David Licauco and Barbie Forteza 

MANILA -- The undeniable chemistry of young love team David Licauco and Barbie Forteza gave success to a number of partnerships on TV. 

Now the love team is bringing their successful partnership for the first time to the big screen in the romantic-comedy, “That Kind of Love,” megged by director Catherine Camarillo, her sophomore outing slated to be shown starting July 10, following “Chances Are, You and I.”

Thirty-year-old Licauco is one of the most successful male stars in the local entertainment scene today. His love team with Forteza, although not anchored on any romantic relationship, is undoubtedly an enduring partnership.

They started on TV in a number of successful teleseryes. He played the role of Fidel in “Maria Clara at Ibarra,” that wrapped up last year. Hence, it is not surprising that a project on the big screen was subsequently offered to them.

“Maganda talaga ang first movie namin ni Barbie,” assured Licauco. “So I will try my best to really promote it. Alam kong maganda ang movie kaya sana mapanood ng mga kababayan natin.”

Licauco plays Adam, while Forteza is Mila as they display their chemistry anew, this time on the big screen in “That Kind of Love” as two people who are brought together by the quest of finding love.

Forteza, who’s turning 27 this July, plays a dating coach and psychologist, an independent and successful woman. She tries to help Adam, a successful and rich businessman in search for a special someone. But what happens if he falls for her, instead?

The young love team flew to South Korea last February to shoot some scenes there. “That Kind of Love” is an entry to the Jinseo Arigato International Film Festival.

Even if they are not romantically involved, Licauco and Forteza have managed to make their screen partnership work. Forteza is romantically involved with actor Jak Roberto. Their seven-year relationship does not hinder the BarDa loveteam and is even going for the better.

“I don’t really believe in the perfect timing,” said Forteza. “Even our love team really came unexpectedly. I think ‘timing’ is not the success of the BarDa love team. We always just taking risks and working together very well and hopefully, the audience will respond positively.”

“It’s always the chemistry and the good partnership we’ve built and with ‘That Kind of Love,’ I feel like showing a feel-good rom-com is a good timing," she added.

“Let’s say you’re stressed with work, because this is the genre that you will really look for. So you can sleep well at night.”

As a rom-com fan herself, Forteza is excited about eventually watching her first big screen project with Licauco. “I’m excited about ‘How To Lose a Guy in Ten Days,’ ‘Pretty Woman,’ ‘Ten Things I Hate About You.’ It makes you believe in love again.”

Deciding on this film, Forteza’s relationship with Roberto was never a factor. “It’s always clear to me that my personal life is separated from my professional life,” she said. “At that time this project was offered to David and I, the BarDa loveteam was picking up. 

“So David and I decided the film is a good follow-up project to ‘Maria Clara at Ibarra.’ This came before ‘Maging Sino Ka Man.’ We shot this last year in Korea. Everyone said yes right away. Everyone got on board right away. We were all very excited to do the film.

“From direk Cathy, Pocket Media Productions, David and I, we were all looking forward to starting the film already. It took a year before this gets to be shown. We wanted to watch already the film. Nakaka-kilig siya talaga.”

“That Kind of Love” will feature a popular Korean designer, Lie Sang-Bong, who previously designed for Hollywood stars such as Beyonce, Rhianna, Lady Gaga and Lindsay Lohan.

“He will play a very significant role in the film that audiences will eventually find out,” Forteza said.

After two years of consistently working with Licauco, Forteza describes their onscreen partnership as “comfortable.”

 “Every time we work together in a project, we become comfortable with each other on and off-cam,” Forteza admitted. “Almost every day, we work together. So during off times, during set-ups, we get to talk to each other.

“I learn about his routines, his passion in his businesses. I get to know him as a person outside his matinee idol persona that he’s being built up as. Nakakatuwa because he’s a real person who’s not trying to impress or be someone he’s not.

“It’s nice to really know someone like him from our industry. What you see is what you get. He’s naturally funny. Especially when he’s not trying to be funny, nakakatawa talaga siya. He’s very interesting to talk to. He has a lot of interesting insights.”

Last May, Licauco and Forteza even went to Canada for entertain fans there. They were with Rayver Cruz and Julie Anne San Jose, Bianca Umali and Ruru Madrid in Calgary and Toronto.

Licauco, who successfully ventured into the restaurant business, thought that he would turn his interests into being an entrepreneur and leave acting.

"But ‘Maria Clara at Ibarra’ came and our successful loveteam started,” he said. “Other projects followed and even endorsements for both of us, so how can we say no? I’m super thankful for this partnership, love team and friendship. Nakakatuwa at nakaka-iyak.”

In terms of how Licauco is perceived as a person, who comes from a comfortable family and has his own businesses and sporty. “People will think you don’t have problems,” Licauco said. “You are not emotional, nonchalant, stoic in a way, with hardly any emotions.

“I am a softee inside. When I’m in a relationship, I’m the only one who’s crying. I’m clingy. Grabe akong mag-effort.”

When Licauco was only 22, he was a “hopeless romantic” who followed a girl he was courting in Korea. He slept in a public toilet waiting for the girl. “I didn’t have money,” Licauco recalled.

“The second day, I rented an affordable room. I still didn’t have money at that time. I even bought her flowers. I was courting her. I wanted to prove, this is what I could do. This is what I could offer. I’d move mountains for you. But I didn’t end up with that girl.”

Although his role in “That Kind of Love” is something close to Licauco in real life, he still didn’t find it easy to do the film.

“I’m used to teleseryes where you always do one takes,” he said. “I really worked on my patience because I’m not used to doing films.”

Licauco’s mom has Filipino-Chinese ancestry, while his dad is pure Filipino. The actor-model and entrepreneur is the grandson of renowned parapsychologist and broadsheet columnist Jaime Licauco.

Licauco was a student athlete who played as a shooting guard for De La Salle University-College of St. Benilde (CSB) in the NCCA. He earned a degree in Business Management majoring in Computer Applications.

Before entering showbiz, the chinito hunk joined Mr. and Ms. Chinatown in 2014 and placed first runner-up.

However, in 2014, he readily made his acting debut and guest appearance in “The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin,” which starred Vice Ganda.

In reality, Licauco never imagined himself pursuing a career in the local entertainment scene and becoming a star.

“I was just an ordinary basketball player then,” Licauco admitted. “Tamad na tamad ako so hindi ko talaga iniisip mag-artista noon.”