If Mario Maurer quickly fell in love with our famed hospitality, it was the Thai heartthrob’s genuine personality that endeared him to his growing number of Filipino fans.

At the press conference of Suddenly It’s Magic held on October 29, at the Dolphy Theater of ABS-CBN, the 23-year-old actor charmed the audience with his answers as he recounted his fun experiences while filming the movie.

Mario said that working with his leading lady Erich Gonzales and the rest of his Filipino cast members had been a magical experience for him.

“Working with them was very nice. We became a family and they’re all so funny. We laugh until Direk Rory [Quintos] stops us. She had to tell us to focus because we are laughing all the time. We just had so much fun while shooting.”

“Just to be here, to work here in the Philippines is the magic for me too,” he quipped.

Filming of the movie took Mario from Bangkok, Thailand to Paoay, Ilocos Norte in the first half of the year where his Filipino co-workers also got to know him better.

Direk Rory described her lead actor as very lovable and charming, “nakuha niya agad yung loob ng lahat ng tao.”

On his part, Mario praised and thanked Direk Rory for helping him in his first “English” movie; “She is very hardworking. She is the first Filipina director that I worked with, [in] the first movie that I have to speak in English. So it was hard for me, but after I worked with Direk, I found that she is very nice and she taught me a lot.”

Mario said that he wants to visit other places in the country such as Palawan and described Filipinos as very nice.

“Filipinos are very nice and for me it’s very nice to know. On the first day, I came here and I talked to Direk. She told me, ‘When you work here, we’re going to be a family and all the crew and everybody, including not only the actors but the whole team. I will miss the whole team . . . I will miss my brother here, Joross [Gamboa].”

Mario then shared that is was Joross who taught him his first Tagalog phrases such as—“Mahal kita,” “Maraming salamat po,” “Puso mo,” and his favorite expression “Ang sabeh?,” a slang derivative of “Anong sinabi?”

Another co-star who has grown very fond of Mario is Cacai Bautista. The comedienne says despite his superstar status, Mario was very easy work with. “He was very accommodating and a gentleman. He laughed with us when we joked around and was playful. He never complains and I never saw him asking for tissue [paper] or water even if the temperature was 38 degrees in Ilocos. Every time I asked him, ‘Are you tired?’ he would just say, ‘I’m okay,’ even if you could see it in his eyes that he was not.”

In the Star Cinema produced movie, Mario plays Thai celebrity Marcus Hanson who hides in the Philippines to mend a broken heart. As fate would have it, he crosses paths with cupcake-baking lass Joey Hermosa (Erich) who also happens to be in the same situation. Misery loves company and the two heart-broken souls begin to find comfort in each other.

Erich, who was revealed as Mario’s personal choice as his leading lady, said she was flattered to be cast in the movie and admired her leading man’s work ethic.

“Like I said before, mabait po talaga siya. Napaka-nice niya. Sobrang bait talaga and very down-to-earth and very professional pagdating sa trabaho. Darating siya na focused, and alam na ang lines niya.”

Erich also believes that they didn’t have to be linked romantically to help promote the movie.

“We all know yung status namin and I don’t think kailangan pa namin ma-link. Ang importante para sa amin, yung sincerity sa audience na hindi naman namin kailangang magpa-gimik o mag-pretend na meron something between us,” she explained.

Although Mario has been known to be in a nine-year-relationship with Thai actress Gubgib Sumontip, he was still asked if it was possible for him to fall in love with a Filipino woman if he was single, to which he answered, “It’s a secret po!”

Mario, however, said that he finds Filipinas “very sexy.” “They are very nice and very kind and I know that they also cook very good.”

Is he willing to do another Filipino movie?

“If I’ll have the chance and if I’m available, for sure, I will come back,” he replies with a smile.

Suddenly It’s Magic has been Graded B by Cinema Evaluation Board, and is now showing in theaters nationwide.