre nagulat sila na nag-stop ako for a long period of time. So, the fact na ang dami nilang na-miss sa buhay ko and it’s so easy for them to judge me without knowing the real story or journey, so ito rin po ‘yong way para malaman nila kung sino na nga ba ako ngayon.”
When asked what was the best experience that she was able to impart to the “PBB Collab” housemates, Xyriel said that it could be her healing journey. She explained that it’s because she did not show bitterness or grudges in telling that story, as well as inspired them to forgive and help themselves since nobody could heal them but themselves.
Being two of the enduring and reliable child actors of their generation who were able to retain their success in the industry, Louise expressed how grateful he is to have the opportunity to continue his passion as a child now that he’s already a grown-up, as well as to turn something they’re passionate about into a job.
Xyriel agreed with him, as well as when he said that they used to see acting as mere fun and games as kids. In addition, she’s grateful that the people who put their trust in them decades ago still have faith in them. She’s also happy that they get to witness each other’s growth not just as individuals but as actors, too.
As the host asked if she had any realizations about the industry during her hiatus, the talented young actress divulged that she was already hyperaware of the things happening around her even before shying out of the limelight. It was a good thing for her since she is in control of her path and decisions, as well as being certain of her core and her goal in spite of everything she went through.
We may not have noticed it, but Louise actually took a break from showbiz for a short period of time due to burnout, which also transpired during his so-called “awkward stage.” He went back to regular school, which helped him figure out what he really wanted in life.
As his fire for acting got rekindled, he went back to it via the 2019 independent film “Edward,” through which he snagged the “Best Actor” trophy at the Dhaka International Film Festival.
Since they’d already touched on the topic of burnout, the host asked them how they confront this syndrome. For Xyriel, it shouldn’t be fought but rather be felt, nor be skipped or given a shortcut.
“Kasi kapag naramdaman mo ‘yong burnout, doon ka makakapag-reflect, doon ka makakagawa ng hard decisions, doon papasok ‘yong growth at maturity. Kasi without feeling, hindi mo alam kung ano ‘yong gusto,” she expounded.
Then she imparted that among the reasons why she stopped working a few years ago was because she already knew what burnout felt like at the age of 12 and that she didn’t want to have any regrets in the future. Thus, during her break, she really allowed herself to experience what people her age usually do, which was her way of giving the young Xyriel the youth that cannot be taken away from her.
Louise seconded her by commenting, “Kasi we’ll never be this young again. Hindi na namin mababalikan ‘yon e. ‘Yong pag-aartista, pwede pa kaming bumalik kapag matured enough na kami, pero ‘yong kabataan hindi na namin mababalik ‘yon.” He went on to say that it’s necessary for us to have other outlets in order to get through burnout, which for him is football.
With regard to their proudest works, Xyriel disclosed that it would be the project that she’s currently working on, which cannot be divulged yet, as well as “100 Days to Heaven.” According to her, that teleserye didn’t just allow them to work alongside veteran actors who didn’t just mentor them on how to act but also taught them how to deal with different people and life in general.
It’s also as “100 Days to Heaven” for Louise, along with the special series “Ikaw Ay Pag-ibig" that also starred Xyriel, Zaijian Jaranilla, and Mutya Orquia. It delighted him that from having to act like an adult in “100 Days To Heaven,” Xyriel was able to be a kid again in “Ikaw Ay Pag-ibig,” making them feel that they were just playing on the set.
And 14 years after working together in “Ikaw Ay Pag-ibig,” Xyriel couldn’t be any happier to be reunited with Louise in the ongoing series “It’s Okay To Not Be Okay,” whom she got to see again for the first time at the Star Magical Prom. As MJ mentioned how the series has been doing great, Louise shared how they feel about working on the project.
“Sa una kabado kasi alam natin ‘yong ‘It’s Okay To Not Be Okay’ sa Netflix sobrang daming nanood. Noong nalaman ko na [kasama] ako, sabi ko, ‘grabe ‘yong standard ng Koreans in terms of acting, in terms of cinematography, na naniniwala naman ako na kaya ng Star Creatives, kaya ng Pilipino. Pero ang tanong, kaya ko ba?” Louise conveyed.
He elaborated, “So, ang ginawa ko, para hindi ako ma-distract o ma-anticipate ko ‘yong character, ‘di ko pinanood ‘yong part ko para hindi ko alam kung paano ko siya gagawin. ‘Di ko siya gagayahin. Ang hirap kasi kung masyado mo siyang ire-replicate, kailangan tayong magbigay ng authenticity for the Filipino viewers para mas maintidihan nila ang character ko.”
Catch Xyriel as Madeth and Louise as Kai in “It’s Okay To Not Be Okay”, weeknights on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, A2Z, TV5 and iWant.