Paulo Avelino ‘proud’ of Kim Chiu in ‘The Alibi’

MANILA, Philippines, November 7 ------ Two years after first teaming up on Prime Video’s infidelity-themed drama “Linlang,” Paulo Avelino and Kim Chiu return to the streaming platform with the ABS-CBN Dreamscape-produced mystery-thriller “The Alibi,” which starts streaming today.

In between those two projects, KimPau — as their onscreen pairing is now called — did romantic comedies: the “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim” Pinoy adaptation and the “My Love Will Make You Disappear” movie.

Asked to define their partnership at this point, Paulo said in an exclusive interview with The Philippine STAR, “I would describe it as more mature than usual partnerships or love teams. “Matagal-tagal na rin kami ni Kim Chiu sa industriya at marami na rin kaming natutunan. Although the thing with acting is, like any other craft or job, you never stop learning. “Especially here, because I think acting is… You always discover something new about yourself. And when you discover something new about yourself, parang naa-apply mo rin siya sa mga characters na ginagawa mo.”

Kim agreed, saying that what makes their team-up click is their shared passion for the craft. “I think our partnership — wow, mayabang, pero ibato nyo kahit ano sa’min, kaya siguro namin (laughs),” she said. “We share the same passion na gusto namin yung acting, gusto namin ma-improve yung last project namin. Nakakatuwa din magkaroon ng ganong klaseng katrabaho na same as you na hindi tinatamad gawin yung nakasulat sa script,” she said. “Minsan gusto niya pa more, more, more. So syempre, oh my gosh, I have to keep up! So parang dapat galingan ko pa.” The actress also admitted that working with Paulo has pushed her to unlock sides of herself she didn’t realize she had. “Minsan na-sho-shock ako na, hala, kaya ko pala ‘yun. Marami akong mga na-open na talents na nagagawa ko pala na nali-limit ko lang yung sarili ko before. But now — unstoppable na siya,” Kim shared.

In “The Alibi,” Kim plays Stella Morales, a bar entertainer and escort — a role that took her far outside her comfort zone. Sharing her preparation for the series, which was shot entirely in Cebu, she said, “Actually, yung tinitingnan namin sa Cebu City, ano talaga siya, these are bars (along Mango Avenue). “May times na sumisilip ako, ano ba nangyayari? Pag nakita mo yung mundo nila, oh my God, ito pala ‘yon.”

But what drew her most to the character was the chance to show a different kind of struggle and strength. “Gusto ko siyang i-play kasi gusto kong ipakita sa mga tao na may kanya-kanya tayong mga battles sa buhay. ‘Sadyang kinapos lang kami at kailangan naming ibenta ang sarili, ang katawan, para mabuhay,’” she explained. “That in the life of one person, it’s really just about survival. Kung ano yung kaya mo sa mga panahon na meron ka. Makikita mo dito yung mundo sa likod ng pagsasayaw — yung struggle ng isang taong nagbebenta ng aliw at ano talaga ang pinagdadaanan nila.”

Kim, who is known for her dancing background, had to train in pole dancing for the role. “Sa pagsasayaw naman hindi na siya bago sa akin kasi nag-a-‘ASAP’ naman ako, pero nag-aral din ako ng pole dancing para dun sa eksena namin,” she said. “And this is far from my comfort zone — like super far! Ito na yata yung pinaka-konting damit na nasuot ko. Kahit sa hand-carry kaya ko na! But very exciting.”

Source: philstar.com