Daniel on Kathryn: “Naging isa na lang kami”

Five years is five years. These days, that’s a lot of time for love teams to stay as sweet as they are.

And with those special moments they shared through those years, Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla have become the most enduring, dedicated, and prolific showbiz love team, as both have “surrendered” to each other at this point, both professionally and personally.

For half a decade, you won’t see one without the other. Literally, an inseparable pair. And now, admittedly they’ve become more than just artists sharing the lead credits: they are exclusively dating off-cam.

What makes KathNiel special?

But what truly makes KathNiel so special in the eyes of their fans? Is it their chemistry? Their talent? Or success at the tills or in the TV ratings game?

For them, it is being there for each other in the truest sense.

Kathryn and Daniel revealed to PUSH in a sit-down interview that more than enjoying and cherishing each other’s company, they have become each other’s source of personal growth and knowledge.

“Kumbaga pasahan kami ng knowledge. Hindi kami nagpapagalingan, wala kaming ganun. It’s more on teamwork talaga kami,” Daniel said.

Kathryn said she learned a lot from Daniel.

“Ang laking part talaga si DJ sa pag-grow ko lalo. Kasi before ako, minsan hindi ko iniisip mga ginagawa ko or basta masyado akong closed. Pero naging open ako, it’s all because of DJ,” Kathryn said.

Their tandem began in the youth-oriented drama Growing Up in 2011, when Kathryn’s original partner in Mara Clara, Albie Casino, stepped out of the limelight when it was revealed that Andi Eigenmann was pregnant with his child.

Perfect match

Daniel indeed became that perfect match for Kathryn as both scintillated audiences with their charm and scorching chemistry—skyrocketing them to being a phenomenal love team.

But at first, Daniel said they really were poles apart.

“Sobrang magkaiba ng character,” Daniel said. “Magkaiba talaga kami noon.”

But as they grew closer and knew more about each other sharing and experiencing the joys and ordeals of working together in the last five years, they felt this was it.“Naging isa na lang (kami),” Daniel said. “Napabuti namin yung pagkatao ng isa’t isa.”

Among all the things they learned from each other, Kathryn says she values only one thing.

“Mas independent na kami pareho. Tapos pinakita ko na binibigyan niya kami ng trust and yung pag-decide sa mga bagay, ganyan.”

Milestone

Their filming Barcelona, A Love Untold in the Spanish city, was another milestone for them, they said.

“Talagang iba experience sa Barcelona dahil syempre first time din namin ni Kathryn makapunta doon,” Daniel reveals. “And naging mahirap din. Apat na oras lang tulog namin, araw-araw shoot kami. Pero nababawi naman. Hangga’t nakikita mo na yung ginagawa mo, ang swerte din. Nakikita mo yung kagandahan nung lugar and nung proyekto namin. Alam mo yun, kung para naman sa audience lahat ng makikita.”

Working under director Olivia Lamasan was another highlight in their careers, they say.

Kathryn adds: “Ito yung pinakaiba sa lahat ng nagawa namin, pinakamalayo sa comfort zone naming dalawa, pinaka-na-challenge kami, pinakapinaghirapan namin and pinaka-excited kami.”