Sixteen years into their marriage, Ryan Agoncillo and Judy Ann Santos still navigate the age-old question of professional jealousy — and Ryan’s answer, it turns out, is more complicated than a simple yes or no.
The couple appeared on Matteo Guidicelli’s talk show “Matter G Primetime,” where they were asked which of them tends to get jealous more quickly. The question eventually landed on whether either would let the other work opposite a romantic lead.
Judy Ann said she had no concerns about Ryan taking on a project with a female co-star. Ryan’s response to the reverse scenario was more instinctive — he shot back with a flat “Subukan niya,” drawing laughter from both Judy Ann and Matteo.
He walked it back almost immediately, calling it a reflexive line rather than a hard stance. “Gawin mo, saka na natin pag-awayan,” he said with a laugh, framing it as something they could sort out after the fact. Judy Ann pushed back further, saying her husband would more realistically say “go ahead” than issue a challenge — and Ryan agreed that “subukan mo” was really just his unspoken thought.
The dynamic, Ryan said, has been baked into their relationship from the start, particularly as both continue to take on separate professional commitments.
“I guess that’s the message I send her. On the surface, these are quality people — they know what they’re doing. It’s always been that way with us from the beginning,” he said. “I’d tell her, ‘Sige, tignan ko kung saan ka pupunta. Susunod naman ako. Kung hindi ako sumunod, alam mo na ‘yung sagot.'”
At the core of it, Ryan said, is the trust he extends to Judy Ann to make her own calls. “These decisions — of course, if it works for me, hindi na ako aangal o makikipag-away,” he said. “But if it doesn’t, she’ll consult me, and I’ll say, ‘Sige, gawin mo — saka na natin pag-awayan.'”
