Xian Lim: I'm not a heartbreaker

MANILA, Philippines - Xian Lim doesn’t want to break any girl’s heart. That being said, we learned that Xian had only one girlfriend in all his 22 years of being a looker.

“I’m a very stay-at-home guy, I don’t like going out. Hindi ako… ma-girlfriend,” he explained in an interview. “I had one girlfriend in the States. It’s hard to believe, but yes, just one! Hindi naman (ganun) yung pagtingin ng mga lalake na marami silang choices. No, no, it’s not like that. They really look for the one. They don’t like papalit-palit.”

Told that he could (well, others would!) easily take advantage of his good looks, which are complemented by “sensitive-guy interests” (his idea of time-off is playing the piano, for one!) and you know, play the field, he reacted: “Maybe I’m just learning from the separation of my mom and dad. It didn’t traumatize me, but I saw how my mom was hurting.”

“It’s just wasting (time), at least that’s what I feel,” he added. “I really take time to know the person, and not get into a relationship then break up after a week or so. I’m not like that. I don’t want to break any girl’s heart.”

Xian, whose type of girl is “conservative and whom I can jibe well with,” is single. He is, however, making the time and effort to get to know Kim Chiu, whom he got accidentally paired with in the ABS-CBN teleserye My Binondo Girl, which last aired early this year.

He said that as far as he knew, there never was an intention to make a loveteam out of him and Kim in My Binondo Girl, his biggest break to date. He was supposed to be the third wheel — or was it the fourth? — in the teleserye’s love story. It so happened that co-star Jolo Revilla got sick, took a leave, and before he knew it, the story progressed with the script requiring his character to get close to Kim’s — and so the series ended with the birth of a new loveteam.

The growing closeness has spilled over to real life. They’ve met each other’s families, and try to sync their free time with dinners. Stars have the penchant to confirm relationships when they’re over, but Xian insisted that there’s none yet.

“Kim’s a happy person. When she’s around, things feel complete,” Xian described Kim.

Xian, by the way, is becoming the hottest among the new generation of Kapamilya heartthrobs. We can say this with confidence as we take into account the projects being lined up for him by Star Magic.

After My Cactus Girl, he is set to do two more movies soon with Star Cinema — the Reunion with Jessy Mendiola, Julia Montes and Enrique Gil, and one that will team him up anew with Kim.

Xian never thought he’d land in Philippine showbiz. An only child, he was born and raised in the US. He was, however, very in touch with his Pinoy roots. Because his mom made sure that the language at home was Tagalog, he can talk to you in straight Tagalog sans the American twang. One of his favorite subjects in college was Kabayan, it was like English 101 with a Filipino twist, and to our nice surprise, his professor turned out to be this writer’s former classmate in Silliman University.

Nevertheless, it was during his second year in college while taking up Psychology and doing part-time marketing work after class hours when he started to feel restless and wanted to do something else.

“So, I came to the Philippines to play basketball,” related Xian who stands at 6’2”-ft. tall. “My father used to play for the UE Red Warriors. Among my dad’s batchmates was Allan Caidic. My dad asked, ‘Do you want to play basketball?’ So, we talked to some people and I got into UE. They offered (a scholarship) and I took it. I became part of Red Warriors’ Team B. I did the training and the schooling. But I felt there was still something missing.”

He was already raring to return to the US when he met someone who would introduce him to Star Magic founder Johnny “Mr. M” Manahan. “Mr. M just looked at me and left. Maybe two weeks after, I already started the workshop with Direk Rahyan Carlos, head of Star Magic artist training.”

It was one of those workshops that somehow defined what he wants to be — an actor — much to the surprise of his mom. “I was really shy as a kid. Even my mom was shocked at my decision. Sabi niya, lalamunin ka dyan kasi tahimik lang ako na tao.”

“But (it was really) the second session of our workshops, wherein papaiyakin ka, that became the turning point for me. Dun ko nalaman na I want to be given the proper break, and that I’m willing to wait for how long it will take.”

Now, he’s entering his fourth year in showbiz and the breaks are coming. He’s enjoying them all while taking his mom’s advice to heart: “Be not afraid to take risks, just be who you are, and always respect others.”

“I’m very grateful. This is what I’ve been praying for. This is what I’ve long been thinking of. This is what I’ve been waiting for,” he ended.