MANILA – Richard Yap continues to tease his supporters as to what they could possibly expect from him in his latest movie "The Achy Breaky Hearts," which also stars Jodi Sta. Maria and Ian Veneracion.

Last Friday, Yap shared a shirtless photo of himself on Instagram which sent his followers abuzz.

The actor revealed through the caption that the photo is from a scene in the movie as his character tries to win back his ex-girlfriend.

The photo generated so much buzz that the comments section was filled with messages from his excited fans, noting that Yap has definitely leveled up.

A photo posted by Richard Yap (@iamrichardyap) on Jun 17, 2016 at 6:24am PDT

The 49-year-old actor, however, told ABS-CBN News on Sunday that he only went topless because it was required by the story.

“Hindi naman sinadya 'yun pero it was part of the movie na kinailangan kong gawin. Buti na lang medyo nataon na medyo nasa kondisyon tayo,” he said.

Asked how he manages to stay fit, Yap said: “I think it’s a constant effort to be fit. Ako naman kasi I’ve been working out ever since high school, college pa, so it’s a lifestyle for me. May times lang na lumaki ako pero that was my own choice kasi nagpapalaki talaga ako. Now, parang mas gusto ko naman na medyo mas lean. I’ve been working on that since the past year naman.”

For his daily routine, Yap said he has been doing a lot of circuit training, boxing and swimming. But Yap stressed that his regular workout also comes with a healthy balanced diet.

As Yap talked about his diet and exercise, Sta. Maria could not help but tease him about it.

A photo posted by STAR Cinema (@starcinema) on Jun 18, 2016 at 11:37pm PDT

“Sa tingin ko lang mukhang talagang pinaghandaan niya ang eksena na 'yun kasi ino-offeran ko siya ng cake, talagang ayaw niyang kainin,” she said.

Yap, however, still ended up eating the cake “dahil alam kong mahal ako ni Richard,” Sta. Maria recalled.

In the film, Sta. Maria plays Chinggay, an accomplished yet single woman in her 30s. The moment she decides to enter a new relationship, she meets Ryan (Ian Veneracion) the same time her ex-boyfriend (Richard Yap) comes back into her life.

Prior to this film, Sta. Maria has worked with both Yap and Veneracion. The actress topbilled the hit morning series "Be Careful with My Heart" with Yap, while she starred in "Pangako Sa 'Yo" alongside Veneracion.

Both television shows were considered a success due partly to Sta. Maria's strong chemistry with her leading men. Her tandems with Yap and Veneracion have each spawned a devout following.

Directed by Antoinette Jadaone, "The Achy Breaky Hearts" will open in theaters on June 29.