Mavy Legaspi and Kyline Alcantara:
One Step At A Time
Words by Aimee Anoc
Photos by Shaira Luna
One afternoon in February, Mavy takes on the question everyone has been waiting for him to answer, “At one point, did both of you develop real feelings for each other off-cam?”
Smiling brightly, without hesitation, the bedimpled actor replies, “Ako aaminin ko, oo. Bago pa lang mag-‘I Left My Heart in Sorsogon’ mayroon na. Mas na-develop namin each day. Grabe effect niya sa akin.”
Mavy admits that he started feeling differently toward the actress when they attended the joint KENZO launch and Akimbo anniversary event back in 2019. This girl who caught his heart is none other than his on-screen partner in the GMA primetime series ‘I Left My Heart in Sorsogon,’ singer-actress Kyline Alcantara.
Asked what he admires about Kyline, Mavy answers, “’Yung pinaka-beautiful part ni Kyline ’yung pagiging goal-driven niya na. It is not just really for herself, she does it also for her family. She really takes that to heart, and you can see how unselfish Kyline is pagdating sa pagiging goal-driven niya.”
But before there was MavLine—there were just Mavy Legaspi and Kyline Alcantara.
As they sit down for an exclusive interview with GMANetwork.com, Mavy and Kyline talk about how the two different worlds they are living in collided.
Carving their own path
Almost everyone knows that Mavy Legaspi comes from showbiz royalty. His parents are showbiz couple Carmina Villarroel and Zoren Legaspi, and he has a twin sister named Cassy.
Unlike his sister, who has always dreamed of becoming a star like their parents, Mavy didn’t dream of entering show business.
“Una talaga wala sa utak ko ang showbiz, joining the industry. Gusto kong mag-drift away from what my parents’ career was, which was acting. Tennis talaga ang dream ko dati, and my life was about that, school, tennis, til the point na na-realize ko na showbiz is there and I really fell in love with it.”
Mavy says that visiting the sets of his parents influenced him to become an actor. At the age of 12, he finally realized that this was the dream he wanted to chase. That’s when he started to appear in commercials, variety shows, and talk shows along with his sister. In 2017, he made his TV debut on GMA-7 through the pilot episode of travel program Roadtrip, together with his family.
- Mavy Legaspi
A year later, Mavy signed a management contract with GMA Artist Center (now called Sparkle) and officially became a Kapuso.
Even if he is already a “showbiz royalty,” Mavy is determined to carve a path of his own.
“’Yung pressure will always be there, of course, para you always have a way to push yourself to become a better version, both sa pag-acting and sa personal.”
As he continues his dream, the 21-year-old actor admits that at one point he got pressured from the weight of expectations that he made for himself.
“Noong bata pa ako ’yung pinu-force talaga na ‘Dapat ’pag tanda mo dapat action star ka parang Papa mo.’ Pero kapag tumatanda ka you realize na wala rin naman ’yun at career mo naman ’yun, and I get to do what I want.”
But he clarifies that his parents never pressured him to be famous like them.
“’Yung parents ko talaga growing up, they never made me feel na dapat i-reach ko ’yung dream nila o dapat mas magsikap pa ’ko kaysa sa kanila.”
Mavy finally proves his eagerness and dedication to his craft when he became part of 2022 GMA drama series I Left My Heart in Sorsogon, where he played Sebastian, the estranged half-brother of Celeste, the character played by Heart Evangelista.
- Kyline Alcantara
- Mavy Legaspi
Different from his on-screen love partner, Kyline had always dreamed of becoming a star.
“Of course, gustong-gusto ko talaga umarte,” she says.
At 7 years old, she was already passionate about acting and the world that actors move around in.
“Simula bata pa lang po ako nagtatrabaho na po ako and nandito na po sa showbiz industry.”
But this journey hasn’t been simple for Kyline. In carving the path that she chose, she got judged by people for having a broken family.
“Ang pinakamasakit na part is ’yung jina-judge po ako and my mom sa pagiging broken family namin. Siguro ’yun po ang biggest challenge kasi naja-judge po ’yung craft ko na parang ‘Wala naman ’yang karapatang sumikat kasi broken family ’yan.’
“Siyempre nade-degrade din naman kasi galing po kaming probinsya so iniisip nila lahat ng sumisikat dito lang sa Manila, kumbaga mapuputi, magaganda, buo ’yung pamilya, and maganda ’yung childhood. Lahat po ’yun hindi po ako noon.”
But Kyline did not let this judgment get in the way of her dreams.
In 2017, she got her biggest break when she bagged the role of Cheska/Crisel in the GMA Telebabad series Kambal, Karibal, the project that earned for her the Best Drama Supporting Actress at the 32nd PMPC Star Awards.
The following year, she released a full self-titled album ‘Kyline’ under GMA Records and held a solo concert titled ‘Fl16ht.
After Kambal, Karibal, Kyline earned the lead female role of Anna in the 2019 GMA drama series Inagaw na Bituin, alongside Therese Malvar.
Fast forward to 2021, Kyline was also part of the GMA primetime series I Left My Heart in Sorsogon where she played Tiffany, the smart daughter of Tonito who is rebellious on the outside but sweet and warm on the inside.
- Kyline Alcantara
Limelight with MavLine
Three months after her successful turn in the Kapuso show Bilangin ang Bituin sa Langit as Maggie, Kyline Alcantara excited her fans when she confirmed her new role in the primetime series I Left My Heart in Sorsogon.
But what made the announcement more exciting was when the show confirmed that her rumored boyfriend, Mavy Legaspi, was also part of the series, where he would be playing her love interest, the charming probinsyano Basti Estrellado.
Kyline and Mavy first sparked rumors about their relationship when the latter posted a photo of his face with his dimple being poked by a mystery girl on June 14, 2021.
He then gave a hint about this “mystery girl” by sharing another photo zoomed in on the cheek of a smiling girl with her dimples being poked with a finger.
- Mavy Legaspi
Mavy later on confirmed that the "mystery girl" was Kyline when he shared a scene from Darren Espanto’s new music video featuring a beaming Kyline, her smile reaching from ear to ear.
- Kyline Alcantara
Sparkle Sweethearts
Even after I Left My Heart in Sorsogon ended, Mavy and Kyline have continued bringing millions of kilig online through their love team, MavLine.
In February, GMA Network’s talent management, Sparkle, introduced five young and talented love teams including MavLine. Being officially launched as a love team through Sparkle Sweethearts, they see it as a great opportunity to further show the viewers how special MavLine is.
For Mavy, MavLine is not just a love team but also a partnership. “Napakalaki dapat ng trust mo sa isang love team. And Kyline and I already had that prior sa love team. I’m glad that I get to work with someone as special as Kyline.
“Hindi ko sasabihing madali s’ya but it is easier in a sense kasi alam mo na ’yung character ni Kyline. She knows me so well. It’s so easy to read each other. It gives you a free space na mag-focus ka lang sa trabaho kasi kilala mo na ’yung partner mo, and you know her capabilities, goals, and kung papaano ’yung personality n’ya.”
Kyline couldn’t agree more. Because they know each other well, working together has become easier and more comfortable.
She explains, “With Mav kasi he can be vulnerable off-cam but on-cam nahihiya pa siyang maging vulnerable. I know his strength and weaknesses, and nagagamit ko rin po siya kapag nasa set kami if he need motivation, for example, to cry.”
With their love team, the two actors are excited to witness each other’s growth.
Kyline says, “For sure sobrang makakatulong po s’ya kasi obviously with us being a love team lagi po kaming magkakasama more than before the love team. S’yempre, makikita rin po namin ’yung growth ng isa’t isa professionally. Si Mavy gustung-gusto ko talagang makita kung paano s’ya mag-improve as an actor, doon po ako nae-excite. For sure marami pa talagang maibubuga si Mavy, as in marami pa. Kasi off-cam kitang-kita n’yo po talaga ’yung determination n’ya, ’yung eagerness n’ya to prove everyone who is doubting him wrong.”
Aside from their growth as a love team, fans can also look forward to the surprises MavLine is preparing for 2022.
Mavy hints, “For all the MavLine fans out there and all the people trying to look forward to MavLine projects, we have a lot in store for them this year. We are always in talks with the management. Halos once a week mayroon kaming meeting tungkol sa work, sa future plans. But for this year, it is expected na talaga na this is MavLine’s year na to shine and show everyone.”
On- and Off-Screen Romance
Mavy and Kyline have known each other for over three years now. They are also making fans kilig for almost a year. But what’s the real score between them?
Mavy admits that they were already close even before their first team up in I Left My Heart in Sorsogon.
“Super special si Kyline para sa akin in all cases. Pagdating sa pagtulong n’ya sa akin sa acting because she’s been acting for so long. Besides being a partner, she’s really the closest friend I have in the industry. Alam niya lahat ng struggle ko inside and outside showbiz. We’re really taking it slow. Ini-enjoy lang talaga namin each other’s company because we have this whole career ahead of us and we are really just excited to get things started, especially kaka-launch lang namin as a love team. It’s really a good thing kasi alam ko na seryoso ako pagdating sa gano’n. Alam ko rin na seryoso rin si Kyline and that’s enough for me.”
Smiling brightly, while looking at Mavy, Kyline chimed in, “It’s definitely our own. Wala pa siyang label kasi siyempre mas kinikilala pa po namin doon ’yung isa’t isa as partners, hindi bilang magbarkada kasi there’s a big difference po doon sa dalawang ’yun. We’re just really taking things slow. Ngayon ginagawa namin siyang old-fashioned like hintay-hintay muna, kilalanin ang isa’t isa, kilalanin ang buong pamilya, kilalanin ang mga nasa paligid nu’ng both parties.”
Mavy and Kyline are taking it one step at a time. Let’s just be happy for them.
- Mavy Legaspi
