Kim: Everybody's kind of girl

Author: Bot Glorioso

While most girls her age seem to change overnight into a prim and proper lady upon reaching the point of maturity, Kim Chiu still exudes the charming innocence and young bubbly persona that reflect in every character she portrays in the big and small screens.

This may come as a surprise to those who have followed her career -- and perceived her to be too serious in dealing with life -- since the day she entered Big Brother's house as the lone representative from the Visayas to ABS-CBN's Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition years back and won in the contest by a landslide of text votes.

Yes, Kim has sad stories to share and problems to deal with yet she handles them with ease especially now that acting has not only become an outlet to pour all her emotions. It is also a way of supporting her siblings' education and contributing to daily family expenses. The saccharine character, jubilant side of 18-year-old Kim is more visible these days.

She giggles and shrieks in delight upon hearing praises from the entertainment press during a pocket interview after watching the teaser of Kim's latest TV project and Kapamilya network's Pinoy version of the Koreanovela My Girl to air weeknights starting May 26.

"I know I gave my best here in playing Jasmine. It's hard to convince or please everybody to my kind of acting, I just hope to deliver the character well like the Korean actress who initially played the role," Kim says.

And she did. Not only because the Jasmine character has the same energetic and happy disposition like Kim and most Pinoys possess even in the most trying times but Kim has also improved in her acting which always vividly shows in every project that falls on her lap. The seriousness with which Kim plays as Elisa on Maligno and Jasmine on My Girl show how much she has improved as an actress.

Acting workshops, Kim admits, contribute in bringing out the actress in her and help in getting the feel of whatever character she is tasked to portray. With My Girl, the doe-eyed Chinese lass from Cebu underwent a five-hour Sunday acting workshop with the other cast members which started in January until April. The role also requires Kim to learn Mandarin and although her physical features fit the series well Kim still needs to completely get the Jasmine look by wearing the same hairstyle and having her makeup done by a Korean. Those colorful clothes will also surely catch televiewers' interest.

"But the story has a different flavor as televiewers will witness how the Koreanovela is being treated in a Pinoy manner. It has drama, stories about family, love and friendship," Kim shares.

There are scenes, Kim says, that display how Pinoys handle the daily battles of life in a less serious way -- to the point of just shrugging our shoulders and laughing them off. Location shoots will display the richness of our country complete with props that are truly Pinoy like jeepneys, sorbetes (dirty ice cream) cart and mangoes instead of those oranges we see on the Koreanovela.

Will there also be scenes that might give away the real score between her and leading man Gerald Anderson who gifted her with a pink Ford Lynx during her 18th birthday last April 19? Kim denies having a relationship with her perennial screen partner and PBB co-housemate even if they used to exchange expensive gifts. Prior to the customized car, Kim gave Gerald a wakeboarding set worth P50,000 on his birthday last March.

"There would be some kissing scenes in the latter part of the story. My dad asked me to return the car because it's too expensive but Gerald said no. He said he really intended the car for me," Kim replies, still insisting that they are not an item.

And even if Gerald cannot call Kim "my girl" yet, Kim will be every televiewer's girl when My Girl starts airing after Lobo.

Source: The Philippine Star