‘BobRey’ for real?
Once dubbed an unlikely pair, Ken Chan and Rita Daniela have charmed their way into the hearts of fans who want the two to make it real.
Once dubbed an unlikely pair, Ken Chan and Rita Daniela have charmed their way into the hearts of fans who want the two to make it real.
To say Ken Chan and Rita Daniela of the now-defunct series “My Special Tatay” got viewers swooning is an understatement.
Many fans – as millennial would say – “ship” their tandem. They hope
there would be an “alternative universe love story” for the two even off camera. “And why not?” Rita teased in a recent interview.
Both single at the moment, the actors have become close friends.
Ken revealed he discovered a lot of good things about Rita, to the point that “hindi siya mahirap mahalin.” “I already know her before we got the chance to work together. But it’s only now that I got to know her well and learn about her life story,” he said. “She’s really girlfriend material.”
Of course, ’twas kilig overload for
Rita.
She returned the compliment, saying Ken is “husband material.” “He’s really responsible. I see how he takes care of his family, how he values the people around him,” she noted. “And he’s professional that’s why a lot of artists want to work with him.” So, what’s stopping them? “Career,” they echoed.
Well, it’s not that their management is prohibiting them from turning romantic. According to Ken and Rita, there are still a lot of things they want to achieve individually as actors.
“Rest assured that we will achieve it together but — as friends for now,” Daniela said. “As cliché as it sounds, career remains our top priority.”
‘Dual personas’
She may have played an “aggressive prostitute” character on the series, but Rita is the opposite in real life.
Ken himself would attest to this. He even quipped Rita is kind of “bipolar.”
“I told him to consult a doctor!” he said, turning serious: “People see him as that bubbly, kalog on screen, but off cam, she’s quiet and often reads the Bible.”
She added: “I am not Aubrey. I am Rita in real life.”
When their series ended, Rita gave Ken a Bible as gift. She encourages him to read a verse every day – something that he appreciates.
“I told him: ‘That’s the greatest gift I can give you.’ So I text him every day to remind him about the importance of God’s words,” she shared.
In return, Ken takes care of her even in small ways.
“He’s very pure and what you see is what you get talaga. He’s the kindest person you will enjoy to be with,” she said.
More of them
“My Special Tatay” has come to pass, but its effect on people stays. Ken happily shared the series will be aired in Latin America countries such as Venezuela, Costa Rico, and Mexico. So what’s next for them?
The two revealed they will be having another project on screen, though they are still clueless about the details as of this writing.
For now, they are preparing for a concert dedicated to people with autism, in line with the theme of their most recent series. Dubbed “My Special Love,” the concert is on May 11 at the Music Museum.
“It’s our way of thanking everyone,” he said. “We want to honor those people who became part of our success.”
They will also bring the concert to California and Los Angeles.
On what fans could expect from the concert, Rita promised they will give their “150 percent performance.” There’s sing and dance number which she described as “personal.”
Among their guest performers are “The Clash” alumni Anthony Rosaldo, Jong Madaliday, and Garrett Bolden. Some of their co-star on the series, namely Candy Pangilinan, Lilet, Arra San Agustin, Bruno Garbriel, Jestoni Alarcon, and Jillian Ward, will also come as gesture of support.
Ken and Rita vowed to help spread awareness and message of acceptance and appreciation for mentally, physically and differently-able people.