What keeps Kim and Jerald together
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 in “Ako at Ikaw at ang Ending”. They didn’t have any movie for last year, but now, they’re back in “Girlfriend Na Puede 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 well known dentist. At 5, 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 searching 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 L.A. 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 like “Tarzan”, “Carrie” and “Ghost”, playing supporting roles.
She got her first lead role in PETA’s original musical, “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”.
In “Girlfriend Na Puede Na”, written and directed by Benedict Mique, she plays the girlfriend of Gab Lagman. Her heart was broken when she heard Gab telling his friends that Kim is the type of “girlfriend na puede na.” Which means she is just so-so and he has no plans of taking her seriously.
Her own friends then told her to get a guy who will pretend to be her new boyfriend to make Gab jealous. And this guy is, tada! Jerald Napoles. To make Jerald 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 offered to drive for him and take him to the City of Pines. As maybe expected, romance eventually blooms between them.
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 actor para mas mapaganda ang movie.”
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, e. 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.”
Don’t miss this hilarious and heartwarming romantic comedy when it opens in theaters on January 18.
