Dennis Gaviola

Article (news)

Anna Cerezo

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — Award-winning director Cathy Garcia-Sampana challenged the star-studded cast of her upcoming film “Meet, Greet &amp; Bye”  to shed their real personas and fully embody their characters.</p><p>The cast includes &quot;Diamond Star&quot; Maricel Soriano, Piolo Pascual, Joshua Garcia, Belle Mariano, and JK Labajo.</p><p>“I want them to be regular people,” Garcia-Sampana said in an interview held in Quezon City. “Ayoko makita si Joshua, si Piolo ha. Pati si Maricel, &#x27;di nakaligtas. I worked with five famous actors, and audiences already know them so well. Ayoko mapanuod nila artista ‘to. Gusto ko si, si Leo, si Baby.”</p><p>The director said this approach allowed her cast to portray not just roles, but real people — relatable and grounded, beyond the glamour of their on-screen personas.</p><p>“Very difficult for an actor to detach from themselves. Pag mas malapit sayo, mahirap. Paano mo hiwalay si Piolo at Tupe. Baka lumabas si Piolo. It takes so much focus and trust sa akin. Ako kasi nakakakita. There is no doubt in their ability to perform, caliber. But when you are so into it you fail to see the bigger picture. It takes a very good actor to fully detach,” she explained.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/films/2025/10/9/-meet-greet-bye-official-trailer-hits-6-million-views-in-12-hours-1557">‘Meet, Greet &amp; Bye’ official trailer hits 6 million views in 12 hours</a></div><p>To help achieve the authenticity, Garcia-Sampana encouraged the actors to take part in building their characters’ backstories — from personal habits to family details.</p><p>“We talked about where they came from, their favorite things, how close they were, what they wanted to do, what they remembered doing together, even their favorite food or their mother’s favorite,” she recalled.</p><p>Garcia-Sampana revealed the cast members were so immersed in their characters that the real challenge was holding back tears.</p><p>“Marami eksena, di pa nagsisimula, reading pa lang — nagiiyakan na. Sabi ko ‘alam mo ba bawal ka umiyak sa eksana na to?’”</p><p>“Punapangunahan ng panganay [Pascual] at eto din [Mariano]. Sabi niya ‘Direk why are you doing this to me?’ Madalas bawal umiyak. No tears. sabi niya. Pag nakita niyo outakes pagka-cut iiyak,” she added.</p><p>“Meet, Greet &amp; Bye” will hit cinemas nationwide on Nov. 12.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/films/2025/10/11/meet-greet-bye-stars-creators-talk-about-the-film-s-heart-and-inspiration-1700">‘Meet, Greet &amp; Bye’ stars, creators talk about the film’s heart and inspiration</a></div><div> </div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AZzHmYil7zo?si=NtO1zSyyzUZlz5Vq" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div>

<p>Award-winning director Cathy Garcia-Sampana challenged the star-studded cast of her upcoming film “Meet, Greet &amp; Bye” to shed their real personas and fully embody their characters.</p>

Award-winning director Cathy Garcia-Sampana challenged the star-studded cast of her upcoming film “Meet, Greet & Bye” to shed their real personas and fully embody their characters.

How Direk Cathy Garcia-Sampana challenged star-studded cast of 'Meet, Greet & Bye'

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How Direk Cathy Garcia-Sampana challenged star-studded cast of 'Meet, Greet & Bye'

Anna Cerezo,

ABS-CBN News

Published October 20, 2025 12:24 AM PHT

Read More:

Meet Greet & Bye

Cathy Garcia-Sampana

Maricel Soriano

Piolo Pascual

Joshua Garcia

Belle Mariano

JK Labajo

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