KIM AND JERALD WANT TO DO A MUSICAL MOVIE
The couple got their first big break in the musical ‘Rak of Aegis’ of the Philippine Educational Theater Association in 2014.
In their media conference for their upcoming film Girlfriend na Pwede Na, reel and real-life partners Kim Molina and Jerald Napoles made a
“panawagan”: “Nanawagan kami sa Viva Films na pagawain n’yo naman po kami ng isang musical movie. Please
naman po!”
People seem to have forgotten that the couple got their first big break in the musical Rak of Aegis of the Philippine Educational Theater Association in 2014. Their biggest because they play the lead roles in that jukebox musical of the hit songs of almost all-female Pinoy rock band Aegis (the band has one male guitarist and four female vocalists, some of whom also play the guitar).
It was also in that musical that Jerald and Kim fell in love with each other. Before Rak of Aegis, Kim was in some musicals of Atlantis Theater Productions playing supporting roles. After Rak of Aegis, Kim starred in the musical
Kung Paano Ako Naging Leading Lady. She shared the lead role with Bituin Escalante. The musical was staged at the PETA Theater though it was produced by the indie theater company Dalanghita Productions.
As for Jerald, before Rak, he played one of the gay lead characters in PETA’s hit musical
Care Divas. (Gio Gahol, the male lead actor in PETA’s upcoming Walang Aray, was also one of the lead actors in Care Divas in one or two seasons of that musical)
Initial offering
Girlfriend na Pwede Na is the initial offering of Viva Films in theaters this New Year 2023. That’s how much Viva Films trust the Kim-Jerald loveteam. It’s their fourth Viva movie together, starting with Jowable, which was streamed on Vivamax in 2019.
In Girlfriend na Pwede Na, written and directed by Benedict Mique, Kim plays the girlfriend of Gab Lagman. Her heart is broken when she hears Gab telling his friends that Kim is the type of “girlfriend na puwede na.” Which means she is just so-so, and he has no plans of marrying her even as they’ve been sweethearts for seven years.
Her friends advise her to get a guy to pretend to be her new boyfriend to make Gab jealous. She finds one willing to do it: A humble but hunky buko juice vendor (Jerald). To make the vendor more presentable, they dress him up and groom him to be more dashing and better looking.
Things get cozier between them when Jerald says he has never been to Baguio and Kim offers to drive for him and take him to the City of Pines. As maybe expected, romance eventually blooms between them. And then it is Gab’s turn to win her back.
Pinoy moviegoers are likeky to warm up to a happy, romantic musical starring Kim and Jerald (who have been happily living together for some years now in their eight-year relationship).
Several musical films have been produced in the country, the last one being theater artist Vince
Tanada’s Katips, which is about the violence inflicted on militant activists in the country when Martial Law reigned. The film reportedly did well at the box office when it was shown last year alongside Viva’s Maid in Malacanang.
Isko Moreno’s bio film was also a musical shown last year, produced by indie company Saranggola Media of Edith Fider and directed by Joven Tan. The now controversial Macoy de Leon played the role of the actor-turnedManila mayor. De Leon is hot issue these days for breaking up with live-in partner Elisse Joson with whom he has a daughter. He did it reportedly for another girl, Mary Joy Santiago, whom Viva signed up recently for some movies.
Grand musical
Viva actually has all the resources to do a grand musical. It has a recording company. Sharon Cuneta is a Viva star. She is very much a singer, of course.
For more credibility, if Viva produces a musical film, it can cast former theater actors Eugene Domingo and JC Santos. JC was in
Kung Paano Ako Naging Leading Lady in a supporting role. Eugene did musicals at UP where her acting career started.
The love team of Kim Molina and Jerald Napoles hit it big when they were paired in the sleeper hit Jowable. This was followed by Ang
Babaeng Walang Pakiramdam and their try at drama. Now, they’re back in Girlfriend na Pwede Na, which is the initial offering of Viva Films in theaters this New Year 2023.
Kim grew up in Saudi Arabia where her dad is a wel- known dentist. At five, she began doing front acts for Filipino singers who perform in Saudi. At 14, she joined the ABS-CBN contest The Filipino Channel Pop Star, which searched for the top singer in the Middle East. She won over other contestants from places like Dubai, Bahrain and Kuwait. She was then sent to compete in the World Championships of the Performing Arts in Los Angeles and won as the Senior Grand Champion Vocalist of the World. She came to Manila to try her luck here and was cast in stage musicals of Atlantis Productions such as Tarzan, Carrie and
Ghost, playing supporting roles.
She landed her first lead role in Rak of Aegis, where she met Jerald playing the leading man. She then branched out to films and television, playing supporting roles in Walang Forever, Miss Granny and Camp Sawi. For iWant, she did Momol Nights. Then Viva gave her a starring role in Jowable.
Same goals
How is it working with writer-director Benedict Mique? “This is my second time with him as we did Momol Nights before. I’m happy to be reunited with him as he listens to the suggestions of his actors para mas mapaganda ang movie,” Kim answered.
It’s been ten years since they did Rak of Aegis and they’re still together. What does she like and what doesn’t she like in Jerald?
“Pareho kaming mag-isip, eh. We have the same goals in life. You can consider me as
babaeng Jerald and he, lalaking Kim.
Marami rin kaming ayaw sa isa’t isa, but we always make it a point that when we clash, we talk about it and we eventually realize that we still have a lot of things be grateful for about each other. And so, we’re still together,” she said.
Don’t miss this hilarious and heartwarming romantic comedy when it opens in theaters on 18 January.