Thia Thomalla is Alden Richards' leading lady in ‘The Gift’

CEBU, Philippines —  Almost a year after Thia Thomalla became a full-fledged Kapuso, the Bisaya beauty queen finally landed her big break as the newest primetime leading lady to no less than one of the network’s biggest male stars.

On her Facebook account, the Miss Eco International 2017 title-holder shared a post by One Heart Kapuso regarding her latest TV endeavor. According to the post, Thia is set to work on the upcoming soap “The Gift” with Alden Richards, who is still fresh from the box-office success of his film under Star Cinema, “Hello, Love, Goodbye,” with Kathryn Bernardo.

Mostly shot in Divisoria and set to air next month, “The Gift” will tell the story of Joseph (Alden) who is able to tell the future and look back into the past after he becomes blind. He uses this ability to help his community in times of need. This is the heartthrob’s follow-up television assignment after the lukewarm reception to his superhero series “Victor Magtanggol” where he played the titular role.

Also in the cast are Jean Garcia, Jo Berry, Mikee Quintos, Betong Sumaya, Christian Vasquez, Elizabeth Oropesa, Rochelle Pangilinan, Martin del Rosario, Mikoy Morales, and Ysabel Ortega.

The project is a dream come true for Thia, who had shared her acting goals in a previous interview with The Freeman. Apart from Alden, the Filipina-German stunner had named Dingdong Dantes, Lovi Poe, and Solenn Heussaff as the actors she would love to work with. She has always wanted to become a performer, and given the chance, would like to do a romantic-comedy, being a big fan of the genre.

Hailing from Macrohon, Southern Leyte, Thia moved to Cebu at 19 years old. A Tourism and Events Management graduate from STI Maasin, Thia is also a Sinulog Festival Queen 2016 and Reyna ng Aliwan 2016 winner.

In 2017, she joined Miss World Philippines, winning the title of Miss Eco International Philippines, and eventually becoming the first Asian and Filipina to win Miss Eco International held in Cairo, Egypt.

She currently hosts the GMA News TV lifestyle and beauty show, “Glow Up,” with her Miss World Philippines batch mate Winwyn Marquez (Reina Hispanoamericana 2017) and Miss World Philippines 2019 candidate Michelle Dee. Premiering in June, “Glow Up” features fashion and lifestyle tips from the hosts, with each episode showing off a make-over transformation.

Thia also has a three-picture contract with Regal Films, which is one of her prizes for winning Miss Eco International Philippines.

Often tagged as an Anne Hathaway look-alike, Thia once told GMA Network that she would like to use the comparison as a motivation to do well.

“I can’t believe it but it’s also really flattering and at the same time I also want to prove to people that I am not Anne Hathaway. I am Thia Thomalla and I can be my own. Motivation ko rin na sana maabot ko yung naabot ni Anne Hathaway.”