Lead star Andrea Brillantes is no stranger to the limelight, having built an impressive career from a young age. However, with the success of the hit series "Senior High," she now faces new challenges as the sequel, "High Street," begins airing. The anticipation for this follow-up is immense, and Andrea finds herself under significant pressure to meet and exceed the gargantuan expectations set by the original series.
It feels like she's reliving her first days as Sky Love Cruz all over again, but this time it's magnified, and she's under a microscope, expected to deliver her best performance yet. Andrea told Kapamilya Chat that even before "Senior High" finished airing, the writers informed her they were planning a second season. However, she didn't expect it to happen so soon—just barely two months after the first season concluded. Typically, sequels take a year or two to materialize, but this one came much faster.
Personally, her mind was set on vacationing first with her friends Bea Borres and Danica Ontengco, feeling she deserved it after a challenging year. However, she gave up her planned European escapade for "High Street."
At first, she admits she was hesitant to take on "High Street" because of the pressure and feeling it was too soon after "Senior High" ended. But learning that the late Dreamscape Entertainment Head, Deo Endrinal, was passionate about creating a second season, and that she would be working with Dimples Romana again—whom she had collaborated with on previous series like "Kadenang Ginto" and "Huwag Kang Mangamba"—were more than enough to convince her to do the sequel.
Despite having a short preparation time, Andrea fully immersed herself in her character Sky’s new journey. The new season picks up five years after the Northford High graduation, with the main characters now young professionals. Sky is now a budding action journalist, adding an exciting new dimension to her role.
Initially, she admits she was clueless about the daily life and job of an action journalist since she mostly interacted with entertainment press. To prepare, she sought help from the show’s new director, Lino Cayetano, who generously shared his experiences with action journalists from his time as a public servant in Taguig. Director Onat Diaz also provided her with research materials and introduced her to one of his favorite journalists as a model for Sky's character. Through her inquisitive spirit, Andrea managed to learn about and fully develop her role.
The Sky now, although much more mature, still carries traces of her high school self. She remains intuitive and still thinks with her emotions, but she has learned to manage them better and is now more considerate. “Mas nagiging considerate na siya sa time ng friends niya, sa boundaries ng friends niya. Natuto na siyang mag-sorry agad. Kung hindi kaya, hindi na ipipilit,” she explained about her character.
In Sky’s new world as a young journalist, she works closely with new characters Nikki and Wesley, played by AC Bonifacio and Harvey Bautista. When asked about working with them, Andrea expressed how familiar it felt, as she has known them both for a long time. She has known Harvey since their days on "Goin’ Bulilit," and AC is one of her childhood best friends. Given the short break between the "Senior High" finale and the start of filming for "High Street," they quickly adjusted and felt right at home with the new squad.
In recent episodes, the identity of Sky’s stalker/hacker was revealed to be none other than Harvey’s character, Wesley. Andrea is aware of viewers' comments and reactions, and she’s honestly a bit concerned that Gen Z finds ‘obsession’ attractive, as many young viewers are shipping Sky and Wesley.
“Bakit kayo kinikilig sa mga obsessed sa atin? Hindi na ‘to healthy,” she reacted. Adding, “Pero hindi ko rin sila masisi kasi nung pinanood ko, kinilig din ako.” She’s aware that audiences find Sky and Wesley’s chemistry hard to resist. From there, she shared that when on set, she and Harvey don't really discuss chemistry; they just focus on doing their job, and all of it is unplanned.
With that, she admires Harvey's acting skill. She's also happy for her friend, AC, for landing a role like Nikki, which is multi-faceted and gives her the chance to explore as an actress.
Andrea mentioned that "High Street," has many layers just like "Senior High." While it started with the story of the twin characters she played, Sky and Luna, there are many more issues and topics that supporters of the show will surely discuss. Personally, one element she’s excited about is the storyline where Sky will have a new sibling because her mother, Tanya, portrayed by Angel Aquino, is pregnant with her boyfriend Brandon (Kean Cipriano).
Similar to "Senior High," this time around, while filming is ongoing, many cast members still don't know how the story will unfold. That's why Andrea couldn't provide updates when asked about Manang Lydia’s character, portrayed by Sylvia Sanchez in the first season, and what Sky's feelings are now about her first love, Obet (Kyle Echarri), who died in the first season.
There's definitely a lot to look forward to in "High Street." It's just getting started, so make sure not to miss an episode of this trending series, airing weeknights on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, TV5, and A2Z.