Seventeen years into his career, Joshua Garcia remains a prominent figure in Philippine entertainment as one of its most bankable leading men, but he readily acknowledges that maintaining that position requires much more than just popularity.

In a recent press conference, Joshua stripped away the glitz of show business and openly discussed the true requirements for enduring success in the industry: maintaining discipline under stress, continual adaptation and the ability to perform consistently despite exhaustion, new environments and unrelenting demands.

In his series Love is Never Gone, he takes on another challenging production — this time shot overseas — where even everyday acting becomes a challenge of concentration and professionalism.

“Bago ko gawin ‘yon, I was really excited to do it talaga. Working with Ivana and working again with Direk Manny, tapos sa Morocco pa. Gusto ko kasi kapag nagsho-shoot kami sa ibang bansa, you get to play and work at the same time. Puwede kang gumala, na-experience mo ‘yung culture ng ibang bansa (Before doing it, I was really excited about it. Working with Ivana and again with Director Manny, and it’s in Morocco. I like it when we shoot in other countries — you get to play and work at the same time. You can explore and experience the culture of another country),” he shared.

But that excitement comes with a reality check once cameras start rolling in unfamiliar territory.

“Hindi naman. Siguro ‘yung challenging lang ‘don, minsan syempre may tumitingin sa camera… ‘don kami na-challenge. Hindi kami sanay sa kung paano ‘yung mga tao ‘I, of course, ibang-iba sila sa atin, may ibang kultura silang sinusunod ‘don (Not really. I think the only challenge there is that sometimes people look at the camera… that’s where we were challenged. We’re not used to how people are there; of course, they’re very different from us, they follow a different culture),” he admitted.

The invisible pressure of being a consistent lead

Behind the polished image of a leading man lies a quieter burden: the expectation to perform flawlessly, especially under tight production schedules.

“Dito sa Pilipinas, puwede ka magkamali, ‘don parang ang hirap magkamali, kasi parang ang limited lang ng time niyo, ang dami pang nangyayari sa paligid mo, ‘tas ‘di ka pa familiar sa lugar
(Here in the Philippines you can make mistakes, but there it feels hard to make mistakes because your time is very limited, there’s so much happening around you, and you’re still not familiar with the place),” Garcia stated.

It’s this kind of pressure, he implied, that separates occasional success from sustained stardom. In showbiz, especially at the level of a consistent leading man, there is little room for error — and even less time to adjust.

Staying power is more than talent

After nearly two decades in the industry, Joshua said what endures is not the spotlight — but the relationships formed behind it.

“Every show na ginagawa ko, mas ‘yung memories and mga tao ‘yung binabaon ko eh. Ang hirap makahanap ng pinagkakatiwalaan mo sa industriya, and itong mga taong ‘to, nandyan para sa’yo, sumusuporta ka. I think ‘yung memories namin ‘yung binabaon ko sa mga susunod kong show (In every show I do, I carry the memories and the people more than anything. It’s hard to find people you can trust in the industry, and these people are there for you, supporting you. I think I carry our memories into my next projects),”  he said.

For him, longevity is built in the in-between moments — long shoot days, shared struggles and people who stay when the cameras stop rolling.

“Ang tagal niyong magsasama, hindi mo masasabing, work is work lang. Ang ganda nung makapag-create ka ng relationship with someone din ‘di ba (You spend a long time together — you can’t just say work is just work. It’s beautiful to be able to build a relationship with someone, right?).”

With Love is Never Gone, starring Joshua and Ivana Alawi, streaming exclusively on Prime Video, he once again steps into a role where expectations are high — but so is the pressure to deliver. 

PAULINE JOYCE PASCUAL