Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza grilled in no-holds-barred interview with Ms. Jessica Soho

ALDub - it was a phenomenon we never expected. It was, as Director Mike Tuviera, the mastermind of Kalyeserye described, an accident – a welcome and fortunate accident that changed the Filipinos’ viewing habit, in and outside the country.

On that day of July 16, 2015, Thursday, in the country’s longest running noontime show Eat Bulaga, a simple cutaway of Alden Richards surprised and complete took aback television newbie Maine Mendoza. She was playing the role of Yaya Divina Ursula Bukbukova or Yaya Dub. And Alden’s cutaway surprised her to the point of smiling, an action that was uncharacteristic of her role.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Fast forward to today, almost five months after that historic cutaway, the love team of Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza is an unprecedented success. It has spawned breakthroughs and achievements, not only for the main casts of Kalyeserye, but for all who are a part of it.

For Eat Bulaga, which has pioneered the Kalyeserye, it meant the continued dominance of the program in the TV afternoon block. Never mind, if it has been in the industry and has managed to stay relevant for 36 years. The noontime program has reached an all-time high in their ratings. Thanks to the ALDub phenomenon!

For Alden, it meant probably one of the biggest breaks of his career. The ALDub phenomenon has just made him one of the most popular actors of this generation. This is evidenced by the jam-packed mall and provincial tours that he has attended in the past five months.

And for Maine, it meant an overnight success and a realization of a secret dream to be in showbiz. For someone who just randomly made Dubsmash videos out of boredom, she is now one of the most sought-after celebrities, with various product endorsements left and right.

With their success, Alden and Maine, particularly, have become elusive to the media.

And even though both have individually have appeared in “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho” (Alden guested several times, while Maine was featured a few days before the Kalyeserye began), this is the first time they would be interviewed together by Ms. Jessica Soho.

Below is an excerpt of their much-awaited interview.

JS: Kuwento nga ninyo from the first cut away, ‘di ba aksidente lang daw ‘yun? Parang kinut-away, nakanino ba ‘yung camera?
M: Nasa akin po, nagda-Dubsmash po ako.

JS: Nasa inyo tapos?
M: Tapos bigla pong binutton sa kanya ‘yung camera, sa studio. So, ako po nagulat ako nu’ng nakita ko siyang pinapanood ako.
A: Before, Ms. Jessica, mahilig din po kasi akong mag-Dubsmash talaga. Nu’ng sumikat po ‘yung Dubsmash dito sa ‘Pinas, natuwa ako sa kanya kasi talagang nakakatuwa siyang gawin e. Tapos, later on po, nag-research ako ng mga Pinoy na nagda-Dubsmash, kanya ‘yung pinakanakakatawa.

JS: So napanood mo na siya dati?
A: Matagal na, matagal na.

JS: So siya pala ang naunang tumutok sa'yo, ganun ba ‘yun?
A: Grabe, siya.
M: Grabe, siya.

JS: Comfortable na comfortable na kayo ‘no?
M: Hindi po.
A: Hindi nga po masyado e.
M: Medyo naiilang pa po ako sa kanya. Na-starstruck po ako kay Alden Richards.

JS: Ikaw? Na-starstruck ka kay Maine Mendoza?
A: Sobrang na-starstruck po ako sa kanya the first time we met. Kasi, ilan ba yun? Seven weeks po na puro on-screen lang. As in, ni hibla ng buhok hindi po kami nagkikita talaga.

JS: Oo nga, tapos wala siyang boses pati, Dubsmash lang.
A: Wala po, tapos ayun nga po nu’ng nangyari na ‘yung pader scene, first meeting.

JS: ‘Yun ba talaga yung first na sulyap ninyo?
A: Yes.
M: Yes po.

JS: ‘Yung may wall?
A: Yes, opo.
M: Kaya parang buhos ‘yung feelings po.

JS: Pero ‘di ba nagkita na kayo nu’ng naka-Cinderella siya?
M: Hindi po namin naaninagan.
A: Malayo po e. Tapos hindi ko pa po siya naabutan du’n sa labas.

JS: So ang first talagang tinginan ninyo ‘yung may plywood pa?
A: Official na, ayun na oh! Plywood days po.

JS: Tapos nu’ng first kayong nagkita? Saan nga?
M: Sa mansion.

JS: Sa mansion!
A: Mansion, first date. Ayun po. Pawis pa more.

JS: Anong reaction n’yo na kinikilig ang buong bayan?
A: Uy!
M: Talaga ba? Hindi ko alam.

JS: Talagang tumitili to the max ‘yung fans sa studio. ‘Di ba kahit ‘yung mga lolo talaga namang kilig na kilig sa inyo. Ano’ng reaksyon nu’n? Kuwento ninyo nga, ano’ng pakiramdam nu’n?
M: Actually ako po kasi, minsan ‘pag nanonood ako ng replay, parang hindi ko nakikita na ako si Yaya Dub. So, parang kinikilig din ako as a normal viewer. So, parang du’n ko naiisip po na effective, na parang talagang may chemistry.

JS: Kuwento ninyo nga, paano ‘yung chemistry ninyo?
M: Tingin ko kasi kaya po nag-work kasi natural e. Natural po ‘yung chemistry.
A: Hindi po lahat pilit, ‘yung mga ginagawa po namin is gusto namin gawin. Wala pong nagpipilit sa amin na ‘Gawin ninyo 'to, gawin ninyo 'to’ para magmukhang sweet, para magmukhang kilig. Lahat po ng nangyayari sa Kalyeserye, even po du’n sa tatlong lolas.
M: Karamihan spontaneous lang po talaga.
A: Spontaneous lang talaga. Lahat po is kani-kaniyang kilos.

JS: Paano ‘yun? ‘Di ba si Maine, ma-facial expression? Alden e, may mga ganyan-ganyan siya, alam mo na kung paano pickup-in ‘yun?
A: Hindi po minsan.
M: Mas magaling ka na nga sa akin e!
A: Magaling po kasi 'tong maglukot-lukot ng mukha. Pero the thing about that kasi, is since we're doing it live, ‘pag ginawa namin ‘yung certain actions, nagugulat din kami sometimes sa reactions namin. Kaya po nagwo-work ‘yung chemistry ng ALDub and kaya po nagwo-work ‘yung Kalyeserye is because of that.

JS: E ‘pag ganyan na magkatabi kayo, kinikilig din kayo?
A: Hindi ko nga po madikit ‘yung balikat ko sa kanya e.
M: Ako nga rin po e, medyo.
A: Nako-conscious nga po ako.
M: Medyo minamalat na nga po ako.

JS: Pero funny kayong pareho e, 'no?
M: Funny-walain po.
JS: Ano?
M: Funny-walain.
JS: Anong ibig sabihin nun?
A: Wala po, parang tag lang po ni lola ano...
M: Opo, gullible.
A: Sino nga yun? si Pao, Lola Tinidora?
M: Si Tinidora, oo. Funny-walain.
A: Funny-walain.

JS: Uy! You finish each other's sentences ha?
A: Uy! Do you finish mine?
M: Hindi.

JS: Pero how much of it is play acting? How much of it is real?
A: We don't want to say that it's acting po e.
M: Halo po kasi e.
A: It's a mix of having fun and doing what we love. Kasi, the thing about Kalyeserye po, it's not acting since it's very spontaneous e, which is being given guidelines po to follow para mai-deliver po namin ‘yung story nu’ng day na ‘yun. So, kumbaga sa sandwich, ‘yung sandwich po, ‘yung dalawang tinapay is ‘yung guidelines, and kami po ‘yung naglalagay ng palaman sa loob.

JS: Anong klaseng sandwich siya?
A: Hamburger.
M: Hamburger. Ayun din po kasi ‘yung mystique ng Kalyeserye, ‘yung spontaneity po niya.

A: Nowadays po kasi, itong generation ngayon, sa sobrang dami nang nangyayari sa bansa natin, parang naghahanap na po ‘yung mga viewers, ‘yung mga Pinoy ng something na makakatanggal ng stress nila.
M: Yes po, ‘yung light lang po.
A: ‘Yung light lang. Kailangan mong i-enjoy lang para maramdaman mong ma-relax ka. So parang nakita po nila ‘yun sa Kalyeserye, and du’n nga po sa kilig na binibigay ng ALDub po sa kanila.

A: Whatever we have now, we're making the most out of it. Masaya po kami kung ano’ng meron kami ni Maine ngayon. So kung dumating man po ‘yung mga bagay na ina-anticipate ng mga manonood para sa amin, darating po ‘yan e. Hindi po namin ire-reject yan, parang ALDub po, nangyari lang siya, it just happened. So we'll see po, tingnan natin. Pero whatever we have now, we're having fun.

JS: Christmas wish ninyo ngayong Pasko?
M: Honestly, I couldn't ask for more po kasi parang sobra-sobra na po ‘yung blessings na binigay sa amin ni Lord, sa akin po, kay Alden, and sa ALDub po. Kaya siguro po good health na lang and happy life.
A: Ako po parang nasabi niya na po lahat, wala na. Hindi, kung ano man po sanang meron kami ngayon, ‘yung pagmamahal na nakukuha namin sa mga tao, sana wala pong magbago du’n, sana wala pong iwanan. Sana bigyan ninyo po kami... si Lord, bigyan ninyo po kaming dalawa ni Maine ng good health... And the focus po, sana nandu’n lang, walang mawala para tuloy-tuloy pa rin sa forever.
M: And siyempre happiness.
A: Happiness.
M: Happiness, hindi puwedeng mawala.

JS: Thank you. Thank you very much.
M: Thank you po. Salamat po.

JS: Merry Christmas sa inyong dalawa.
A: Merry Christmas, Ms. Jessica.

JS: ALdub you!
A: ALdub you! Maalden ka namin, Ms. Jessica.

 

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