With back-to-back transformations every weekend and often transcending their personalities to precisely emulate the artists they’re set to impersonate, Ka-Familiars—Akira Morishita, Alexa Ilacad, Dia Mate, Jarlo Base, Jason Dy, JM Dela Cerna and Marielle Montellano (JMielle as duo), Pepe Herrera and Rufa Mae Quinto—exhibit an unyielding commitment to their artistry.
When it came to what made them say “yes” to “Your Face Sounds Familiar,” most spoke about a shared drive—to face the challenges head-on and make the most out of every performance on stage.
The Ace Idol and BGYO member Akira shared that he is eager to overcome the show’s challenges to grow as an artist—something that can also help him improve as a P-pop idol. “Pwede kong i-challenge ‘yung sarili ko to do more and to try to copy other artists and figure out kung kaya ko ba talaga ‘yung mga ginagawa nila,” he added.
For the Birit Duo JM and Marielle, aside from appreciating the novel experiences that come with being a ‘Ka-Familiar,’ they also want to show viewers their colorful personalities outside of their usual professional singing. “Gusto rin namin ipakita ‘yung other side, the quirky and funny side of JMielle… Usually [kasi] we just do straight singing,” Marielle explained.
Jason, the Prince of Soul, said yes to “Your Face Sounds Familiar,” being a fan of the program’s creative concept and seeing it as the perfect chance to use his trained mimicry of singers from his younger years. “Growing up, I learned how to sing by mimicking other artists, so ‘yun ‘yung parang naging training ko nung bata ako,” he detailed.
Another big fan of the show, the Singing Reina, Dia, is a solid go-getter: “For me as a performer, I like to be challenged, and I thought [that] this was a perfect opportunity to do that.”
The same degree of passion is captured with Gen Z Total Performer Alexa: “I was craving for something challenging. I wanted to do something na alam kong magro-grow ako,” she voiced.
Jarlo, the Breakout Crooner, affirmed the program’s reputation, saying no one could ever say no to such a major and joyful opportunity. “Just the fact na it’s ‘Your Face Sounds Familiar,’” he expressed.
Bringing a sense of nostalgia to the interview, Comedy Bombshell Rufa Mae and Theater Rak-Star Pepe reminisced about their humble beginnings and first love as artists.
Initially seeking a return to showbiz, Rufa Mae began going to the gym to work on her self-image. Along the way, she was reminded of her early years on a noontime musical variety show. “Imbes na nagwo-workout ako [dati], nagre-rehearsal ako, nagtetraining for showbiz,” she said.
The actress-comedian also knows that she can handle impersonations, having won multiple acting awards, including Best Comedy Actress from the KBP Golden Dove Awards and the Star Awards for Television, to name a few. “Kaya ko mag-impersonate, kaya [gusto kong] balikan ko kung paano ako nagsimula,” she conveyed.
For the theater actor Pepe, he simply loves to sing his heart out in his performances: “Ako po ay nagsimula talaga sa industriya bilang mang-aawit at ‘yun po ang aking first love, and now I’m going back to my first love.”
Through dreams, obstacles, and victories, learning never stops in “Your Face Sounds Familiar” as the performers gear up for their meticulous portrayals of noteworthy figures.
For JM and Marielle, the preparation is the same whenever they sing, just a little different with the creative effort and process. “This time, medyo extra lang kasi we have to follow icons,” Marielle emphasized.
Both Jason and Dia underscored having to study movements, ways of talking, vocal tones, and more intricacies. “Talagang inaral ko sila, nanonood ako ng mga performances nila… I work with the vocal coaches and stuff like that,” Jason shared.
Dia went on, “For preparations, it’s really studying each person that I’m going to impersonate and really making sure that I get their character down to the core.”
Catch their jaw-dropping transformations in “Your Face Sounds Familiar” every weekend night at 7:15PM on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), A2Z and iWant. Viewers can also catch it on TV5 every Saturday, at 8:15PM, and Sunday, at 8:30PM.