Derrick Monasterio and Elle Villanueva open up about their first on-screen pairing
t’s been weeks since GMA Network’s Return to Paradise brings intriguing and sultry episodes to its viewers. The pairing of Derrick Monasterio and Elle Villanueva also gave the audience kilig from their chemistry. Yet it seems their intimacy on-screen rubbed off on them in real life, but it’s not what most people expect from successful love teams.
During the media conference for the finale of Return to Paradise, Derrick shared that working with Elle was a delightful experience.
“Like I kept on saying, she is the love team that made me more open. And because of her, I became more vulnerable, and ginaganahan ako gumawa ng lahat ng mga scenes na kasama siya kasi grabe din siya magbigay,” Derrick said.
He added that he and Elle also became close off-cam, which significantly helped them in filming their intimate scenes.
“Sobrang click lang ng personalities namin. And I thank her for trusting me ever since day one, ever since workshop pa lang,” the Kapuso actor noted.
Meanwhile, Elle feels grateful for having Derrick as her partner for her first on-screen love team because she found it easy to connect with him. “Surprisingly.”
“Naging easy din sa akin ‘yung ginagawa sa love team—‘yung mga kilig and touch—because he was very open to it, and he made sure I was comfortable while doing it. Talagang inalagaan niya ako althroughout the show,” Elle said.
Despite Return to Paradise ending, Derrick won’t miss anything about Elle. Especially since he’s confident that they’ll still see each other often as the show is “the beginning of our blossoming friendship.”
However, Derrick admitted he would miss several aspects of Return To Paradise.
“Marami akong mamimiss sa show. Mamimiss ko ‘yung character ni Elle, mamimiss ko ‘yung staff. Kasi sa show namin ngayon para talaga kaming family,” he said.
Elle chimed in and said she’d also miss their characters from the show, especially since they always came on set already in the mindset of their respective roles.
There was a lot to witness during the finale of Return to Paradise. There were several plot twists that the audience did not expect to happen. And that’s just part of the charm that made the series well-loved among viewers.
Now that the series has ended, fans are left wondering what’s next for the first-time pairing between Elle and Derrick.
Derrick keeps himself open to new project opportunities in the future, although he shared that he dreams of landing a role as a superhero. One thing’s for sure, though, he hopes to work closely with Elle again.
Elle seconded the motion, sharing that she and Derrick discussed their interest in working together on an action-themed project, a la Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Their off-screen banter shows that the pair have spent significant time together and shared a more meaningful connection than before the show’s premiere.
The success of Return to Paradise and the chemistry between the lead stars beg the question, “Will Elle and Derrick share the screen again?” Only time will tell.
Return To Paradise concluded on November 4 with Unica Hija replacing it in its timeslot.