Ashtine Olviga and Andres Muhlach take their next big step in acting
Just a day after its release, the teaser for Ashtine Olviga and Andres Muhlach’s upcoming debut film “Minamahal: 100 Bulaklak Para Kay Luna” racked up an impressive 12 million views across multiple online platforms.
Now, it’s not like the frenzy surrounding the “AshDres” love team was ever in question. It’s just that, these days, it can be easy to mistake online buzz for real-life popularity. But in the context of local showbiz, there’s arguably few better metrics than the good old mall show. Here, an artist’s ability to pull a physical crowd is tested. Will the fans still be as invested if they have to do more than just click and retweet?
If their recent packed mall shows and other public appearances are anything to go by, it’s safe to say that AshDres is more than just a viral love team that could very well be a budding pop culture sensation. Olviga herself can’t help but reflect on how different things are now compared to when she was just starting out.
“Doing mall shows these past few weeks, I can’t help but look back on the ones I did before,” Olviga says. “I really saw the difference, and it’s touching. I still can’t believe people show up even if they live far away. Some fans even go from one show to the next just to see us again.”
“I still feel like I’m flying… like I’m dreaming,” adds the actress, who used to be part of the pop groups U Go Girls, P-Pop Generation, and Litz.
Opening new doors
The words “shock” and “gratitude” kept popping up as Olviga and Muhlach tried to make sense of their success. After all, they didn’t seem the most obvious pairing at first. But this move by Viva proved to be a stroke of foresight. “Ang Mutya ng Section E”—their launching romantic comedy series—was a hit in the Philippines and it even captured the hearts of viewers overseas.
Such was the show’s influence that its soundtrack even became a launching pad that helped make hitmakers out of young music acts like Amiel Sol, Earl Agustin, and GAT. And the clamor its stars grew so strong it led to a sold-out two-day fan meeting at the New Frontier Theater.
But as heartening as the fans’ overwhelming support is, Olviga never takes it as a sign to think, “Wow, sikat na ‘ko.”
“I see this more as an opportunity to be known and be loved by many,” she says. “I did ‘Mutya’ without any expectations, but it ended up opening a lot of doors for me.”
One of those doors is “Minamahal,” which, director Jason Paul Laxamana believes, could possibly introduce AshDres as a love team—not only capable of sparking kilig, but also as actors with talent and skills worth noting. They have the chemistry, the numbers, and the loyal fanbase. Perhaps now is a good time to prove their mettle.
Honing their craft
And the movie is designed to do just that. While “Mutya” features larger-than-life characters that at times border on “caricature,” “Minamahal” will have AshDres exploring more mature themes that demand a wider acting range. “I think it’s a perfect way to launch them as serious actors, outside their ‘Mutya’ roles,” Laxamana tells Lifestyle Inquirer.
“I hope it turns out to be something people can look back on once the hype calms down—I hope not!—and say, even five or 10 years from now, that this is a good piece of work… appreciated even by people outside the fandom,” he adds.
The movie follows Raffy (Muhlach), a shy high school flower enthusiast who hopes to win over Luna (Olviga), a jaded visual artist who doesn’t believe in love. And through the years—from Grade 12 to college—Raffy gives flowers to Luna at important moments in her life, as his way of expressing his enduring and blossoming affection.
“The flowers are a plot device in their journey. Raffy gives them out of gratitude: when he’s courting [Luna], when he’s in love,” Laxamana says. “They bear witness to the relationship’s ups and downs, and reflect how their values shift as they mature.”
Muhlach knew that the film would be a challenge—but a necessary “next step,” he says—if he ever hoped to better himself and expand his skillset as an actor. And while pretty much still a newbie, he’s convinced that acting won’t just be a fleeting pastime but a viable career path for him.
“Definitely, I want to improve my craft… This is, overall, a learning opportunity for me in the industry,” Muhlach tells Lifestyle Inquirer.
He also hopes to showcase that he has the range and versatility to play different types of roles—like Raffy, whose reserved and quiet nature is “the polar opposite” of Keifer’s disarming swagger. And the more he thinks about it, the more Muhlach realizes that Raffy is actually close to who he was back in high school.
“He’s super quiet, but not invisible—he’s there,” says Muhlach, who, along with his twin sister, Atasha, is following in the footsteps of their parents, Aga Muhlach and Charlene Gonzales.
Curiously, things are the other way around for Olviga. She resonated with the fun, easygoing Jay-jay in “Mutya” more readily than Luna, who’s confident, skeptical, and doesn’t believe in love—“kabaligtaran ko lahat!” she says, laughing.
Organic chemistry
Knowing full well the gravity of the project, AshDres didn’t take preparation lightly. They underwent workshops. Olviga says she makes sure to memorize her lines, so she can focus on bringing out the right emotions in front of the cameras. But if there’s one thing they don’t need to work just as hard for, it’s their “organic” chemistry.
Nothing feels forced about AshDres, Laxamana points out. Leave them in a corner and they give off the same closeness or magic they do in front of the cameras. “And for that reason, half the battle is already won,” the director adds.
Case in point: The way the two admiringly talked about the things they like most about each other. Muhlach loves Olviga’s humility, her spontaneity, and how she can easily go with the flow. Olviga, meanwhile, loves Muhlach’s thoughtfulness and how “he doesn’t choose who to treat well.”
It was also in the way they revealed their respective love languages. Muhlach is especially taken by acts of service—when people do nice things for him without him asking. And Olviga? All of them, she quips. Words of affirmation, quality time, gifts, physical touch, and acts of service—it’s good to give and to receive them. And while their thoughts weren’t aimed at anyone in particular, they might as well be sending each other hints.
Now, as they start filming, AshDres carry with them the weight of expectation. Can they sustain—or even accelerate—the momentum they built with Mutya? That remains to be seen. For now, they agree the only thing they can do is give their best and channel that pressure into something that will fuel them further.
“I did feel the pressure when I saw how many views and comments the teaser got,” Olviga says. “But after I caught myself thinking that way, I stopped. Because I know that when I let that continue, I’ll lose focus and doubt myself.”
Muhlach was nervous, too—but no harm in that. “I think it can help. Pressure can be important so you can stay on top of yourself,” he says. “So we can give the people who support us the kind of performance they deserve.”
