After the successful run of Inday Will Always Love You last year, Barbie Forteza has a new prime time show titled Kara Mia airing on GMA.
Many admire her loyalty to GMA which served as her mother studio for ten years now. She started with the network in 2009 when she played the young Jodie in Stairway to Heaven. From there, she did various hit teen shows that earned her the moniker “Tween Queen.”
Now at 21, she still remains as a solid Kapuso.
“Leaving GMA never crossed my mind. Why would I when they give back the loyalty I show to them? They took good care of my career all these times. I can’t imagine myself working for another network,” she said in a recent interview.
“My heart will always remain with GMA. In the first place, they’re the ones who gave me the big break. They fulfilled my long-time dream to become part of show business. For that, I’ll forever be grateful to them,” she added.
Speaking of her new soap opposite Mika dela Cruz, talks are rife that Kara Mia will be fielded in the first or second slot of the Kapuso’s prime time block. Is there pressure on her part, considering that her previous prime time offerings were consistent network chart-toppers? Apart from this, it may be pitted against ABS-CBN’s Ang Probinsyano or The General’s Daughter.
“It doesn’t affect me. All of us in the production are not after the competition. We want to see the ‘GMA Telebabad’ block as a whole and not just per show. If the line-up is good, then, there’s no need for you to worry even if you have a strong competitor. You will still have a chance to obtain good ratings numbers,” she ends.
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Khalil Ramos says it’s no big deal if he and girlfriend Gabbi Garcia are affiliated with rival networks. As everyone knows, he is with ABS-CBN while Gabbi is with GMA.
“It’s really funny because it never became a problem or hindrance to our relationship. On the contrary, it became advantageous for us. For one, we don’t get to see each other every day which leaves room for missing and surprise. We don’t have the same road managers. It’s totally separate but relatively the same because we come from the same industry. We’ve worked with the same producers and directors so it didn’t pose much challenge to us.” he says.
Many wonder how they manage such set-up amid both having busy schedule and long working hours.
“Actually, that’s everyone’s query. But if given much thought, our relationship was established out of the limelight. We weren’t confined in just the four corners of the ‘biz. Usually, you become sweethearts in real life when you start as a love team. You get developed along the way. But in my case with Gabbi, we were friends first. We got introduced by a common friend and that’s how we started. We’re grateful that it wasn’t based on work.”
Khalil admitted that they're in a relationship for almost two years now. He added that their similarities make them click together.
“We’re both independent and have leadership qualities, which make us clash as well. Gabbi is such an independent person. That’s also one reason why we’re not clingy with each other. We’re not dependent on each other. No one is under anyone,” avers Khalil.