Doing intimate scenes not an issue for Marco Gumabao and Kylie Verzosa

If there’s one thing Marco Gumabao learned early on in his career it’s that he can’t juggle work and love life.

“It’s based on my experience. I had a girlfriend early on in my career, around 2015. The relationship lasted almost two years. It was hard. I had to lie low. It was difficult juggling show biz and love life, because you end up sacrificing one of them,” he told reporters at a recent story conference for the upcoming romantic comedy “Baby Boy, Baby Girl,” which he will topbill with Kylie Verzosa.

It’s not that he’s shunning romance. “Who doesn’t want love?” he said. But for now, career is the top priority. “I’m very busy with work right now, so I think it’s better if I focus on that … I want to make the most out of the opportunities coming my way, because they won’t be there all the time. One day, things are going to change. So if it’s your time, know how to use it,” he said.

And since he doesn’t have an established love team, the 28-year-old actor feels that it’s better if he remains single.

“My branding is different —I’m not on the love team route. It’s different with actors who are able to have relationships with their [screen partners]. They want me to have a leading man vibe … that I can be paired with anyone. People can lose interest when they find out you have a girlfriend,” Marco pointed out.

It didn’t take long before show biz writers started asking? “What about Kylie?” Marco doesn’t really see it yet. The two have been good friends for years. And like Marco, Kylie’s priority is acting. “We have been friends for years, since she won Miss International [in 2016]. If there’s something there, it should have happened long before. Now we just want to do our job well,” he said. The fact that he and Jake Cuenca—Kylie’s ex-boyfriend —are close friends also makes the scenario harder to imagine. “Close ko si Jake. Huwag tayong … Sobrang kaibigan ko ‘yun,” he said.

Gumabao

Although he’s not actively seeking a romantic partner, Marco did reveal some of the traits and qualities he looks for in a girl.

“I’m not only after good looks … I also look at how she is as a daughter, a sister and a friend. She doesn’t have to be overly religious, but at least someone who wants to be close to God … someone who will be open to going to church with us,” he said. “My family doesn’t post as much on social media about our faith … We’re low-key. But that’s something my mom wants for me, too.”

“But I’m not really in a rush,” he stressed. “You don’t need to depend on other people for happiness if you can find it from within or from your loved ones.”

‘Sugar dating’

Directed by Jason Paul Laxamana for Viva Films, “Baby Boy, Baby Girl” explores the mysterious world of “sugar dating,” a type of transactional, mutually beneficial relationship between an older, wealthier person seeking companionship and a younger person in need of financial assistance. Payment comes in the form of money, lavish gifts or other material things.

Marco is Seb, a former janitor who drastically improves his lifestyle by becoming a “sugar baby.” One day, he crosses paths with his ex-girlfriend, Josie, a failed businesswoman who lives off part-time gigs. She can’t believe how seemingly successful Seb has become, just three years after their breakup. Later on, Seb lets her in on his secret.

“I got excited when I read the script and learned about the movie’s theme. This is something that happens in real life. And here we get to put ourselves in their shoes,” he said. “They’re low-key about it. It’s something you don’t directly discuss with someone. It’s something that we usually only hear about, something we only suspect.” But no judgment, Marco said. “We all live our own lives. We can’t judge others. If that’s their way to earn a living and put food on the table, then we should respect that—as long as they’re not stepping on anyone’s feet,” he said.

Verzosa

While the film is mainly a romantic comedy, there will be “a sprinkling” of sexy scenes. Not a problem for Marco, who has worked with Laxamana in the 2019 film “Just a Stranger,” where he had butt exposure. “I know that his shots are tasteful—hindi bastos. And when I saw the script, I thought there was nothing to dating anyway,” he said.

Because Marco and Kylie are friends and have already worked on five past projects, doing intimate scenes, he said, isn’t something they feel awkward about. “It helps that we’re close. We don’t have to talk about it, really. We just do the scenes and laugh at it after the takes. Of course, you have to discuss the blocking and all, but we don’t feel the need to talk to ease our hiya. It’s not something we have to address,” he said.

What makes their tandem effective, Marco surmised, is their “bubbly” personalities. “But we can switch to being serious when it’s needed. I think being close on-and off-cam helps our dynamics as actors,” Marco said, adding that he’s proud of Kylie’s growth as an actor over the years.

“We never had problems working together. No fights or tampuhan. We always feel like we’re leveling up with each project we do. She has matured a lot, ” Marco said. “I feel like there’s nowhere else to go but up.” INQ

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