MarVen on onscreen chemistry, real-life connection

MANILA, Philippines — Marco Gallo and Heaven Peralejo are grateful to fans for not pressuring them to be officially together.

Their loveteam, also known as MarVen, currently has a film showing in cinemas nationwide. Titled “Men Are From QC, Women Are From Alabang,” it can be taken as proof of the continued interest in their tandem even after four onscreen projects together — “The Rain In España,” “The Ship Show,” “Safe Skies, Archer,” and “Sunny.”

In the romance flick megged by “Safe Skies, Archer” director Gino Santos, Marco and Heaven play Tino and Aica, two people still finding their career paths, fulfilling their dreams, and yet facing the dilemma of whether love still has a place amid all the things going on in their lives.

The movie might be the closest to the reel couple’s reality or “relationship status” with MarVen teasing that many of their lines, even “fights” in this film, hewed close to real life.

The STAR had an exclusive chat with MarVen to talk more about their latest movie, which is adapted from Stanley Chi’s popular book of the same title, and co-produced by Sari Sari Network and Viva Films in association with MQuest Ventures and Studio Viva. Answers were edited for brevity. Read on.

Having done several projects together, what kind of MarVen are we going to see in this film?

Heaven: “Actually, yung mga away namin in the film, yun ang away talaga namin. Just kidding! Yung mga linyahan (are like in real life), yeah. I think it’s because this film is very raw and yun talaga ang nangyayari sa buhay ng alam mo yung mag-jowa and so sometimes, yung script namin, wala talaga kaming script. Many were adlibs or kaming dalawa na lang talaga yung nagbabatuhan ng lines or even how we throw the lines. Because we wanna capture the rawness of a relationship.

“So, that’s one. Second, definitely, Marco’s character is very, very different from who he is. Marco in real life is very nonchalant and it’s not a bad thing. It’s just the way he is and he shows his emotions in a different way. Tino is the very opposite of Marco.

“Meanwhile, Aica, on the other hand, we’re somewhat the same when it comes to like being the breadwinner, and yes, you know, the pressure of money. Although Aica is somewhat more serious compared to Heaven.

“So you’ll see a different MarVen in a sense that this is not your typical pa-cute-cute lang. It’s a different take. It’s a mature relationship already.”

Why does your tandem click, what do you think is the secret?

Marco: “What’s our secret? Honestly, I think we don’t keep it boring. I think between Heaven and I, we’ve managed to keep it interesting from time to time and I think that reflects on the screen, you know.

“Like, we have our inside jokes. Most of the time, we’re ‘bluetooth-connected’ mentally. But there are times when we’re not and in those moments, arguments happen (laughs). We’ve probably argued so many times that, at least, I know how to calm Heaven now (laughs).”

Heaven: “I know din naman, same way with him.”

Marco: “Then, when we’re fighting, it’s just a choice of, ‘Do I still wanna fight or do I fix it? (Laughs).’”

Heaven: “Wag na natin pahabain ‘to, do we still have time (laughs)? But really, I think because we were friends before and we had a history through PBB (‘Pinoy Big Brother’), and so it’s easy for us to connect and to understand each other. It’s because we’re on the same wavelength. I don’t know. And maybe, you know, with the fans, they’re happy to see parang a young couple or like teenagers who are just in sync.”

How do you deal with the pressure of fans wanting you to be a couple in real life?

Marco: “It’s fun to hear it but then when we’re in private, we just joke about it. It’s just — at least for me, I take it day by day, and I try to enjoy the day with Heaven as much as possible.”

Heaven: “Regarding the pressure, nakakatuwa naman na… alam na din ng fans na parang sila mismo, they send us direct messages on Instagram saying, ‘You know, it’s okay, if you guys are real or reel or something, we’re just really happy to see you guys together.’

“And I appreciate that. It takes off that pressure of we should be together just because of the fans. And I keep saying that to Marco. That I don’t want this relationship, when it continues, I don’t want it to become just because out of pressure. I want it because we both really want it. Kaya siguro hindi rin namin masyadong sinasabi yung relationship status namin, it was also because we don’t want people to dictate us.

“And I hate it the most when people dictate me, especially when it comes to my love life. It’s hands off. It’s something that’s mine, that’s the only thing I can protect, the relationship that Marco and I have with each other. So, kung ano naman nakikita nila, kung tingin nila na kami, you know it’s for them to parang decide lang.”

How would you describe each other as an onscreen partner? What do you like the most about working together?

Marco: “I dreamt of having a partner before that I could just be myself, and it’s nice, you know… And I love that she’s sweet to me and not to others.”

Heaven: “Yun lang? Magbigay ka naman ng lima (laughs)! So, ako muna? Habang nag-iisip ka. No. 1, I think his patience towards everything about work or towards me or to circumstances. Because I easily lose my cool and he knows how to calm me down basically. Second is I’m the same way with him, like if pumipitik siya hindi ko siya sinasabayan. Actually, hindi kami nagsasabay.

“Marco is a black cat energy; he’s not sweet to everybody, he’s very selective and he doesn’t want to show his emotions. I think I’m the only one and direk Gino who actually can understand him. So I like it! I like the exclusivity.

“Third, even though like we wanna kill each other from time to time, it’s good because after that, I think we get better, right?”

Marco: “Yeah, I mean, every time, it’s like, ‘Oh look at that, one more down…’ So after we’re done fighting, we’re like, ‘Look at us!’”

Heaven: “So, it’s not something like pang acquaintance na lang. Ibang level na yung pagkakaintindihan naming dalawa ni Marco to the extent that we have this gibberish that like nobody on set can even understand what we are saying and it’s not even words… So nakakatuwa because I don’t know anyone I can do that with, it’s just Marco and it and I think that says a lot.

“Fourth is we push each other to be the best versions… Last, whatever happens between me and Marco like sana naman hindi mangyari but kunyari wala kaming work for like I don’t know after this, he would still be my bestfriend and I would still parang run to him whenever I have problems or you know, I wanna share something.

“It’s outside work na. Hindi lang siya partner ko sa work but I think you can also say he’s my partner in… hindi ko masabi yung ‘in life’ (laughs) but like, I mentioned, bestfriend. He’s that one person that really knows me well.”

Marco: “I feel like she’s probably the only person that I have worked with here in the Philippines that has gotten into my mind in a way like she knows me, you know, and she doesn’t judge like she can truly understand. And I appreciate that just because it’s rare for me to find that here in the Philippines.

“I’m always wondering about it — why out of all people is it you? Like with years ago, we’ve had our chances before and we just never seem to link until now. And it makes you wonder if that’s how life works out, in a way, because you have your own experiences in life and then you guys have that before but then it just doesn’t happen. So certain things need to happen for you to get to this point for you guys to be able to be on the same wavelength. It also makes me wonder if there’s a meaning behind it (as to why) all of these projects happened.”