Andrea Brillantes and Seth Fedelin on "Saying Goodbye"

We will soon be saying hello to Andrea Brillantes and Seth Fedelin's new series, Saying Goodbye!

An offering from ABS-CBN and iQiyi's partnership, the much-awaited romatic dramedy is set to be streamed exclusively on the iQiyi app and www.iQ.com on December 4, 8PM, with new episodes weekly. It is written and directed by Dolly Dulu, and also stars Andi Abaya and Kobie Brown.

In this heart-fluttering and heartbreaking series, Andrea Brillantes and Seth Fedelin (together known as SethDrea), are taking on the roles of Elise and Ricky, respectively. Their characters meet at an old record store as they fight over the same album of their beloved artist, Yeng Constantino. They become close because of their love for music and adventure, and have been best friends for seven years. Elise is a med student, while Ricky is a chef who has a heart disease.

Hinting at where this story is headed, Seth shared during the media conference to announce the collaboration between ABS-CBN and iQiyi: "Ang pagmamahal is everything… 'Wag titingnan 'yung death bilang deadline kundi bilang motivation na gawin 'yung mga bagay na gusto natin magawa at hindi tayo magsisisi."

Andrea likewise shared her thoughts on one takeaway from their show, "Don't waste your time. 'Wag ka magpadala sa takot mo na kasi dahil maraming technical—ayaw nito, bawal ganyan… Minsan mas magandang sabihin niyo na before it's too late."  

Andrea and Seth were first paired in the teleserye Kadenang Ginto. They also starred in the film Wild Little Love and the digital anthology series Click, Like, Share. Their last series, Huwag Kang Mangamba, just concluded on November 12, and yet this in-demand loveteam is busy promoting their new project already.

They admit they feel a lot of pressure, knowing that they're going to be reaching a wider audience with Saying Goodbye, what with iQiyi having audiences in 191 territories worldwide, but they're also thrilled to be instrumental in showcasing Filipino talent on the global stage.  

Andrea said that Saying Goodbye is different from their previous projects because it will show a more mature side of her and Seth as actors. She said, "Mas nahirapan kami sa ibang mga eksena kasi there was one scene na six pages long siya... Mas mahirap po 'yung roles namin kasi mas malalim ho siya. Kasi ang Saying Goodbye, hindi lang siya tungkol sa love, it's about friendship and we're tackling situations like death, heart diseases kaya mas seryoso siya kasi eto nangyayari talaga ito sa totoong buhay."

We learned more about Andrea and Seth, their characters, and their show during their media conference:

ANDREA

What do you and your character Elise have in common?

"I think parehas kami na palaban kasi very strong personality si Elise eh. Pero parehas din kami na mapagmahal na kaibigan. Very lucky ka kung magiging isang best friend mo ang katulad ni Elise. 'Yun lang, mas madami kaming pinagka-iba actually ni Elise."

Riding on the title of the show, what have you “said goodbye” to this year?

"I think my hair. I said goodbye to my hair kasi for the longest time, 'di ba long 'yung hair ko tapos nu'ng 2021, I decided to cut it off. I think 'yun 'yung pinakamalaking goodbye ko sa buhay ko ngayong 2021. Saying goodbye to my long hair. Actually, it's a big deal for us girls kasi alam niyo naman 'yung buhok namin parang korona namin… crowning glory namin tapos I had to say goodbye to her."

SETH

Your characters, Elise and Ricky, bonded over their love for music and adventure. Off-cam, what are you and Andrea both into?

"[Kina] Ricky and Elise, 'yung pagkakaparehas namin dalawa, 'yung asaran. Kasi talagang aso't-pusa sila eh. So kami ganu'n din, asaran. 'Yung mga hilig din nila music, pagkain nagkakasundo kami."

What are you most excited about portraying the role of Ricky?

"Pinaka-excited ako na i-play si Ricky, siguro 'yung thrill na magawa na maipakita ko sa lahat na may sakit ako. 'Yun 'yung pinakagusto ko eh. 'Yun 'yung pinakagigil ako na maipakita ko sa lahat ng manonood na panibagong mukha na naman."

It was also revealed in the press conference that Andrea Brillantes and Seth Fedelin are starring in ABS-CBN and iQiyi's 2022 romantic musical series titled Lyric & Beat. Joining them are Darren Espanto, AC Bonifacio, Sheena Belarmino, Jeremy Glinoga and Angela Ken.

Lead photos from iQiyi