After portraying the intense, drama-filled dual roles of Luna Amore Cruz and Sky Love Cruz in “Senior High” and its sequel “High Street,” Andrea Brillantes is ready to shake things up.
Known for constantly surprising her audience, she’s not one to stick to a single genre or character type. With her recent roles pushing her emotional range to the limit, fans are curious: What kind of character will she dive into next? Andrea, of course, has a few ideas up her sleeve.
As a change of pace, Andrea wants to manifest something lighter—think rom-com vibes or even K-drama feels. She’s got her eyes on projects with the same energy as “Lovely Runner” or “Queen of Tears”—those heart-fluttering stories that fans can’t get enough of. And if a Philippine adaptation of these hit series comes knocking, well, she’s all in!
She’s also game to go all out in the action genre, especially since she got a taste of it in “Senior High” and “High Street.” With Angelina Jolie and Angel Locsin as her pegs, Andrea is ready to take on more physically demanding roles. During an episode of “The B Side” hosted by Bianca Gonzalez, where Andrea answered fan questions, she was asked if she’d be up for appearing in “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo” if lead actor-director Coco Martin invited her. Without hesitation, she excitedly replied, “Kung kaya ng schedule ko, yes po!” She even mentioned she’d be willing to undergo action training for the role if needed.
Answering last fan question, this time about what keeps her motivated to keep working despite the busy and exhausting schedule, Andrea shared that seeing the people she inspires, especially her family, drives her forward. “Love keeps me going… love and my dreams,” she said.
With a smile, she added, “I have so much love to give,” showing just how much her passion fuels her.
In the final part of the interview, Bianca showed a copy of a book Andrea wrote and published when she was just 13 years old. It had a slam book portion where Andrea defined love. Now at 21, when asked to define love again, she borrowed her new definition from how the Bible describes it in Corinthians: “Love is patient, love is kind…”
Andrea explained how Gen Zs’ view of love has shifted over time. “Minsan nga, ang obsession ay parang tinitingnan na ng Gen Z na ‘pag obsessed sa’yo, ay in love na sa’yo. Pero hindi po ’yun love.” She hopes that the younger generation can reconnect with this core definition of love from the Bible.
More importantly, Andrea now believes that love is a choice. “Love is a choice. It is not just a feeling, but a choice.” She added that there are days when even she struggles with self-love, saying, “Minsan may araw na hindi ko kayang mahalin ang self ko, pero kailangan kong mahalin ang self ko.”
As the iepisode wrapped up, Andrea shared an empowering message for her fellow Gen Zs, especially those looking to her for inspiration in pursuing success or starting a business.
“Don’t ever think that you’re too small for your big dreams,” she said passionately. The Kapamilya star emphasized that no matter where you are in life, “you can start anywhere and anytime,” as long as you take that crucial first step. “You just have to start,” she encouraged.
“Maging matapang muna tayo para sa sarili natin bago sa iba,” she added, reminding everyone that self-confidence is key to achieving big goals, and that the first person who needs to believe in you is yourself.
