Seth Fedelin has been in showbiz long enough to know how the talk goes. And these days, he says there is only one thing left for him to prove – that he and longtime onscreen partner Francine Diaz can only get better at what they do.
Seth is once again headlining a project with Francine, but this one asks something different of him. Their upcoming iWant microdrama A Cake To Remember, which premieres on August 28, is a vertical series – shot for the phone screen and built for the way Filipinos consume content now.
For Seth, that shift is exactly what makes the project exciting.
"Nowadays kasi, microdrama, nauuso ngayon 'yung scroll-scroll. So parang enough na 'yung two minutes or three minutes sa isang content para panoorin ng isang tao. Then move on sa next. Ganun na 'yung tao ngayon," he told PUSH ABS-CBN in an interview on the sidelines of the photoshoot for their upcoming vertical series.
"So nag-evolve, pumunta doon. Pero walang masama sa pinagbago. Same-same pa rin talaga," he added.
Shooting in the format still came with its own demands, but Seth said he had fun with it – especially because it meant working in front of the camera with Francine again.
"Challenging pa rin naman kasi 'yung role, at first ulit namin na mag-act in front of the camera. So 'yun 'yung challenge pa rin. Pero habang ginagawa, nag-enjoy ako, so kahit ganyan, masaya pa rin," he shared.
In the same interview, Seth spoke about tuning out the chatter that surrounds him and Francine, saying the best answer they can give is simply better work.
"Gusto ko lang sabihin na kaya namin. 'Yun lang. Kaya namin. Microdrama series, movie, kaya namin. So 'yun lang 'yung gusto kong sabihin, gagalingan pa namin," he said.
Asked about the biggest lesson he has picked up in his years in the industry, Seth did not point to acting at all. For someone who describes himself as private and shy, the harder skill has been learning to open up to the people around him.
"Siguro 'yung totoong sagot ko diyan, 'yung pakikipag-socialize sa mga tao. Sobrang private kasi na tao. Mahiyain din ako," he said.
"Tina-try ko makipag-socialize kasi 'yun eh, that's what we all need. Kailangan matutunan natin 'yun – hindi lang sa aming mga artista. Nag-e-evolve eh. 2026 na ngayon. So 'yung mga nahihiya, 'yung mga mahiyain, parang medyo bakit nahihiya? So 'yun 'yung inaral ko," he added.
As for what viewers can look forward to in the series, Seth said it comes down to two things: their chemistry, and a story that is easy to follow but still has something to say.
"Siyempre 'yung teamwork pa rin namin ni Francine, 'yung story itself. Madaling makakasakay 'yung mga manonood. And siguro it's a simple but merong lalim na kwento," he said.
—By Paolo Lim