Ten years since his previous television series, “Till I Met You,” Multimedia Prince James Reid is perfectly poised to make his return to the Kapamilya primetime as part of “Someone, Someday,” alongside Asia’s Superstar Kathryn Bernardo.
Before addressing his exciting comeback to the world of acting, James took the opportunity to look back on his challenging yet fulfilling career trajectory in an episode of “The B Side,” where James freely talked about his early days in “Pinoy Big Brother,” wildly popular romance projects with Nadine Lustre, solo artist milestones, and a lot more that best represented his personal growth.
James first gained recognition after being named as the big winner of “PBB Teen Clash 2010.” When he was asked about his fondest memories back when he was a housemate, he could only think of his closest pal Ryan Bang, whom he considered his best friend throughout the reality show.
Other than that, he was actually unaware that as soon as the “PBB” season wrapped up, his life would take an enormous turn, particularly leading him to the entertainment industry. “I didn’t know what I was getting into at all… After I won, my world was turned upside down, and my life was never the same,” James expressed.
The actor-singer’s major breakthrough subsequently came in the form of the romantic comedy film “Diary ng Panget,” during which he was paired together with his former reel-to-real partner Nadine Lustre. James then genuinely commented on how the movie redefined everything in his professional and personal life, especially considering that music was his first choice.
“‘Diary ng Panget’ was the breakthrough project that I never saw coming… I never expected na I would enjoy acting [because] it wasn’t something that I thought was in my personality,” he conveyed.
He was still trying to understand why fans appreciated him so much during and after his “PBB” days, feeling as though he hadn’t yet done anything worthy of their praise. Nevertheless, his projects immediately came nonstop, including “On the Wings of Love,” his first high-rated teleserye with Nadine, which concluded with a live viewing party in the Ynares Center.
“The success of that teleserye was completely unexpected… We had so much love from fans, especially [from] OFWs… The story really touched a lot of people,” James recalled.
As for reflecting on how he evolved as an actor, James fondly remembered “Never Not Love You” as the film that positively changed his approach to acting, which later secured him a second nomination in the prestigious FAMAS Awards. “It’s darker because it’s not exactly a happily ever after; it’s a bit more nuanced than that… Definitely a step-up from those projects that we had done, as it should be [because] we were growing up,” James elaborated.
It was in the year 2017 when he made the choice to be more focused on his musical ambitions, specifically releasing his first studio album, “Palm Dreams,” which in turn led to the establishment of his independent record label, “Careless.”
Finding his own identity through his songs was a process that in the end mattered more than worrying about proving something to others. Besides that, James bravely grasped the expectations actors face when they make their way into the music industry. “With my label, ‘Careless,’ we eventually made our name in the music scene, and I got to help a lot of artists… At the start I was trying to prove something to everyone and I ended up proving something to myself. I really found something that I truly loved doing,” James explained.
Throughout his time as a solo artist, James’ songwriting skills grew increasingly real, personal, and vulnerable. He went on to say that the album he’s currently working on, which he described as “coming home to himself,” will make these qualities stand out even more.
Speaking openly concerning the criticism directed at his company, James made it clear that he was figuring things out and that he was mindful of difficulties along the way. When he created “Careless,” he only desired a safe space for artists to have freedom with their music, identity, and creativity.
“It wasn’t even designed for me to make money off it, I really wanted it to just go to the projects that we created… Maybe it was too idealistic, I had other business partners that came along and the direction changed [into] something that I never really wanted it to be,” James clarified.
Ultimately, James always planned on doing teleseryes again, and was really just waiting for the right time. “I’m just in a really good place where I feel like I know why I’m doing this… Now is the time that I can get back into this industry and kind of keep my eyes focused on a goal and that’s really to eventually settle down and have a family of my own,” James shared.
Presently, James plays a role in “Someone, Someday” as Jordan Valentin, the best friend of Billy Cariño (portrayed by Kathryn Bernardo). Despite both James and Kathryn being introverted, it just took a little while for them to bond with each other, and today, fans see the two having fun during promotions.
Thinking about the glory days that defined their former love teams years ago, it was almost unthinkable for James and Kathryn to be paired in one show. “But now, I think there are a lot of opportunities to collaborate with each other… There’s been a fanbase that’s been around for 10 years, and they’ve been pushing for a project like this to come,” he shared.
Having said that, James then referred to “Someone, Someday” as a very unique multi-genre show, emphasizing that his character differs from any of the ones he has portrayed in the past. “I think their [Billy and Jordan’s] friendship is very inspiring and very unique,” James added.
Don’t miss a chance to see James Reid’s charming side in “Someone, Someday,” streaming on iWant and airing weeknights at 8:45 pm on ABS-CBN sa ALLTV2, TV5, A2Z, Kapamilya Channel, and Kapamilya Online Live (KOL).
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