Pitying and feeling sorry for lead stars nowadays. And why so? For all their charisma and popularity, add the fact that the major storylines of movies or television dramas center on them, the stars in the second lead billing and category are the ones receiving mammoth shares of buzz, likes, ships, and yes, love, love, love, love.!

Thus I cannot help but wonder, why are the second leads stealing the thunderbolt and lightning from the main stars and is there anything they can do about this second lead phenomenon?

Mighty Aphrodite-y

The finest sampling of this second lead ascension took place in the Hollywood motion picture Lisa Frankenstein, the movie whose lead stars were Kathyrn Newton and Cole Sprouse as Lisa and the Creature, respectively.

Forget about its domestic and worldwide box office results. Look the other way when they start the discussion on how the movie polarized the horror loving audiences and the critics. And just concentrate on what was its center of attention, Taffy, the character given life by Liza Soberano.

If you are to read the major reviews of Lisa Frankestein, aside from its script, Soberano’s was the most addicting part of the Diablo Cody-written motion picture. She made her second lead character elevated to lead star status with her beauty, knack for acting and that undeniable X factor.

Her appearance on the Screen Actors Guild red carpet showed to the world that Liza screamed A-lister. E! Entertainment commented on their social media page about her red carpet video moment: “I’d take Liza Soberano any day.”

The video clip where she twirled to show off her peach hued Mikado skirt, as of this writing, fetched 1.7 million views, 16K likes, 2,528 reposts, 752 quotes and 469 bookmarks.

The photos of her being displayed on Getty are proofs that Liza Soberano, as so written in the iconic Broadway anthem “I Enjoy Being A Girl” from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Flower Drum Song, is: “I am strictly a female, female.”

A real Hollywood rising, an unmistakable second lead ascension that makes the majority of Pinoys oh so very happy.

Terrific Three

Three surprising love pairings this side of Southeast Asia’s Hollywood are creating so much nice, their own battalion of fandoms and shippers, and the clamor for them to be given their own separate projects have become fervent.

The surprising trio come from the still playing Can’t Buy Me Love, with Maris Racal as Irene Tiu and Anthony Jennings as Snoop, and from the much talked about Gen Z Pinoy drama Senior High, Zaijan Jaranilla and Miggy Jimenez, Timothy and Pocholo, and Zyriel Manabat and Elijah Canlas, as Roxie and Archie.

With Snooperene as the portmanteau of the characters played by Racal and Jennings, the rich, bratty and dysfunctional Irena and the man of the masses with a heart of gold trope works big time for the Can’t Buy Me Love second biggest act.

The langit ka, lupa ako (you’re the sky, I’m the earth) adds more to the kilig and is it even possible factor plus the chemistry and acting of Maris and Anthony are on point.

The bad boy with a secret and the campus heartthrob with a twist, and how their different kind of love bloomed and blossomed, was the selling proposition of the TimPoch tandem.

What nourished the BL pairing, the commitment and truth that Jaranilla and Jimenez gave to their characters the magnificent buildup, from being warring basketball team mates to the fan service moves of Poch, the pa-simple glances of Tim, the pinky touching, the pag-may alak, may balak (if there’s liquor, there’s a plan) surprise kiss, to the forehead kiss full of love and respect, and how they fought for the literal survival of their young love, pink love.

As for Manabat and Canlas, the hating each other’s guts at first, to the somewhat cat scratching and dog barking confrontations, to the sleeping with the enemy moment, and the mature resolve of the two in the end.

What made the RoxChie teamup flutter, the playing for truth decision that Xyriel and Elijah, two of this generation’s new acting hopes infused to their respective characters.

Donny Pangilinan’s Bingo and Belle Mariano’s Caroline had better shape up in terms of character development, story arc and acting because, for as long as Irene and Snoop are around, they are eclipsed and forgotten in a snap.

Now you know why they had to kill Kyle Echarri’s Obet, the love of Andrea Brillante’s Sky, because their slow brewing and general patronage kind of romance that only sizzled during their true love’s kiss at the prom was of no match to the push and seductive pull of TimPoch and the hate you, love you magnet of Rox and Archie.

What is most wonderful about the ascent of all these second leads, we are getting our fresh doses of stars who are not manufactured as “love teams” but inched their ways to our consciousness and hearts.

The credit to this development goes to the writing team and their fantastic story writing and the marvelous director and their direction that brought out the best from these gifted set of actors that they trusted to deliver and they did!

It is the audiences who benefit from this truly win-win situation.