RODERICK Paulate and Maricel Soriano are two icons in the local show business. Paulate is known for his versatile acting skills, comedic timing, and unique character portrayals, while Soriano — often referred to as the “Diamond Star” — is a multi-awarded dramatic actress who also excels in other acting genre.

The duo has previously collaborated on films such as “Inday Bote” (1985), “Inday sa Balitaw” (1986), and “Jack En Poy: HaleHale Hoy!” (1987). Their last joint project was in 1989 for the

Regal movie “Gorio and Tekla.”

Beyond their onscreen tandem, the duo forged a solid friendship that surpassed challenges.

The 58-year-old Soriano admitted that there were times that they had misunderstanding but what helped was their enduring respect and trust.

“My arguments with Dick don’t last long. In minutes, it’s over. It’s like going to the dentist,” she jested.

“When I open up to Dick, he listens, he doesn’t forget. He also opens up to me, and I won’t forget that either. So how can you get mad at one person?” she continued.

Reunion movie

This year, the two iconic actors reunite in the film “In His Mother’s Eyes.” The story follows Tim (played by LA Santos), a special child left in the care of his uncle Bibs (Paulate) by his OFW mother Lucy (Soriano) for several years.

When Lucy returns, she attempts to regain the affection of her son and brother. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as smoothly as she hoped. Despite her best efforts to make up for her absence, her attempts fail and only make things worse.

Paulate expressed his excitement about working with Soriano again.

In the film’s media conference, the comedian shared, “I won’t deny the fact that my excitement to work with Marya again is different. We see each other at parties, we see each other during productions, but we haven’t worked together again until now. Our ages were different back then.”

“When they presented the project, it was actually just one meeting. I said, ‘Okay, let’s do it.’ I thought about it for a while until Maria arrived, saying, ‘Isn’t this discussion over yet?’the 63-yearold actor joked.

“But actually, I did say yes because the story is so beautiful. There’s no pretension here. It’s an honor again to work with the Diamond Star, Maricel Soriano,” he added.

In return, Soriano is also happy to be reunited with Paulate, praising him as a versatile artist.

“Dick is an excellent artist. He is not only skilled in drama but also excels in comedy. But Dick is tearjerking when doing drama. Maybe because I love him so much, I am deeply affected by him. Even though the movie is a drama, we are very happy on the set,” she shared.

Santos’ first starring role

Meanwhile, Santos felt honored to have worked with both Soriano and Paulate in his first starring role. Previously, he has appeared in projects such as “Durugin ang droga” (2017), “Maria” (2019), “Mamasapano: Now It Can Be Told” (2022), and “Darna” (2023).

Expressing gratitude for the veterans’ support and guidance Santos said, “It’s a tremendous honor to have the opportunity to work with them. They are both very supportive, and I want to express my gratitude a thousand times, including our director FM Reyes. I wouldn’t have been able to interpret my challenging role well without their help and guidance.”

“I’m truly happy that they appreciate all my efforts to do justice to my role. At first, I was nervous working with Aunt Maricel and Uncle Dick because we all know they are veterans in the industry. But they really guided me every step of the way. I listened to them and tried to absorb all their advice, and that was a significant help in bringing out any talent I have in acting,” he added.

When asked how Soriano would rate the newcomer in his most challenging role to date as her autistic son, the veteran actress said, “He played it very well. There’s a scene where I hugged him. It was the first time for me to do it after not seeing him for a long time, and he felt shy about it. He didn’t know how to react, but he embraced me wholeheartedly. He was so apologetic after the take, but it came out very convincing.”

Also starring in the film are veterans Ruby Ruiz, Maila Gumila, and Ogie Diaz, as well as young stars Elyson de Dios, Vivoree Esclito, Reign Parani, Inah Evans, and Bong Gonzales.

Directed by FM Reyes and written by Gina Marissa Tagasa and Jerry Gracio, “In His Mother’s Eyes” will be released to cinemas on November 29.