Paulo Avelino, Kim Chiu thankful for each other’s company in ‘Secretary Kim’

(From left) Paulo Avelino and Kim Chiu in a scene from “What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim”

For years, Paulo Avelino has always been open about wanting to work with Kim Chiu. The past confession seemed to be a manifestation of the “KimPau” tandem as they now have two projects under their belt: “Linlang” and “What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim.”

Paulo and Kim lead the reins of “What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim,” a local adaptation of the hit K-drama of the same name.

The original material — starring Park Seo-joon and Park Min-young — revolves around a secretary who suddenly resigns. which sent her arrogant boss in a desperate attempt to make her stay.

“When I was new in ABS-CBN, I always wanted to work with Kim but I wasn’t given the opportunity until now. I’m very happy not just because Kim is a star, but also she is bubbly and is maturing as an actress,” said Paulo during a press conference for the series.

After working on two projects, Paulo couldn’t help but admire Kim for her professionalism and innate ability to “set the tone and energy” of the set. He also pointed out that it’s easy to sense if she’s “sad” as it would reflect during filming as well.

“The qualities I like [about a co-worker is one] who works fast and knows what they’re doing. Si Kim gan’un. Alam na niya ang script at gagawin,” he said.

“Kim sets the tone and the energy of the set. Kapag malungkot si Kim, malumanay ang set. Ngayon lang ako nakakita ng taong gan’un, ‘yung kayang magpasaya and i-set ang level ng set.”

(The qualities I like about a co-worker is one who works fast and knows what they’re doing. Kim is like that. She knows her script and what to do. Kim sets the tone and energy of the set. If Kim is sad, it reflects on the set as well. It’s my first time seeing someone like that, one who can cheer people up and set a tone.)

(From left) Paulo Avelino and Kim Chiu in a poster for “What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim.”

Kim, on the other hand, said Paulo has always been “very consistent” with what he’s doing. She also noted they share the same work ethic and likes, almost to the point of him being her “male counterpart.”

“Alam niya ‘yung ginagawa niya. Very consistent sa trabaho. We also share the same passion when it comes to work and likes. Nakakatuwa na siya ang male counterpart ko — na low-batt,” she said while laughing.

“Mas nakakaamaze na tinanggap niya ang rom-com na genre.”

(He knows what he’s doing. He’s very consistent with his work. We also share the same passion when it comes to work and likes. It makes me happy to see a male counterpart in him, although he’s the low-battery version of me. It amazed me more that he accepted something of the rom-com genre.)

Paulo then couldn’t help but give the nod to his leading lady, saying he wouldn’t accept the role of Brandon Manansala “BMC” Castillo without “any second thoughts” if it wasn’t for Kim.

Filipino touch

The original K-drama gained a cult following through the years with many fans still having an attachment to Seo-joon and Min-young’s roles. Despite this, Paulo and Kim said the “Filipino touch” is what gives the adaptation its “kilig” flair.

“Maraming nilagay ang writers na Filipino touch such as family ties and more comedy. Kapag pinanood mo siya side-by-side, mas Pilipino and mas makakarelate ang karamihan,” she said.

(The writers added a lot of elements related to the Filipino touch such as family ties and more comedic moments. If you watch this side-by-side with the original, it’s more Filipino which viewers will relate to.)

Paulo also admitted there’s “pressure” to live up to the original Korean actors, but “staying true to Filipino culture” gave him the motivation to do the project justice.

“If you watched the original, it was strongly adapted and made for the culture of Korea. Here, it’s adapted to our culture in the Philippines,” he said.

“There’s pressure because everyone loves Park Seo-joon and Park Min-young, but what we did is to stick to the script, be true to our culture, and show how well we can do it as Filipinos.”

The series also stars Jake Cuenca, Kim Won-shik, Janice de Belen, Romnick Sarmenta, Pepe Herrera, Gillian Vicencio, Kaori Oinuma, Yves Flores, Viy Cortez, and Kat Galang.