PAULO Avelino vehemently denies that he got his “special friend” pregnant.
Actor Paulo Avelino said the distance between him and actress KC Concepcion, who is currently studying in the United States, kept them from taking their relationship “to the next level.”
Concepcion flew to the US in January to take up short courses in acting. She and Avelino began dating in November. He visited her in New York City in April.
“To be honest, we had something special. I consider her a special friend. But it’s not easy to maintain a relationship when you’re far apart,” Avelino told reporters during the launch of his latest drama series, “Sana Bukas Pa ang Kahapon,” on ABS-CBN.
Avelino said he and Concepcion were communicating but they chose to “stay friends.” He said, “There’s no pain in my heart. Anything can still happen when she gets back.”
The actor denied rumors that she was pregnant with his child. “It’s not true. We can see how she is doing there just by looking at her posts on her different social media accounts,” he said.
Asked whether he was open to pursuing other women, specifically those he worked closely with at ABS-CBN, Avelino said, “I want to concentrate on my career first. I’m also doing a lot of things apart from this teleserye, which eats up a lot of my time.”
In “Sana Bukas Pa ang Kahapon,” Avelino plays opposite lead star Bea Alonzo. He described her as “down-to-earth and easy to work with.”
“Since I’m naturally a shy person, I felt ill-at-ease with her in the beginning,” Avelino said. “It got worse when we shot a sensitive scene on our first day at work. I had a hard time because the scene required me to seduce Bea.”
He said attending a “sensuality workshop” with Alonzo under actor-director Laurice Guillen helped improve their working relationship. “I also give credit to Bea who is very professional and giving. She was willing to give her all for that important first scene.”
He commended Alonzo for respecting his opinions and ideas even though he’s just a newcomer in the business. “I’m really honored to be working with her. Before this, I imagined her as being [stand-offish] all the time. On the set, I saw that she was bubbly and so normal.”
Michael “Paulo” Avelino began his show biz career through the talent search program “StarStruck” on GMA 7. He became a contract artist of the Kapuso network and played various supporting roles. In 2011, he transferred to rival station ABS-CBN and gained prominence via the top-rating program “Walang Hanggan” (2012).
He was also in “Kahit Konting Pagtingin” and “Honesto” in 2013. He won the Gawad Urian for Best Actor for Alvin Yapan’s “Ang Sayaw ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa.”
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Avelino has a son, Ethan Akio, with fellow “StarStruck” contestant LJ Reyes. The actor, whose relationship with Reyes turned sour shortly after his transfer to ABS-CBN, refuses to discuss the issue.
“I grew up in Baguio City and was used to be living a simple and quiet life. I transferred to Manila thinking I could live the same way,” he said during the press conference. “I guess this is why I offended a lot of media friends in the past. I refused to answer personal questions and chose to be quiet about a lot of things (including his relationship with his son). Now, I realize I have to give back, that part [of the reason for] my move to Manila is to be able to adapt to changes.”
(E-mail mcruz@inquirer.com.ph.)