Sue Ramirez and Diego Loyzaga step into more mature territory in their second film together, “In Between,” directed by Gino M. Santos.
The pair first teamed up in Jason Paul Laxamana’s “How To Love Mr. Heartless” (2022), where they played university students. This time around, they portray a couple caught in a modern “situationship,” navigating the blurred lines between love and companionship.
To handle the film’s more intimate scenes, Sue and Diego worked with an intimacy coordinator — a first for both. While the scenes didn’t involve nudity, they required vulnerability and trust, something Viva made sure was handled with care.
“It wasn’t just a kiss,” Diego said. “We just had different scenes this time. After how many scenes working together, we did real kiss. Don’t worry, you will not see my butt here. We had more intimate scenes.”
Both actors approached the project with professionalism and comfort, thanks to their growing rapport.
“Our friendship is more open to the possibility that should we work again, we are now more open to do intimate scenes,” Sue said. “That wasn’t a big problem. I am more comfortable doing those scenes with Diego.
“He’s someone that I trust and am comfortable with. I feel safe around him. He’s a friend, so it’s easy to do those scenes with him.”
In “In Between,” Sue plays Gaila, a free-spirited freelance musician, makeup artist and graphic designer who drowns her cynicism about love in beer. Diego plays Shayne, a bartender nursing a broken heart, who’s still hoping to meet “the one” — though he often compares women to different kinds of alcohol.
“That’s the reality for couples these days,” Diego noted. “It’s hard to commit. Is it just physical, or are you looking for love in the long run — or something in between?”
He added, “It’s 2025. People have more options on how they want to love. We shouldn’t judge that. Everyone has different priorities — some focus on work, others on love. As long as no one gets hurt, especially not someone who’s married, then let people be happy.”
The term in-between refers to a person you’re with while searching for the right one.
“All of us have preferences,” said director Gino. “But those can change. The question is, will Gaila and Shayne’s preferences change? I gave them freedom to shape their scenes. I told them, ‘You’re grown now.’ One of their strongest scenes was the intimate one — they had a hand in shaping it.”
Sue reflected on Gaila’s journey: “Even at this age, she’s still searching for the right one. She chooses an in-between relationship. She has so many stories and keeps them all to herself. She doesn’t want help. She doesn’t want to be a burden. But all of that gets resolved — at least in part — when she meets her ‘in-between.’ Still, she’s lost and confused. She doesn’t know what she wants in life.”
In real life, Sue is in a happy relationship with Dominic Roque.
“We’re both happy,” she said. “We go out, explore, go on adventures, and enjoy the best food together. From the beginning, we figured out our interests and how well we matched.”
