Krystel Go is making her movie debut this Christmas through I’mPerfect, one of the entries in the 2025 Metro Manila Film Festival. The role is a first for the debuting actress, and part of what drives her is how it reminds her of her father.
Krystel plays Jessica, a woman who falls in love with Jiro, played by Earl Amaba. The movie lets two actors with Down syndrome play characters who live and love on their own terms—something audiences hardly ever get to see in local cinema.
In an interview with Manila Standard Entertainment, Krystel recalled how she reacted when she learned she got the part.
“I was so shocked,” she said, adding that she never found the work intimidating. “Memorizing lines was easy. Just focus. Direk [Sigrid Bernardo] helped me a lot to stay focused.”
She shared that she looked forward to shooting each day. “This is the most exciting moment. I was excited every day.”
Working with Earl, she said, made filming even more enjoyable. They were already friends before the project, which helped them settle into scenes easily. She added that there was even “a little bit of kilig while filming,” which she thinks audiences will feel, too.
Her time on set also pushed her to grow as an actress. She prepared by studying performances she admired, particularly from The Greatest Love and Huwag Ka Mangamba—projects where her castmate “Mama Sylvia” [Sanchez] starred.
“I prepared on my own. I would mirror what I watched—The Greatest Love and Huwag Ka Mangamba taught me a lot.”
But while the role was fun and memorable, it also brought back feelings that Krystel rarely talks about. When asked what makes her emotional, she immediately mentioned the people she loves, especially her father.
“When I think about the people in my life… the people I love, just like my father,” she said.
The holidays make her think of him even more. “I feel in my heart that he’s very proud of me. Not just proud—my Daddy supports me. He’s my guardian angel.”
Faith has helped her handle both the nerves and the excitement that come with the film’s release. When asked where she gets her confidence, she answered, “God. I always pray.”
She said her prayers are mostly for health, her family, and her I’mPerfect family—a group she now considers a lasting part of her life. “What’s memorable for me is that I gained a new family,” she said.
A line from the film has stayed with her long after shooting wrapped: “Mom! I’m smart, beautiful, talented, sexy! I’m perfect!” For Krystel, it sums up not just her character but her renewed sense of self. “I’m perfect in the eyes of the people who see me now,” she said.
Krystel is not rushing what comes after I’mPerfect and hopes opportunities will unfold when they’re meant to. “We’ll see what happens next. If God opens another door for me, I’ll take it.”
For now, she is focused on the release—excited and nervous at the same time, still finding herself without words when talking about it. “I’m speechless,” she said, “speechless but excited.”
I’mPerfect opens in cinemas nationwide on Dec. 25 as part of the 2025 Metro Manila Film Festival.
