Rising stars Rabin Angeles and Angela Muji could not hide their excitement as they recalled their first-ever meeting with their longtime idol, Nadine Lustre, during the red-carpet premiere of the 51st Metro Manila Film Festival entry ‘Call Me Mother’.
The encounter happened at the MMFF premiere night of ‘Call Me Mother’, which stars Nadine alongside Vice Ganda and child actor Lucas Andalio. Rabin and Angela shared their unforgettable experience during the recent grand media conference for their launching film ‘A Werewolf Boy’.
Angela, a self-confessed longtime fan of Nadine, described the moment as surreal.
“Grabe, parang feeling ko ang saya-saya ko talaga. Lumulutang po ako,” Angela said. She recalled being only 10 or 11 years old when she first became a fan, following Nadine online because she was too young to attend mall shows or events in person.
“Hanggang online lang po ako, taga-repost, taga-tweet, ganyan. Hindi ko po siya nakikita in person,” she shared. Angela added that she briefly saw Nadine years ago during P-pop training sessions in 2018, when Nadine would pass by with James Reid, but they were too shy to ask for photos.
“That time, saglit na saglit lang, parang three seconds lang namin siya makikita. Pero sobrang saya na namin the entire day,” Angela said. Meeting Nadine in person years later left her overwhelmed with joy. “Nu’ng nakita at nakausap ko po siya nang personal, grabe, kinikilig po talaga ako. Sobrang saya ko na parang, ‘OMG, finally!’”
Rabin echoed the same starstruck reaction. He recalled that during the MMFF Gabi ng Parangal, they even shared a dressing room with Nadine.
“We had the same make-up artist, then we were in the same room for a few minutes,” Angela added, admitting she wanted to start a conversation but was too overwhelmed. “Sobrang nai-starstruck talaga ako. Nakaganun lang ako, walang lumalabas na words.”
Rabin shared that he also struggled to speak when he finally met Nadine. “Nu’ng nakita ko po siya sa premiere night, nakipag-picture po ako sa kanya noon, tapos wala na po akong nasabi,” he said, adding, “‘Pag nakikita ko siya, sobrang nasa-shock po ako sa kanya.”
Both actors praised Nadine for her beauty and personality, describing her as “sobrang ganda, sobrang bait, sobrang humble, sobrang approachable.”
The RabGel loveteam also joked about the idea of remaking Nadine’s earlier films, including ‘Diary ng Panget’, if ever given the chance. Angela laughed at the thought, saying the films felt “untouchable” and worrying they might not live up to the originals.
Meanwhile, Rabin and Angela admitted they are barely getting any sleep due to excitement over the upcoming release of ‘A Werewolf Boy’, which opens in cinemas on January 14. The film’s second trailer has already garnered over 28 million views across platforms.
Directed by Crisanto B. Aquino, the Philippine adaptation of the 2012 Korean film stars Rabin and Angela alongside Lorna Tolentino, Candy Pangilinan, Yayo Aguila, Jeffrey Hidalgo, and Albie Casiño. The film is produced by Viva Films, Studio Viva, and CJ ENM.
