Actor Ruru Madrid revealed Yassi Pressman is his "first crush" in show business.
He made clear: "Actually, hindi ko po niligawan si Yassi pero siya po yung pinaka naging unang crush ko sa GMA."
The Kapuso explained: "Kasi si Yassi yung pinaka-una kong naging ka-partner sa 'Protégé.'"
Note that Ruru won as first runner-up on the second season of the said TV talent show.
"Parang meron kaming ginawang sayaw. Nu'ng panahon na yun lahat ng makita kong artista nagiging crush ko. Like si Barbie (Forteza), si Bea (Binene), Lexi Fernandez - lahat talaga. Pero si Yassi yung pinaka una kong nakatrabaho kaya siya yung pinaka una kong crush," Ruru added.
He then went on to note that it's actually the first time he opened up about it in front of Yassi, quipping: "Ngayon niya lang po nalaman yan. Kaya salamat po, at least alam na niya."
Surprised, Yassi told Ruru: "Talaga?"
Asked for a reaction, the Viva star shyly blurted, "Thank you...Di ko po alam ang sasabihin ko."
At their recent face-to-face reunion, Ruru praised Yassi deeming her mere presence something to admire.
He recalled: "Yung presence niya (Yassi) dama mo. Lagi siyang nakangiti. Parang lagi niyang binibigyan ng liwanag yung buong lugar pag nandyan siya."
Yassi echoed the same.
"Noon po nu'ng unang magkasama kami parang medyo totoy pa po si Ruru. Super young, tapos mahiyain, alam mo yun? And then nu'ng nakita ko po siya ulit, nasa billboard po siya ng GMA, sabi ko: 'Ah, grabe si Ruru na pala yun.' Tapos na-realize ko tumanda na siya, tumanda na rin ba ako?," she said laughing. "Pero definitely nung nakita ko po siya: 'Ay ang pogi, gwapo pumorma, very gentleman.' And I think napaka-importante po nu'n na nakikita niyo naturally ma-respeto po siya."
Now that they're being paired together on the big screen via Raynier Brizuela's "Video City" which is produced by GMA Pictures, Studio VIVA, VIVA One, and VIVA Films, the two stars couldn't be more excited.
"Sobrang natuwa po ako na makakatrabaho ko po si Yassi kasi 10 years yung last time na nagkita kami. Sa 10 years na yun, nakita ko yung growth ni Yassi as an actress, as performer, like sa social media nakikita ko," Ruru said.
Ruru revealed seeing Yassi whenever he's playing basketball at his coach's place only that he was reticent to approach her.
"Nahihiya ako lumapit kasi iniisip ko baka hindi na ako kilala ni Yassi dahil 10 years ko na siyang hindi nakikita," he said.
"Itong nagkaroon ng chance na magkaka-work kami sobrang naging happy ako dahil, kumbaga, ngayon kasi nag-o-open na lahat ng collaborations, I guess for us actors malaking bagay po yun kasi natututo po kami sa bawat makakatrabaho po namin at yun yung na-a-apply namin sa mga susunod pang trabaho namin. So I'm just really happy and lucky na magkasama po kami sa proyekto na pong ito."
He continued, "Dati wala din naman kaming chance makapag-usap before lalo na dahil nagsisimula pa lang ako sa industriya, siya rin. Parang nahihiya ako sa kanya lumapit. Nahihiya ako sa kanya makipag-usap. Pero napapanuod ko yung mga pelikulang ginagawa niya."
The same goes for Yassi.
Note that they have worked together prior on GMA projects like "Party Pilipinas," "Sunday All Stars," and "Dormitoryo."
"Every weekend halos nagkikita kami 10 years ago. So nu'ng nakita ko po siya, (ang reaksyon ko po): 'Ang tangkad na pala ni Ruru, ang laki na pala ng katawan niya,' ganyan. It's nice to see your friends and batchmates grow. And it's nice that we get to work with each others," said she.
Yassi is confident working with Ruru would be fun, relaxed.
"Ruru is really, really nice. Siya pa rin po yung Ruru na nakilala ko 10 years ago, still very humble, very hungry. At for me, nakaka-admire po yung mga ganung qualities lalo pa't sa mga artista. Ang hirap din po sa mundo namin laging merong bago, laging may sobrang magaling and it's nice na you're still inspired, you're still very hungry and very, very passionate kasi nakakahawa po yun e. Ako po sobrang excited po ako at nakikita ko rin po siyang sobrang excited."
So how are they going to give justice to their pairing given the fact that both of them are in a relationship?
Ruru said: "Feeling ko kasi si Yassi magaling na siyang artista, du'n pa lang makikita na; once nabigay mo lang yung puso mo sa bawat eksenang ginagawa mo, yung chemistry kusa siyang lalabas."
"Hindi lang siya chemistry naming actors, chemistry namin with our directors, with the prod, with the crew. So once na lahat kami nagbibigay ng puso sa bawat eksenang ginagawa namin lalabas po yun."
Yassi agreed, noting how it's important to have a "very, very open" and "very, very willing" co-actor.
"Kasi po ako when I act, I really try to tell the truth ng character. Ngayon po pag nararamdaman ko bilang character na siya totoo rin siya - parehas tayo ng binibigay, it's very honest. And feeling ko hindi niyo po talaga paghihirapan na pakiligin. Kapag nakikita po nila na: 'Ay honest ito, totoo yung sinasabi nila,' may magic po na nangyayari."
Yassi and Ruru were also asked if they prefer having a permanent love team partner.
"For me it's super exciting po pagka-iba-iba rin yung nakakatrabaho mo kasi po it's always a challenge. Nuon po siguro madali mag-stay sa safe space because comfortable po tayo du'n pero kahit po, like, working with other directors, even yung show ko po rin ngayon iba ang team, it gives me more experience na ma-explore ko yung kaya kong gawing with other people, masubuksan ko rin yung gusto nilang makuha out of me," she said.
Ruru maintained: "Well, ever since naman parang masarap makatrabaho ng bago. Katulad nga ng sinasabi ko, every time na meron kang nakakatrabaho meron kang somehow na napupulot especially sa mga nauuna sayo. Like sa mga senior actors, veteran actors, meron kang napupulot du'n. At meron kang na-a-apply du'n sa mga trabaho mo sa mga susunod mong projects."
"For us actors, better talaga na iba-iba yung nagiging katrabaho namin. Siyempre once in a while meron talagang favorite. Meron kang masasabing favorite leading lady mo, gusto mo talaga laging nakakatrabaho, pero mas maganda na may pahinga hindi yung sunod-sunod (kayo magkaka-trabaho)."