Viva talent Nadine Lustre is now officially part of the ABS-CBN family after recently signing an exclusive contract with the network.

Nadine didn’t hide her excitement about this new chapter in her career.
“Yes, I’m very, very happy. I’ve been with Viva for quite some time,” the young actress shared during her interview with Kris Aquino and Toni Gonzaga on The Buzz last August 31.

The Rise of JaDine

Nadine’s name began to gain attention, along with her on-screen partner James Reid, after their breakout movie Diary ng Panget became a big hit. Following its success, the pair reunited for another film, Talk Back and You’re Dead, further solidifying their appeal at the box office.

Nadine admitted she wasn’t sure if it was part of the plan for Talk Back and You’re Dead—produced by Viva Films—to be co-produced by Star Cinema, which eventually led to her and James being signed by ABS-CBN.

“That I’m not really sure about,” she said. “We were just told, ‘Okay, you have another movie after DNP [Diary ng Panget].’ Then we were told, ‘You’ll have another project with James, Talk Back…’ And a few weeks later, they suddenly told us it was a co-production with Star [Cinema]. So James and I are really excited.”

James was in Albay at the time of the interview, but Kris Aquino asked Nadine if they text each other “good morning” regularly.
“No, because we see each other all the time,” she answered with a smile.

When asked if frequent meetups made them even closer, Nadine replied shyly, “I get a little embarrassed… because, you know, the JaDine fans are always there.”

Kris then mentioned that James had called Nadine his “ideal girl.”
To which Nadine responded with a smile, “Okay.”

Strict Parents and Career First

When asked if her mom was strict, Nadine explained, “Right now, James and I both really value our careers. We value this opportunity. Even we don’t want to rush things.”

Toni Gonzaga chimed in, saying she used to feel the same way when she was new to ABS-CBN, prioritizing her career above all. She added that this is something most new love teams tend to say.

Nadine responded, “Okay, to be different, I’ll say this—I’m the type of person who doesn’t like to expect anything. I don’t want to assume or get ahead of things.”

Pillow and Blanket Story

Kris Aquino then playfully revealed that Nadine once gave James a blanket and pillow during a shoot because he didn’t have his own. However, she jokingly added that James had never even bought Nadine a coffee.

“My God,” Kris exclaimed, “I heard he lives in a posh village in Makati. He can definitely afford coffee!”

Asked why she gave James a blanket and pillow, Nadine simply said, “Nothing really. It’s just that his folding chair was so uncomfortable.”

As for what teleserye she and James will first star in under ABS-CBN, Nadine admitted they still don’t know.

Crush on a Kapamilya Star?

When asked if there were any other Kapamilya actors she found cute besides James, Nadine mentioned, “Joseph Marco… oh wait, not allowed!”

She quickly took it back, explaining that Joseph had already asked Toni’s sister, Alex Gonzaga, to be his date to the Star Magic Ball.