MANILA, Philippines, January 17 ------ In a brief phone chat with him last year, Xian Lim shared that an actor should not limit himself when it comes to the range of roles to play. So, it’s not surprising to see him take on the Bernard character, who will meet his end, in the now-airing Love. Die. Repeat, but is given chances to live again since wife Angela, portrayed by Jennylyn Mercado, is caught in a time loop.
Given such a story premise, Xian, like Jennylyn, is up for the challenge to doing scenes several times to make Bernard and Angela’s unique love story, with time either conceived as a friend or a foe, move forward. Speaking of moving forward, Xian was asked by fellow entertainment writers if he’s now in the moving-on stage after his break-up with girlfriend of 12 years, Kim Chiu, and about his two cents worth on “repeating” a previous relationship or giving it another chance, in a conversation right after the press conference. “I think in life everything happens for a reason, yun lang naman po yun. Hindi man umulit o umulit man (whether a past relationship is given another chance or not), everything’s gonna happen for a reason,” said he. “Lahat ng pangyayari sa buhay ay it happens for a reason. So, we just have to move forward kung ano po man yun (from whatever it may be).” “Kailangan lang talaga po nating maging masaya muna. Kaya unahin muna natin ang ating sarili (We really need to be happy first. So, we have to prioritize ourselves),” added he.
When also asked about his plans for this year, the good actor answered, “We should keep on working, yun naman po ang gusto natin. Work on yourself, just keep on doing different things, doing different projects, keeping busy. Katulad nga po ng paulit-ulit kong sinasabi lahat naman po ng bagay sa buhay natin nangyayari for a reason. Hindi man natin alam kung ano yung rason na yun ngayon, ayun po all we have to do is move forward from whatever it is that happens.” Based on what he has said, one can say that Xian is focusing on his growth as an actor, who welcomes new roles. His character Bernard in Love. Die. Repeat is a stark contrast to Edward, also a husband who experienced a “gender switch” in False Positive with Glaiza de Castro, and Enzo, a music enthusiast-turned-figure skater in Hearts on Ice with Ashley Ortega. The GMA Prime romance-fantasy series features Xian and Jennylyn’s team-up. “Siguro malaking bagay na po na-break yung ice sa aming dalawa (perhaps it’s a big thing that we did break the ice between us),” said he about their working relationship during the presscon proper. “We laugh at and enjoy the things that are happening (around us). Of course, there’s a lot of unpredictable things that happen on set… like the clothes that I’m wearing for my character no longer fit me… dun po nag-simula na nagtatawanan kami.”
In 2021, the taping for Love. Die. Repeat was postponed because Jennylyn was expecting her first baby with Dennis Trillo, and last year, it was resumed. As an actor working with GMA, Xian had this to say: “I’m very grateful… last year, they gave me the opportunity to direct.” He was referring to an episode for Wish Ko Lang and hopes to do more behind-the-camera projects. Xian is into directing and writing scripts. Genre- and role-wise, he hasn’t done action and dark, bida-kontrabida roles. Xian shows interest in foraying into these new territories. For now, he is all eyes on the Bernard role, which he considers challenging. “It’s really hard to be covered with blood always, but that’s nothing as compared to what Jennylyn and Ina (Feleo) have gone through (in doing their roles), parang maya’t maya’y sumisigaw,” said Xian, giving one a sneak peek into the gamut of emotions the two Kapuso actresses experience as Angela, a woman stricken by sorrow and regrets, and as Jessie, the former’s feisty best friend, respectively. “I think the problems married couples encounter, which are a huge part of the story,” shared Xian about among life’s realities and lessons being presented in the show and that people can relate to. “My character’s wife is willing to do whatever she can to save him, those troubles that a husband and a wife go through and how they get over them.”
Source: philstar.com
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