Ryan and Juday's Comeback to the Big Screen in My Househouseband: Ikaw Na!

It has been a while since Ryan Agoncillo and Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo are seen together on the big screen. After the success of their previous films Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo and Sakal, Sakali, Saklolo which were shown quite a few years back, the couple now teams up in OctoArts Films' Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entry My Househusband: Ikaw Na! -- their first movie together after getting married. 

The film is also Juday's comeback movie after giving birth and lying low from showbiz for a while. The real life husband and wife team play married couple Mia and Rod, the lead characters, and the roles became more realistic in their hands because they can relate to their characters in terms of raising kids, balancing career and family life, staying best friends with one's significant other after tying the knot, being clear on priorities, and keeping a sense of humor especially during tough times. 

According to Director Joey Reyes, the two kept it "real" and, aside from their well-polished acting skills, Juday and Ryan's portrayals have an extra something, "an almost instinctive element," he adds. Ryan is said to be a revelation in this movie as per Direk Joey and co-star Eugene Domingo who plays a mistress living next door and who ends up being Rod's BFF. 

Juday is positive that a lot of people will be able to identify with the characters in My Househusband. "Lahat makaka-relate dito -- mag-asawa, mag-boyfriend, all ages sa kahit anong estado ng relationship, mapabago o matagal na  -- kasi lahat ng issues napag-usapan. So hopefully, after lumabas ang mga tao sa sinehan, may mapulot silang aral at may mabigay silang respeto sa mga partners nila."

How close are their roles to real life? Ryan replies, "Malayo kami kina Rod at Mia. We never struggled about gender equality." As to having someone from the opposite sex as a best friend and in a purely platonic relationship, Ryan shares, "In real life, I have a good friend, a female. This is the first time though in film [that] my best friend is a woman. Ang ganda nung nag-develop na friendship. It needs a very light touch and Eugene really showed her mastery. She was basically handholding me through the scenes. Pwede pala ma-translate sa film yung totoong pagkakaibigan ng isang babae at lalaki ng walang malisya pero it doesn't mean it's dry and boring."

Ryan further enthuses, "Enjoy ako kausapin [si Eugene]. She's a very intelligent woman. I've experienced a little of her brilliance. She's larger than life. Bongga s'yang tao." Eugene, on the other hand, has been quoted in the press release to say it's her first time to play a character who is best friends with a straight male. "Ibang-iba ang point of view dahil dun and since I have very few straight male friends in real life, playing Aida was very refreshing and challenging."

Tying the timely movie together is Direk Joey who has won awards in past MMFFs. "Many men today are 'househusband' either by choice or circumstance and in this film, we show the hilarious side of it," he explains. 

* My Househusband: Ikaw Na! press con was held at Napa Restaurant and Bar (yummy food!) located at #12 Scout Borromeo, QC. This movie is OctoArts Film's entry to the 2011 MMFF. It opens on Christmas Day.


* Photos used with permission from OrangeMagazineTV.com. Please click here for more photos from the press con.