Superheroes and villains have secret identities that they conceal from the world. But when things get complicated, the secret might be unmasked such as in the case of Narda (Jane De Leon) and Regina (Janella Salvador)’s casual transformations in the sights of Richard (LA Santos) and Ali (Mac Manicad), respectively. Fortunately, these witnesses are their allies who vow to protect them.

In this episode of Kapamilya Chat, LA Santos and Mac Manicad relate how they feel portraying characters that are relevant to Darna and Valentina’s journey, plus their genuine friendship with Jane and Janella.

LA confides that Darna was his childhood muse, thus playing one of her confidantes in the modern retelling of her story is like a dream come true. His character as Richard views Darna as light in the darkness. They are both passionate about saving lives. That’s why it felt surreal meeting his hero, who turned out to be his close friend, Narda.

Meanwhile, Mac’s character as Ali is more than just Regina’s bodyguard. They grew up together and he harbors special feelings for her, which is his driving force in keeping her protected. He was the first to witness Regina’s transformation into Serpent Queen Valentina, but he kept it a secret even from Regina herself, sparking off an intense misunderstanding. Mac describes Ali’s love for Regina as unconditional. He’s ready to sacrifice even his own life for her.   

Asked his opinion about this kind of love, unrequited to the point of martyrdom, Mac says it simply proves that the emotion is real. He believes that a person truly in love does not expect anything in return. They will serve and give everything to their object of affection because that’s what makes them happy.

Therefore, his advice to those in a similar situation is to just follow their hearts, “Ipagpatuloy mo lang kung diyan ka masaya. Wala, doon ka masaya, eh. Kahit wala kang makuhang kapalit, gawin mo lang para ikasasaya ng puso mo. Malay mo, one day, dumating na ‘yung pagkakataon na ibigay sa’yo ni Lord ‘yung pinakagusto  mo. At kung hindi man siya, at least naging masaya ‘yung puso mo sa paggawa ng mabuti para sa taong mahalaga sa’yo.”

LA adds that you must trust your gut feeling. If your heart says you’re meant to be with that person, then, be consistent with your effort. He also believes that friendship is the best foundation of a romantic relationship. Mac went on to express that some friends can never turn into lovers, “Kunwari ‘yan si Janella and Jane, close ko ‘yan pero alam mong malabo kasi mga tropa talaga.”       

The actors praise the show’s main stars. Mac reveals that Janella delivers efficiently despite circumstances such as losing her pet dog last July. He adds that they have grown comfortable with each other, thus easier to create a connection between them. He mentions the scene where Regina slapped Ali, saying Janella was scared to hurt him for real, but of course, they don’t want to fake the scene.  

Meanwhile, LA commends Jane’s natural ability to connect to other people as Darna would. He’s proud to say that Jane embodies the qualities of a real-life Darna. Mac chimes in, saying there are times Jane would doubt herself and cry, but if people would only get to know her better, they would see her big desire to help and make people happy.

LA and Mac also share what viewers must look forward to in the coming episodes, including Joshua Garcia playing dual characters. Of course, DarLentina, JaneShua, and JoshNella fans are in for a treat.

Don’t miss an episode of Mars Ravelo’s Darna, weeknights, on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live and A2Z.