Kylie Verzosa annoyed at live-in issue

CEBU, Philippines —  Beauty queen-turned-actress Kylie Verzosa has this to say to those frowning on her living with boyfriend Jake Cuenca under one roof: “Pakialam niyo ba?

In a Zoom interview for the Viva Entertainment-produced comedy-horror series “Ghost Adventures 2” that airs Saturdays over TV5 and where she stars with Benjie Paras and Empoy Marquez, Kylie addressed those who openly take issue with unmarried couples shacking up. For at least three months during the height of Metro Manila’s lockdown, Kylie and Jake stayed in the same condo unit.

“I’ve been independent since college and I think Jake and I are at the right age and both of us worked very hard to get to where we are today. Sana ma-respect ng tao our decisions because we are very independent people who are just trying to be the best version of ourselves,” she said. “We’re not trying to hurt anyone, we’re just trying to have fun with our lives. Hindi na kami teeny-bopper, hindi na kami younger 20s. Naiinis ako doon kasi ano bang pakialam niyo?”

Sharing the same space made them discover more of each other, and among those she learned about the actor was that he is a good pet parent. “Magaling siya mag-alaga ng aso. May aso kasi kami together, one bulldog,” she said.

The Miss International 2016 title-holder has transitioned well from pageantry to acting, landing one project after another in the past months. During the interview, Kylie was on set with Xian Lim for a movie that also includes Marco Gumabao. The Baguio native was also announced to portray the titular role in Viva Films’ adaptation of the hit Korean film “The Housemaid.”

“I never expected this. Nung una nahirapan talaga ako kasi bago. Yung pag-improve mo as an actress nakikita on TV so syempre when bago pa ako, hindi pa ako ganoon marunong. Nakikita lahat ng failures and frustrations ko. Natututo kasi tayo na nakikita ng tao so may paghuhusga din doon. Pero dahil sa mga failures na yun, na-engganyo din ako to do my best. Naiinis kasi ako kapag hindi ko nagagawa yung eksena ng mabuti.”

Working to improve on her craft didn’t stop with the quarantine. “I’m encouraged to strive harder, kaya yan ang ginagawa ko even during the quarantine, nagwo-workshop ako. Minsan tinatanong ko si Jake. Super helpful kasi si Jake sa career ko. I ask for his advice. ‘How do you do this? What do you think?’ If anything, I’m very grateful to be given the opportunity.”

To prepare for her back-to-back shoots, Kylie said her strategy is to conserve her energy when she’s off-cam.

“Kasi tuloy-tuloy siya at iba-ibang roles. Medyo mahirap so I just lessen…kunwari after taping, hindi ko sasayangin yung energy ko with other different things. Nasa set ako ngayon, pinag-iisipan ko na yung next kung gagawin. Yun yung medyo stress at konting pressure. Napaghandaan ko na kasi yung ‘Housemaid,’ so feeling ko parang nasa akin na siya. Each set has different requirements. Inaaral ko lahat ng roles ko bago ako sumabak. Otherwise, hindi ako mapakali, hindi ako confident sa sarili kapag hindi ko siya naaral.”

She also prefers the current protocols set in place for a safer work environment. “Mas madali ang new normal na shoot. Usually locations are two hours away so we would wake up 3, 4 or 5 am para lang makapunta sa shoot. Yung biyahe nakakapagod. Pero kapag lock-in, 12 hours lang kasi yung shoot so mas madali para sa artista. Hindi mo nabibitawan yung character mo especially kung kailangan mabigat. Magigising ka nalang, aayusan, tapos nasa set na kayo. Wala na yung travel time. Nakakapagod kasi yung travel time for me. Mas gusto ko yung lock-in taping. Nakakasama ko rin yung cast members kaya mas masaya siya para sa akin.”