‘Kimerald’ breaks the ice

Kim Chiu (left) and Gerald Anderson

At first, Kim Chiu and Gerald Anderson felt awkward being around each other on the set of their new drama series, “Ikaw Lang ang Iibigin.”

Not surprising, considering that the last project of the former lovebirds was the romantic film, “24/7 in Love,” in 2012.

“I’m sure people around us felt that, too. They knew what happened to us in the past,” Kim said at a recent media gathering for the drama series.

She, however, swore that all was finally well between her and her former boyfriend.

“You will never be truly happy unless you learn how to forgive,” declared Kim. “There are no more walls between us now. I wouldn’t agree to do this teleserye with him if I still felt uncomfortable around him. The audience will notice that.”

The two broke up in 2010. Things got even more tense between them in 2014 when Gerald admitted to dating Kim’s best friend, Maja Salvador. Gerald and Maja broke up a year later.

Kim said the experience had taught her to become more mature and professional as an actor. This was why she had agreed to work with Gerald again.

Gerald Anderson (left) and Kim Chiu

“After many years, I said, ‘OK, let’s do this project!’ It’s best to move on with our lives,” she pointed out.

Gerald added: “Feeling awkward around each other in the beginning was unavoidable because we hadn’t worked together for a long while, but I also knew that this reunion project was bound to happen.

“Our onscreen partnership has been so successful that a lot of our fans are still hoping and asking for us to work together again. They really waited, so they deserve this. To those who aren’t Kimerald supporters, I assure you that you will like this, too.”

On how they managed to break the ice, Kim said: “I just kept cracking jokes on the set. Gerald is often so quiet. It’s like he is in character most of the time. He just stays in one corner, or he goes to his car whenever he is not yet needed in the scene being shot.”

Gerald said he was happy to realize that Kim “didn’t change one bit, in spite of what she had already accomplished as an actress.”

He added: “It’s amazing to see how Kim never seems to run out of energy. She’s contagious! She has this positive effect on the cast and crew.”

They were featured in several projects after they joined the first teen edition of “Pinoy Big Brother” in 2007.

“I still didn’t have any idea how to be an actor then, but I felt secure because she was by my side. I’m not very vocal about how I feel, but I sure know how to look back and show my appreciation to the people who have helped me along the way.”

In “Ikaw Lang ang Iibigin,” Gerald is Gabriel, a triathlete from Zambales. “He is good at swimming, because he dives for mussels and sells them. He’s also a good biker because he rides it to the market to deliver fish. He is a fast runner because he does it every day to get to school,” Gerald explained.

On the other hand, Kim Chiu plays Bianca, who takes after her mom (portrayed by Bing Loyzaga), a former runner. Like Gabriel, she also competes in triathlons.

To prepare for such a physically demanding role, Kim said she started joining duathlons. Recently, she also finished her first 21-kilometer race. “I’ve already completed 5k and 10K races. I joined the 21k race because finishers get medals,” said Kim.

Meanwhile, Gerald said it felt like he was “living the dream” when he joined and finished his first 42-kilometer marathon in Los Angeles, California, in March.

“That’s why I carried the flag with me when I ran. It also felt good that there were a lot of Filipinos there rooting for me,” said the actor. “I feel embarrassed to admit this, because I know that there are a lot of Filipinos who are far better than me and are also dreaming of competing for the country. If I don’t have tapings or shootings, I will try to join more competitions.”

“Ikaw Lang ang Iibigin,” which airs daily before “It’s Showtime!,” also features Jake Cuenca, Coleen Garcia, Gina Pareño, Dante Rivero, Michael de Mesa and Grae Fernandez.