MANILA, Philippines — Both self-described introverts, Kathryn Bernardo and James Reid said their co-stars and production team helped them build the chemistry needed for their first on-screen pairing in the ABS-CBN series “Someone, Someday,” now streaming on Netflix.
Bernardo and Reid portray childhood best friends Billy and Jordan in the series.
“To be honest, going into our roles as best friends since childhood and jumping right into that wasn’t easy,” Reid said during a Netflix Philippines event.
“We had a lot of help from the whole cast actually to help break the ice and to really help build the relationship of Billy and Jordan,” he added.
Reid said working with Bernardo also gave him a greater appreciation of her approach to acting.
“I didn’t really have any preconceived ideas about Kath other than she’s talented,” he said. “Seeing how much attention she has to details, to the story, the perfectionist in Kath, I super appreciate it, especially in this project.”
He added that filming a car racing scene helped them become more comfortable with each other.
“Because it was so crazy. The scene that we had in the trailer, like we were car racing, it was so fun. It was an icebreaker,” he said.
Bernardo said she expected Reid to be shy when they first met.
“He was very shy. I’m the type of person who also takes a while to warm up, and usually someone has to break the ice,” she said with a laugh. “The problem with us was, ‘Who’s going to do it?’”
She said they did not force their friendship off-camera, opting instead to focus on their characters whenever filming.
“When the director says, ‘Action,’ it’s Billy and Jordan talking. Once we hear, ‘Cut!’ it’s James and Kath again. I think it worked,” Bernardo said.
She added that working on a series gave them time to get to know each other naturally.
“I didn’t know James that well because we never had common projects or common friends,” she said. “Every taping, I got to know him more, and it helped create the world of Billy and Jordan.”
Bernardo also said she admired Reid’s preparation and dedication as an actor.
“It’s nice to witness how he gets into the zone and processes his emotions. It helped create the world of Billy and Jordan, which is really different from Kath and James,” she said.
Director Dolly Dulu described the pair as a natural match, saying their chemistry developed over time.
“They are both introverted,” Dulu told The STAR. “It took a group effort from everybody else to help them warm up to each other. When they finally warmed up, the chemistry just took off.”
“They have chemistry, and it’s something you don’t force. It happened naturally,” he added.
Co-directed by Chad Vidanes, “Someone, Someday” follows a woman who creates a modern dating app to help women find meaningful relationships while rediscovering love herself. The series also stars Maja Salvador and Dimples Romana.