“Lavender Fields” young stars look back on their first acting projects, most favorite teleserye stints

From being child stars who used to charm us with their cuteness, Krystal Mejes, Miguel Vergara, and Marc Santiago are now among the promising teen stars of their generation. And we got to witness their impressive acting skills as three of the stellar cast members of the well-loved teleserye “Lavender Fields.”

While the vibe in the series is usually heavy and intense, everything's relatively lighthearted and insightful during their conversation with one of their esteemed co-stars, Maricel Soriano, in the latest vlog uploaded in her YouTube channel.

The Diamond Star commenced the interview with a little kumustahan, asking them if there was already a point in their young careers that they struggled so much. Krystal eloquently responded, “I think normal naman po sigurong mahirapan kasi it’s part of being an actor. But then, kasi siyempre if you’re passionate about what you’re doing, gagawin mo ang best mo all the time and you’re always gonna make sure na pagdating mo sa set, ready and prepared ka lagi.”

Being part of any film or teleserye is definitely a significant feat to any artist, especially to those who are still starting in their careers like the three of them. But how do they feel about being part of “Lavender Fields”?

Miguel confessed that he was initially pressured knowing that he would be working alongside some of the most revered actors in the local entertainment scene. He recounted how nervous they actually were upon finding out through their group chat that the Diamond Star herself would be part of the cast. But that eventually diminished when he finally met her in person because he felt “light” towards her.

Krystal echoed this by admitting that she was intimidated by Maricel at first, but her perception of her also changed when the latter approached her once and called her “anak” while speaking to her, which really melted her heart. Marc, meanwhile, felt the same as Miguel, imparting that his fright immediately turned into excitement.

When asked to share a fond memory they had on the set, Krystal mentioned that time when they and co-star Jana Agoncillo had to do an emotional scene while doing a group hug, yet Miguel couldn’t help himself from laughing. In Miguel’s defense, he said that it was because of the hilarious jokes uttered by their director, Jojo Saguin. Marc and Krystal did the same when the shot was panned to Miguel and Jana.

The Diamond Star astonishingly liked what they did, commenting that it could be good technique in bringing tears to their eyes whenever they or other actors find it difficult to give out a cry.

Maricel then veered the conversation to the three young stars’ beginnings in showbiz. Krystal recalled queueing up to countless auditions before scoring her breakthrough, which was the 2015 soap opera “Doble Kara,” wherein she got to work with Julia Montes and Sam Milby when she was around 6 to 7 years old.

She fondly shared how she learned so much from Julia, who, according to her, was very hands-on of her in the set like their directors then, Manny Q. Palo and Jojo Saguin, who were also the ones behind “Lavender Fields.” Since Krystal already knows how they work on the set, how professional they both are, and their expectations from the actors, she disclosed that she no longer feels nervous anymore.

Krystal further expressed her gratitude to be part of “Doble Kara,” as she truly learned a lot during her stint, which she continues to bring at present and share with her fellow young actors as well.

Meanwhile, Miguel made his acting debut when he was just 4 years old via the 2012 drama film “One More Try,” headlined by Angel Locsin, Angelica Panganiban, and Dingdong Dantes. He may have already worked with a lot of actors, but his most remarkable experiences were apparently with the veterans, whom he regards as among the kindest people he got to work with.

Regarding their most favorite project, Krystal reiterated that it would be “Doble Kara” and “Lavender Fields.” Obviously, it was “Doble Kara” that both served as her springboard and training ground in the local entertainment scene. While her dream of working with Maricel got fulfilled in “Lavender Fields” even though they haven’t shot a scene together yet.

For Marc, every project that he had done brought him various experiences. However, the most memorable would be the 2019 afternoon soap opera “Sandugo,” which he did when he was only 10 years old. The teleseries allowed him to do a lot of stunts and fight scenes, which he utterly enjoyed.

Miguel, on his part, mentioned the 2019 daytime series “Nang Ngumiti Ang Langit” as his favorite project since the set was very light and they have benevolent and kind co-workers, such as Matet de Leon and Kempee de Leon, who portrayed as his character’s doting parents.

As they already possess promising acting chops now that they’re still young, we're certain that the three of them are going to do great in their respective dream projects once those are bestowed upon them someday.

Since she looks up to Hollywood star Angelina Jolie, Krystal wishes to do action and heavy drama with the Diamond Star. Inspired by watching the popular “John Wick” movie series, Miguel aspires to be given an action-drama project. Marc, on the other hand, hasn’t done horror yet, so it’s seemingly part of his bucket list.

Of course, if they have dream projects, they certainly have actors who they wish to work with someday.

For Krystal, it would be none other than Maricel and “Star For All Seasons” Vilma Santos-Recto. Similarly, Marc also yearns to share the screen with Maricel, which is something that has not happened yet despite starring in a couple of past projects together. He also hopes to work with “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo” lead star and director Coco Martin because he wants to observe firsthand how he works on-and-off-screen.

Unlike the two, Miguel is fortunate enough to have already experienced the greatness of Maricel in one of the projects they apparently did together in the past. Thus, he now aspires to work with seasoned actor John Lloyd Cruz.

Since all of them are still focused on their showbiz careers, being in a romantic relationship or even having a crush is not yet part of their plans. Thus, Maricel simply quizzed them about their celebrity crushes, to which Krystal enthusiastically reminisced about the time when Coco Martin kissed her on the cheek and she didn’t wash her face for three days in order for its traces not to be erased.

Marco revealed that it’s Kathryn Bernardo for Miguel because of how gorgeous and kindhearted she is, while it’s Liza Soberano for Miguel due to her mesmerizing splendor. The Diamond Star also imparted that she actually has a long-time crush, and he’s none other than Hollywood actor Brad Pitt.

Maricel then interrogated them about the Star Magical Prom 2023, wherein Marc was among the stars who prepared and staged a kilig promposal to their chosen partners. It can be recalled that he asked Krystal to be his date by pulling off a fantastic surprise for her, which she gladly accepted. When asked why he chose her to be his date, Marc reasoned out that it’s because they have known each other for a long time since they were around 9.

However, they were not each other’s dates during the event proper since the management pre-planned for them to be paired with Jana Agoncillo and Miguel, respectively. As Maricel teased Marc and Krystal about being an item, they insisted that they’re just friends and have their respective priorities and goals right now.

The vlog capped off with Maricel offering each of them advice that they wished to hear. Krystal sought career advice from her since she’s been in the industry for 53 years already. She began by reminding them to love and respect their job by always being professional and establishing good relationships with the people they work with.

“Kasi nag-start ako ng 6, nag-umpisa akong magtanim. Kaya no’ng matanda na ako, magsi-60 na ako next year, ang dami ko nang biyaya kumbaga. Madami akong inaani dahil ang pakikipagkaibigan ko sa mga kapwa ko artista ay totoo at saka personal, hindi panglahatan. Kaya mamahalin mo ang trabaho mo at saka rerespetuhin mo,” she imparted.

Marc, on the other hand, requested acting advice, which she started off by telling him to read the script without having to memorize it. It is also through this platform that he could find out whether he likes what he just read on the script given to him and/or his character.

“Kapag ‘yong role mo, nagustuhan mo, automatic ‘yan. Automatic sa katawan mo ‘yan, automatic lalabas ‘yan. Kaya alam mo na kung ano ang role mo,” she said. Then she went on to suggest that he throw lines with anyone in his family and just put attitude to his acting. Besides, he may watch himself in front of the mirror or have someone record a video of him while rehearsing his scenes.

And lastly, Miguel asked the Diamond Star what measures he could take in order to keep going in the midst of difficulties. She told him that it actually never crossed her mind to quit showbiz but only to lie low.

“Hindi naman kasi kami pwedeng mag-resign. Bawal ‘yon eh. Hangga’t gusto ka ng audience, nandiyan ka. Hindi ka pwedeng mawala,” she said.

As Miguel mentioned about getting drained, Maricel reminded him that it is part of the job and that an actor is always an actor.

“Ano bang alam kong gawin kundi ito lang? Binuhay ko ang pamilya ko sa trabaho kong ito. Kaya kailangan kong magtrabaho para may food on the table. That’s how much I love my work kasi ‘yan ang nagpakain sa pamilya ko eh. Kaya hindi pwede rito ‘yong ma-attitude. Hindi pwede rito ‘yong gusto mong mag-walk out,” she explained.

Then she added, “Kahit inis na kayo sa staff o sa crew o sa kapwa n’yo artista, huwag na huwag n’yong gagawin ‘yon. Masama ‘yon. Ayaw ng trabaho ng gano’n kasi baka siya ang mag-walk out sa inyo, wala nang tatanggap sa atin.”

Catch Maricel, Krystal, Miguel, and Marc in “Lavender Fields,” weeknights on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, A2Z, and TV5.