Happy ang aktress na si Julia Barretto na “graduate” na umano s’ya sa mga pa-tweetums stage at medyo mature roles na ang gagampanyan nya.

Sa upcoming digital series nga na ‘I AM U’ kung saan s’ya ang gaganap na lead star, magkakaroon daw ng ‘level up’ kissing scenes lalo pa’t si Tony Labrusca ang kanyang leading man.

Hindi tuloy maiwasang matanong si Julia during the media conference kung na-outgrow na n’ya ang ex-boyfriend at dating ka-love team na si Joshua Garcia, who, for his part ay tila nagi-stick pa rin daw sa romantic comedy at love team phase sa point ng career nito.

Medyo matagal nag-isip ang dalaga at sinabing “Yes.”

Halatang naging maingat ang aktres at ilang ulit na nilinaw ang tanong kung tungkol ba ang tanong sa pagiging magka-love team nila dati ng Killer Bride actor na si Joshua Garcia.

“I want to be careful kasi… outgrown as what? As a love team? As somebody that I have had worked with? Is the questions Am I still willing to work with him?

“Siguro ‘yong choice ni Joshua to stay, to be in that path in his career which is the love team phase, I respect that.

“Ako kasi, I’ve graduated from that phase and I’m very happy to face already my career na mas mature na ‘yong mga nagagawa ko. Mas marami na po akong nakakatrabaho. Mas free na po ako sa pagpili ng projects. Hindi na po ako parang nasa isang box na lang po.

“Parang I can now, you know, explore as an actress, know different genres and be able to work with different leading men, different kinds of materials, and directors. And have I outgrown him as a love team? Yes. Definitely.

Pero nilinaw ng Kapamilya star na willing pa rin s’ya makatabaho ang dating ka-love team in the future.

“Pero kung magkaka-work kami ulit, I mean, I have no problem. Pero siguro in the far future pa kasi I’m still working on Julia as an individual and as an actress. So happy po saan man ako sa career ko ngayon at sa phase ko sa buhay.”

Sa interview with the press after the media conference, sinabi ni Julia na masaya rin s’ya sa career ngayon ni Joshua.

“I’m very happy for him,” saad ng 22-year-old actress. “I’m very happy for him, like, as well as me na nakakapag-explore din po s’ya. Nakakapagtrabaho po s’ya with different leading ladies which, you know, during the duration of our partnership that was we also talked about.

“We were very open also with our individual projects kasi nung love team pa po kami noon meron na po kaming mga individual offers and we always collaborate and talk about it. We’re excited for each other.

“You know, up to this day watching him from afar, like as I always tell him na ‘I’ll always be one of your cheerleaders. I’ll always be cheering for you from afar.’

“So, wherever he is in his career now, I’m really proud of him because I’ve seen his growth. I was there to witness the beginning of that one. So I’m very proud.”

Dagdag chika pa ni Julia sa press, naik’wento din daw sa kanya noon ni Joshua na feel din nitong mag-explore sa mga mature roles and different genres.

“Those stuff nanggagaling mismo sa kanya,” sey ng dalaga. “Actually, he’s very open with stuff like that. He always expressed ‘yong  desire n’ya, ‘yong hunger n’ya, to be able to explore different genres also.

“Alam naman natin he is very malalim na tao, malalim na aktor. Ang palagi nya saken sinasabi noon is gusto ‘nya makagawa ng mga different genres.

“He also wants to be paired up with a lot of leading ladies, lalo na noong nag-solo ako last year di ba? With Between Maybe.

“Sabi nya, ‘Sana makagawa na rin ako ng solo,’ which is happening to him right now. Kaya ‘yon nga ‘yong sinasabi ko natutuwa ako sa karera nya. Natutuwa talaga ako.

Nahingan din ng reaksyon si Julia sa tagumpay ng tambalang JoshNella nina Joshua Garcia at Janella Salvador sa katatapos lang na Killer Bride sa ABS-CBN Primetime Bida.

“I’m so happy for the two of them,” tugon ng aktres sa tanong ng press. “First of all happy ako kay Josh kasi nakaka-maintain s’ya sa ganong path.

“And happy ako for Janella, genuinely, because, you know, dati kasi pinag-uusapan namin ang mga pangarap naming dalawa – ‘Yong mga gusto namin maabot, gusto namin ma-experience, ‘yong mga path namin na gustong mapuntahan.

“So ngayon, watching her also from afar, being able to do these things, proud ako sa kanya, and pinagpi-pray ko rin s’ya.”

At kung mabibigyan uli sila ng chance ni Joshua na magkatrabaho, sinabi ng dalaga na mas gusto n’yang mangyari ito sa panahon na pareho na silang matured.

“Sana po ‘yong mas matured na, which I think why we made a desicion muna to really grow as individuals and as actors.

“By the time na magka-work kami in the far future or i don’t know, siguro in the future na lang I must say, mas mature na kami as individuals. ‘Yong iba na ‘yong mabibigay namin at mao-offer, at iba na ‘yong magiging dynamic namin kasi matured na kami.

Nagpapasalamat din si Julia sa JoshLia fans na patuloy pa rin daw silang sinusuportahan ni Joshua kahit buwag na ang love team nila.

“Actually, I’m very proud of them kasi napaka-mature nila,” paglalahad ng I AM U lead star.

“And napaka-understanding and very respectful sa mga desicions that we both had to make. And until now naman they support each individual projects. Malaki ang pasasalamat ko sa kanila.”

Bibida si Julia Barretto sa digital series na I AM U with her new leading man Tony Labrusca na available for streaming sa iWant simula February 26.