As we bid farewell to the characters Liam Roja, Olsen Bonifacio, and Luna Javier, “Roja” lead stars Donny Pangilinan, Kyle Echarri, and Maymay Entrata sat down for a fun chat about their cherished memories, favorite highlights, and the joy of working with an amazing cast in the serye during Kapamilya Chat’s “The Grand Getaway Fanmeet” episode.
The three were asked how they felt about the overwhelming support from fans, from the beginning up to the show’s finale week. Maymay admitted she was shocked, “Kahit saan ako mapunta, nanonood talaga sila.” Donny echoed the sentiment, “Parang nase-share namin ‘yung intensity sa kanilang lahat. Lahat na-stress.” He also mentioned that his relatives were invested in the program. For Kyle, seeing everyone tune in warmed his heart, “Mapapansin mo talaga na ang daming nawala throughout the story, pero andun pa rin ‘yung samahan namin.”
Kyle, Maymay, and Donny had already worked together in the industry long before “Roja.” When asked about building their chemistry for the show, Maymay highlighted that they had collaborated on several programs, such as “ASAP,” where their friendship began as they were all starting out in showbiz. Kyle and Donny agreed, reminiscing about their “ASAP Chillout” days. Donny added that he was grateful to have gone through the same path with Maymay and Kyle. “Dito sa series, ganun din ‘yung turing namin sa isa’t isa. At the end of the day, we’ll still do everything for the family.”
One of the female characters who survived the siege was Luna, portrayed by Maymay. In line with Women’s Month this March, Maymay talked about how empowering it felt to take on fight scenes, especially since “Roja” marked her first time starring in an action-packed drama. She also recalled that, as a child, she had always been a fighter—even against bullies. She learned to stand up for herself, “Hindi mo na kailangan maghangad na ilaban ka, kasi kaya mong ilaban ‘yung sarili mo.” She revealed that she pitched the idea of Luna being a fighter alongside Olsen and Liam. Donny remarked that the ladies played a crucial role in the show. Kyle added his perspective, noting that when people think of action series, they often associate them with masculinity. But in “Roja,” the women, both in front of and behind the camera, were truly the heart of the story.
Moving forward, the conversation shifted to the pivotal scene where Liam discovers that Greta was the mastermind behind the siege, leading to an emotional confrontation. When asked how he and co-star Lorna Tolentino prepared for the heavy scene, Donny shared that the emotions between their characters had already been building up, which helped them deliver the moment. “I really just made it a point to get to know Miss LT, we really bonded. Kung paano si Liam, ‘yung pagmamahal na binibigay niya sa nanay niya, ‘yun din ‘yung binigay ko sa kanya.” He added that learning Greta was the one behind the hostage-taking truly shocked him, and the fact that the antagonist turned out to be a woman surprised him even more.
With all the intense fight sequences in “Roja,” the cast was asked if there was a particular scene they found most difficult to shoot. Kyle had his own pick. He recalled Olsen’s emotional confusion over who his real father was—whether it was Magnus, or Homer. “Bago ‘yung eksena, ginawa ko na lang na I was just listening to my co-actors and I just reacted. I guess the hardest part was reacting,” he admitted.
As they reflected on Olsen’s struggles, they also highlighted his lighter moments, particularly with Ice, portrayed by Kai Montinola. Looking back on the recent Ice–Olsen scene where Olsen confessed his feelings, Kyle shared a kilig trivia: it was director Andoy Ranay who helmed the sequence, and he had a great time shooting the Kai–Kyle scenes together. “I felt the connection between Ice and Olsen. Talagang lumabas.”
The three revealed that one of their favorite scenes was the night they comforted Olsen after learning that his grandfather, Lolo Ben, had passed away. Before filming, each stayed in their own zone to focus, and when the cameras rolled, they delivered raw emotions that made the heartbreaking moment feel incredibly real.
Lastly, Maymay shared that they didn’t always know the full script and even her surprise onscreen pairing with Jeremiah Lisbo, who plays Doc Ivan, came unexpectedly. On her thoughts about the plot twist, she said, “Na-enjoy ko rin naman po ‘yung journey ni Luna, bale action to romcom. Nakakatuwa na may mga bagong character na pumapasok, magaan pong katrabaho si Jeremiah.”
In the latter part of the Kapamilya Chat special episode, Donny, Kyle, and Maymay joined an epic game with the fans. The first challenge was “Message Taker,” where they had to pass a message using only actions and complete five words to win. Everyone acted out the words, but they struggled, switched lineups, and unfortunately, failed the task.
The fun didn’t stop there. Another activity, the “Lying Game,” brought Kai Montinola, Yassi Pressman (as Ayen), and Lou Yanong (as Gwen) onstage to join the leads. Divided into teams, each group had one item hidden behind a divider so the other team couldn’t see it. The goal was to lie convincingly about their item without being caught, testing their skills in bluffing and truth-telling. Though the match ended in a tie, the playful energy of the actors delighted the fans.
Don't miss the finale episode of “Roja,” tonight on Kapamilya Channel sa ALLTV2, A2Z, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), and iWant.