Mc Richard Paglicawan
From playing the beloved child role of Santino in ‘May Bukas Pa’ to locking lips with Jane Oineza in a steamy new series, Zaijian Jaranilla is making a bold transition—and viewers are buzzing.
During the media launch of ‘Si Sol at si Luna’ held at the World Trade Center on May 17, Jaranilla candidly shared his nerves and excitement over his first intimate scene on screen, which has now gone viral following the release of the trailer.
“Honestly, when we were about to do the scene, I was really uneasy,” Zaijian admitted. “It was very challenging for me. I kept asking myself, ‘Can I really pull this off?’”
The 23-year-old actor, who rose to fame as the innocent Santino in 2009, admitted that his previous image still sticks with many fans. “I’m thankful for the way people got to know me, but I also want to try different roles. It’s very self-satisfying to explore new characters,” he said.
The trailer shocked fans with its passionate kissing scene between Zaijian and Jane, leading to humorous comments online like, “Yari ka kay Bro!” referencing his character’s frequent conversations with Jesus in his breakout show.
@lionheartv Maliban sa kissing scene at topless scene, ano nga bang bago kay @zaizaizaizai69 ? ZaijianJaranilla SiSolAtSiLuna EntertainmentNewsPH TiktokTainmentPH BestOfTiktokPH NewsPH LionhearTV RAWRNation
But Zaijian took the leap, crediting director Dolly Dulu and co-star Jane Oineza for helping him navigate the sensitive scene. “With the help of Direk Dolly and Ate Jane, I was able to do it,” he said.
When asked if he’s experienced anything similar in real life, the actor simply laughed and said, “Siguro po, ang masasabi ko lang is… marunong po akong humalik,” drawing laughter from the room.
Jane, for her part, emphasized that professionalism and mutual support were key. “It takes two to tango,” she said. “Even if I’ve done scenes like that before, it was also our first time doing it together. It’s about knowing how to help each other as co-actors.”
She added, “First time ni Zaijian to do something like that, and we were guided well by Direk. Everything was done professionally and with care.”
When asked if Zaijian was a good kisser, Jane smiled and teased, “Naku, panoorin n’yo na lang sa episode!”
‘Si Sol at si Luna’ tells the story of Sol, an 18-year-old film student (played by Jaranilla), who unexpectedly falls for 30-year-old Luna (played by Oineza), a woman grieving the loss of her fiancé. The 13-episode series explores the emotional layers and complexities of an age-gap romance.
The series premieres on May 31 at 7 PM on the Puregold Channel on YouTube, with new episodes released every Saturday. The show also stars Joao Constancia, Uzziel Delamide, Lyle Viray, Marnie Lapus, and breakout actress Atasha Franco.
