High Street’ is coming to an end, and Andrea Brillantes is ready to let go of a meaningful chapter in her career and start a new one.

There’s a certain calmness to Andrea Brillantes as she sets off on her farewell journey to Sky Love Cruz and mystery-drama series High Street (2024). As the series comes to its end, the 21-year-old actress looks back with fondness, and, like Sky, straight ahead with determination.Following its predecessor Senior High (2023-2024), High Street primarily follows Andrea’s character Sky as she tries to get to the bottom of Z’s (Daniela Stranner) disappearance and get through new dangers orchestrated by returning and new villains.

Set five years after the main events of the previous series, the mystery-drama explores what life is now like for the Northford High kids, facing new challenges and fighting their own demons as they try to navigate their young adulthood. From Sky’s quest for justice to the tumultuous relationship between Roxy Cristobal (Xyriel Manabat) and Archie Aguerro (Elijah Canlas), kidnappings to armed chases, the series covers plenty of struggle, loss, and triumph.

More than a thrilling mystery, it delves into the treacherous yet familiar road of navigating relationships in young adulthood. From breakups to career shifts, single parenting to familial obligations, the series paints a dramatized yet realistic picture of adulthood and all its grit and glory.

Andrea Brillantes stars as lead Sky Love Cruz, who is learning that her decisions and determination to uncover ugly truths may be putting her and the people she cares about in further danger as underhanded individuals seek revenge. As High Street comes to an end, we sat down with the young actress to delve into her thoughts on finishing up another chapter of her career, learning from her character, and having to tough it out in the industry without losing herself in the process.

LETTING GO

“Mabigat na role for me si Sky Love Cruz,” Andrea admits to NYLON Manila. “And mabigat ‘din yung show all in all, but I feel relieved kasi it’s done—it’s really done.” It was the actress’ first time to have to hold on to a character post-show, due to Senior High getting a sequel.

Usually, she reveals, once a show is over, she lets the character go and the weight of the work lifts off. But this time was different. Andrea has been portraying the serious, driven Sky for over a year now. Regardless, she’s grateful and at peace with having another project under her belt.

“I’m just happy to let go of Sky—in a good way.” The character and her storylines are the central focus of the show—and the show delves into a lot more serious things than one would expect. It’s a drama thriller with justice, redemption, and revenge (as well as what it costs) right at its core.

DEFINING CHARACTER

Each character in High Street is a difficult role for anyone to take, but thankfully, Andrea found kinship with Sky Cruz as well as with Sky’s twin sister Luna (whose death set off the events of Senior High).

“I am Luna sa labas, mas Sky sa loob. I am both combined,” she says. Luna’s visual portrayal compared to the simpler Sky was very dressed up and accessorized, with colors in her hair and lashes to the sky. “Mas kikay lang ako. Sa ugali naman, same kami [ni Sky]. Parehas kami na palaban, parehas kami na resilient. We have the same empathy, the same drive. We’re both hardworking and hard on ourselves.”

In High Street, Sky, driven by her sister’s (and Kyle Echarri’s Obet’s) death and haunted by all of the events of Senior High, embarks on a journey of justice. She becomes a journalist and works to get to the bottom of all the crimes committed by Senior High antagonist Gov. William Acosta (Mon Confiado), and then to uncover the secret plot that’s putting her and her friends in danger.

She also asserts that she really found similarities with Sky, and in knowing her character inside and out, she recognizes sometimes when things are out of character for the lead. “Ang pinakahindi ko lang siguro gagawin na gagawin ni Sky is mag-pursue ng relationship with my sister’s ex,” she remarks, referring to the romance that blossomed between Sky and Luna’s ex-partner, Juan Karlos’ Gino. “That’s it! But honestly, I feel like we just did it for the views! Sky would never.”

After her stint as Sky, Andrea now looks forward to a range of different roles, from kontrabidas to girlbosses (à la Do Do-hee from K-drama My Demon), stoic but softhearted queens (à la Hong Hae-in from Queen of Tears) to bubbly leading ladies (à la Kim Chiu). But, she says, she’s down for anything.

SHIFTING FOCUS

With the challenging and serious material of High Street, it can’t be easy to go to work every day and put your all into it. Plenty of actors step away from roles or projects because of how taxing they could be or open up about how difficult it is to separate the personal from the professional—after all, acting requires someone to put so much of themselves into their work.

Although action, crime, thriller, and drama are staple genres in Philippine media, one could wonder how actors can go in and out of difficult roles without taking home all the trauma depicted in the story. Andrea, having had a long career at such a young age, finds that being busy helps. She also reflects that you can’t let your life be governed by just one thing—in this case, her career in showbiz.

“I’m a very busy person,” the actress, content creator, and entrepreneur laughs, her exhaustion apparent. Before this interview, the team watched her spend hours filming promotional content for the series finale. She also is just weeks into the launch of her new fragrance line under her company Lucky Beauty. “So mabilis sa’kin magbanlaw ng heaviness. Kailangan ko siyang pakawalan, because after every scene, I’d have to do this, I have to do that, commit to this, reply to that.”

It’s a tiring life, to be sure, but the opportunities and the returns seem to be worth it for Andrea. Besides, she knows how to take the time for herself. Just last year, the young actress set off on a solo trip to Spain, taking the time to soul-search a little bit and see what the world had to offer. Her life can’t always be sets and stage lights.

She also surrounds herself with people who know her deeply. It keeps her grounded, amidst the pressures of work, social media, and life in general. “I talk to Bea [Borres] 24/7, so I’m always reminded kung sino ako,” she laughs. No one keeps it real like a best friend.

Years into a career that hasn’t been easy in the slightest (she started acting when she was 7, becoming a breadwinner at the same time other kids were in the middle of elementary school), Andrea’s found that “In any aspect [of] life, kapag pinuno mo yung sarili mo ng isang bagay lang, it will harm you.”

STICKING TO YOUR GUNS

As Andrea carves her own path, she’s learned a few lessons along the way, and not only because her career is one-of-a-kind. After all, like Sky Cruz, she is just a young adult trying to get through life herself.

“Have a thick skin, but a soft heart,” she advises. “Everyone will judge you, a lot of people will disappoint you. Kahit saan ka naman pumunta, ganun ‘yun.”

In a world where everyone can put themselves out there, and everyone can see so much of not just celebrities, but everyone from content creators to strangers, it’s far too easy to judge and be judged. The harshness of the world can lead us to close ourselves off and turn our hearts into stone, as Andrea says. But while a thick skin can protect you from all the judgment and criticism, whether it’s from the audience or a boss, you have to open yourself up to the good. Hence, the soft heart.

So wherever you choose to go, “Have your values and stick to it,” Andrea says. “Kahit ano mangyari, stay true and stick to your values. And if yung environment na ‘yun, hindi angkop doon, change your environment. Or help your own environment change.”