Robert and Isay goof around and make funny faces. (Photo by PINGGOT ZULUETA)

"I would only go out with you kapag sikat ka na,” teased Isay Alvarez to then budding actor Robert Seña when he first asked her out. At that time, Isay and Robert were poles apart in the theater industry as she was already bagging lead roles in Broadway while he was still singing for the theater chorus. But luck was smiling down on Robert’s career (not to mention his love life!) when he began getting meatier roles and winning the affection of the elusive theater actress.

They started out as friends, at least on Isay’s part they did. But Robert confessed he was instantly attracted by her beauty and resilient personality. “I never ambitioned to become friends with the Isay Alvarez since I was still new in theater at that time, but when we were doing the ‘Magsimula Ka’ musical in the ‘80s we became close friends, walang tinatago, walang malisya…para sa kanya wala pero sa akin meron,” Seña said laughingly. And Robert wasn’t alone. A lot of their other friends and colleagues were attracted to the heady and lovely actress cum singer so she paid no mind when people started teasing her and Robert. “Robert and I belong to a big barkada of actors and actresses, and since I was their senior professionally and financially (she was already a TV actress at that time and already playing a major part in Batibot) I was the one paying for our gimmicks, our taxi fares even. Ganoon kami ka-close, so wala lang sa akin iyong mga admirers at that time,” Alvarez explained.

But all of that changed when Robert and Isay went to London in 1989 for the original production of Miss Saigon. There, they bonded like siblings and took care of each other. As a result, Robert’s feelings for Isay became intense so he decided to court her, officially.

“One night I invited her to dinner and she refused. She made a joke that she will only go out with me ‘pag sikat na ko, when I make a name for myself and I took that as a challenge,” Seña said.

When he went back to the Philippines, Robert got his first break by staging an opera concert, with Lea Salonga as guest. This gave him raving reviews from critics, as it was a first in the music industry. Armed with news clippings and reviews on his successful concert, Robert went back to London to see if Isay would keep her word.

“Pumayag na akong makipag-dinner,” she gushed. “He really pursued me after that. Tapos noong bigyan siya ng lead role sa Miss Saigon, noong time na ‘yun hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala na may nakikita ‘yung directors and producers sa kanya na hindi ko nakikita eh ang tagal-tagal ko na siyang kaibigan. Siguro tinanggal nalang ng Diyos ‘yung mga barriers, and I started to see who he really was.”

It wasn’t long until Isay realized she and Robert were truly meant to be. But in the earlier part of their relationship, they had to keep it secret. “Ayaw pa naming sabihin kasi parang ang weird. I’m not used to it na magkabarkada kami tapos kami na,” she said.

“But when we announced it, everyone was so happy for us. Parang iniisip siguro nila na ‘Well done, Robert! Good job!’  Eh ang dami rin kasi niyang followers and suitors na umaaligid-aligid,” he added.

In a matter of months, Robert popped the question and they got married in London in 1991. They even got married three times – twice in London, and once here in the Philippines. The couple staged a Catholic wedding in the country in order to appease their parents.

As to what made them decide to get married, Isay joked, “Nakahanap na kasi siya ng nanay saka yaya!” But Robert countered, “She actually completes me and fills ‘yung mga bagay na kind of lacking sa akin.”

His wife continued, “Kung ako mas serious, siya naman ‘yung makulit. Siya ‘yung masaya. So parang complementing ‘yung aming pagkatao. Kung siya happy-go-lucky, masaya, at magastos, ako naman ‘yung  matipid. We really prove that opposites attract each other.”

But marriage was quite an adjustment, especially for Isay. Whereas before, she could easily shout at him, “Hoy, halika dito!” and not think twice about it, now she has to be more malambing because they weren’t just friends anymore.

Robert, on the other hand, did not instantly give up his sense of bachelorhood. “Mahilig pa rin siyang lumabas and hindi siya nag-mature right away. But sabi naman niya na darating din ‘yung time na hindi na siya ganyan, which already happened. Hindi na siya katulad ng dati na mahilig lumabas,” shared Isay.

Instead of going out, the couple would instead cozy up with their kids Didang, Bok, and Miong at home and watch DVDs. There are times, however, when the wanderlust in the couple pushes them to search for exotic and striking places in and outside the country.

“We make it a point din naman na we have time for ourselves. Basically, we do road trips,” shared Robert. “What we do is have a map in hand and then we would stop, halimbawa may nakita kaming hotel na maliit around the area. We would eat sa mga barong-barong and then sometimes we would stop to look at huge lakes. And then we would snack on fish crackers and coke.”

“Layas kami!” divulged Isay. “We really work hard and then we save up so we could travel abroad.” One of the best places the couple had been to was Japan. Just this September, they spent their anniversary in the country of cherry blossoms and were lucky enough to miss the wrath of typhoon Ondoy.

Having been married for 10 years (and friends for years before that), the couple has already discovered everything there is to know about each other. “I’ll be very honest,” said Robert. “Before, I didn’t notice her flaws. Parang pinababayaan ko lang kasi love ko siya. Eh kapag tumatagal na ‘yung pagsasama niyo, makikita mo na ‘yung little things na nakakainis. Those are the things you have to face and those are the reasons why you made a promise, a vow to each other.”

And no amount of acting, even from thespians such as Robert and Isay could disguise the true luster of marriage. It will always show whether or not the couple is truly in love with each other, or simply putting on a good show for the public. Based on their soft laughs, nonstop quips, and the playful teasing, it’s clear to see that the love Robert and Isay have for each other requires no acting at all.

On their first impressions

He said: During rehearsals, nakikilala ko na ‘yung personality niya and somehow, napapansin ko na strong eh. And I like that for a wife (laughs). We became really close friends na walang tinatago. Walang malisya na pinapapatulog niya ako sa apartment nila noon.

She said:  Sa theater kasi it’s normal na ang mga kaibigan mo, barkada mo, halo-halo kayo and you sleep together. So para sa akin, kaya sinasabi ko na walang malisya kasi hindi ako makatulog ng wala ‘yung mga kasama namin and isa siya dun. ‘Yun pala, malay ko bang may malisya na siya. I didn’t even see or foresee that he could be a decent man. Kasi dito sa Philippines, mas nauna ako sa kanya, so kumbaga, sumusunod lang sila sa akin noon.

On parenting

He said: The thing with our work is our erratic schedules. I noticed that it’s kind of hard din for the kids na busy rin kaming dalawa. So we make it a point that every time we’re with them, we go out just to bond. Ang hirap eh na artists kayo tapos may mga anak pero somehow you’ll know that they’re also artists eh. You can tell based on how they make decisions and how they see things. They have interest in music, painting, and film kaya marami kaming discussion lagi eh at marami rin silang opinion.

She said: Siguro mas disciplinarian ako. Mas fun siya.  At saka kasi pareho kaming busy and most of the time din, magkasama kami sa trabaho…bihirang-bihira ‘yung magkahiwalay kami so kapag may isa sa amin na walang trabaho, either one of us has to be there for the kids. Kung hindi talaga super busy, we don’t get a driver din eh. Kami ‘yung naghahatid-sundo sa mga bata. Kung hindi namin ifo-force ‘yung sarili namin sa ganun, matutulog nalang kami kasi precious time ‘yung tulog eh kasi late ka na nag-show at natapos last night for example, you have to force yourself to wake up to bring the kids to school and pick them up.

On travel

He said: Each place has its own character kaya hindi ka magsasawa. Dahil doon, hindi ko masabi kung ano ‘yung favorite destination ko.

She said: We love Anawangin in Zambales. Sa Luzon kasi, bihira na yung kapag tumingin ka sa paligid na walang inhabitants. Usually ‘pag tumingin ka may mga bahay-bahay na…ito talaga walang tao. From San Antonio, you’ll take a 20-30-minute boat ride tapos makikita mo lang magandang scenery, maliliit na bahay. May rock formations and pine trees, tapos white sand beach and then a few meters there’s a lake na ang linis-linis.

On being thespians

He said: We’re so blessed that we’re both working so wala ‘yung jealousy na bakit siya andoon, bakit ako andito…or vice versa. We jive. Kaya nga nagkaroon din kami ng company, ‘yung Spotlight Artists Centre, kasi we both believe sa teatro. There’s no rivalry or competition between us. Lagi lang kaming nagtutulungan.

She said: Ang maganda is that I can watch him and tell him afterwards ano ‘yung maganda, ano ‘yung pwede niya pang i-improve and ganun din siya akin, he would always watch out for me. We watch out for each other. It could be difficult at times, though, kasi mas malakas ang pagiging artist niya kesa sa akin. When he’s doing a play or he’s very busy doing a character, I would say na walang kakwenta-kwenta ‘yung asawa ko. Talagang naka-focus siya, kapag may sinabi ako, parang dumadaan lang. Nakakainis sometimes but I’ve learned how to live with it.