MANILA, Philippines – There’s something about Kim Chiu that keeps Paulo Avelino coming back.
Avelino said it never gets old working with Chiu as they star in their third project together in the upcoming romantic comedy movie My Love Will Make You Disappear.
The movie is their first together after Avelino and Chiu teamed up for 2023 drama series Linlang and 2024 rom-com show What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim.
“Parang never lumampas nang dalawang beses kong katrabaho lagi ‘yung mga leading ladies natin, whether if it’s sa series or sa movies, sa pagkakaalala ko,” Avelino said during a media conference on Wednesday, February 19, when asked what is different with working alongside Chiu.
(As far as I can remember, I’ve never worked with any of my leading ladies more than twice, whether if it’s in series or in movies.)
“Ngayon na natanong sa akin, siguro ang sagot ko diyan, hindi nakakasawang katrabaho si Kim.”
(Now that I’ve been asked, my answer to that is probably it never gets old working with Kim.)
Avelino actually worked at least three times with former onscreen partners Maja Salvador and Lovi Poe.
With Salvador, Avelino starred in in I’m Drunk, I Love You (2017), Bridges of Love (2015), and Status: It’s Complicated (2013).
Meanwhile, Avelino and Poe top billed in Aswang (2011), The Bride and the Lover (2013), and Sana Dati (2013).
His partnership with Chiu, though, is perhaps the biggest of his career, with Star Cinema banking on KimPau to make a splash overseas as it is releasing My Love Will Make You Disappear internationally in over 30 territories, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Finland, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
“I wanted to work with her pero hindi ko talaga in-expect, kasi parang after a while, nag-iba na rin ‘yung tinatahak ng mga gusto kong gawin. Hindi ko alam na kay Kim pala ang bagsak ko,” said Avelino.
(I wanted to work with her but I didn’t really expect it, because it seems like after a while, the things I wanted to do have changed. I didn’t know that I’d end up working with Kim.)
My Love Will Make You Disappear tells the story of Sari (Chiu), a government employee in her 30s who has given up on romance. believing that everyone she loves and kisses magically disappears.
Enter Jolo (Avelino), a troubled landlord who wants to be gone and pursues Sari after discovering her supposed curse of making her lovers vanish.
Chiu said she needed to up her game after seeing Avelino, who is known for his performances in Ang Sayaw ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa (2011), Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral (2018), and Fan Girl (2020), bring something new to the table.
“Si Pau pag nakatrabaho mo, ang dami mong matututunan. Iba iba ‘yung atake niya every project. Linlang, sobrang serious niya, hindi siya makausap. What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim, naging funny siya. Ngayon, super funny na siya,” said Chiu.
(When you work with Pau, you learn a lot of things. He attacks every project differently. In Linlang, he was very serious and you can’t talk to him. In What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim, he became funny. Now, he’s super funny.)
“Nakakakaba rin kapag nakakatrabaho mo lagi ‘yung tao and hindi mo alam kung ano ‘yung susunod mong mai-offer as screen partner. There’s always something new kapag nakakatrabaho mo ‘yung isang Paulo Avelino. Very dedicated siya so mahihiya ka kung hindi mo iibahin.”
(It’s also nerve-wracking when you always work with someone and you don’t know what you can offer next as a screen partner. There’s always something new when you’re working with someone like Paulo Avelino. He’s very dedicated so you’ll be ashamed if you don’t change things up.)
“Mas napu-push ka to be a better actor kapag katrabaho mo siya.”
(You’re pushed to be a better actor when you work with him).
The movie also features Wilma Doesnt, Karina Bautista, Lovely Abella, Benj Manalo, Nico Antonio, Migs Almendras, and Martin Escudero.
Directed by Chad Vidanes, My Love Will Make You Disappear will hit theaters on March 26. – Rappler.com