On July 20, actor-writer-director Xian Lim recalled his dreams of becoming a professional basketball player in the Philippines before he entered showbiz.
At the story conference for Hello, Universe, Lim said his main goal for moving to the Philippines was to pursue a career in basketball.
“The main goal as to why I moved from the States to the Philippines was to become a basketball player. I remember na wala akong iniisip na plan B, plan C. Parang ‘yun lang talaga.”
He then talked about how his career path changed when he entered showbiz.
“Pero, life has a way of steering it to another direction. Hindi kaagad ibibigay ng buhay sa’yo kung ano ‘yung hiningi mo. You’ll go through so many ups and downs and eventually, hindi ko rin nakuha ‘yung gusto ko and it led me to another door, an even better door for my path.Â
“Hindi natin masasabi what’s ahead, so we /just have to live in the now and not take life for granted.”
He also recounted that he didn’t have any plans of entering showbiz when he was a kid.
“Hindi ko–wala po siya sa plano eh. Growing up nga I was always a shy kid, hindi ako bibo kid, ako ‘yung tahimik lang sa corner ng classroom, hindi nag-eexist, until given a chance, nagawa ko po ‘yung pagiging artista, and then ‘yun po through out the experience, after doing a couple of projects, pumasok po doon ‘yung–kasi, ang panonood ng isang pelikula, very magical para sa akin. It’s always been our favorite past time my mom and I. So parang doon po lumabas ‘yung love for filmmaking.”
As for his movie, Lim based the plot of Hello, Universe on his experience, citing that he wants to inspire people.
“It’s actually based on, at the same time, my experience playing sa– playing basketball, trying to make it. Sa industriya ng basketball–that was the dream to become a professional basketball player, and it didn’t happen. Kumbaga, life leads you in a whole different direction.Â
“Gusto ko lang maikwento ‘yun. I want to provide hope and inspiration at the same time sa mga manonood.”
Lim began his career as an actor in 2009 with My Only Hope.Â
From then on, he starred in productions such as My Binondo Girl and Bakit Hindi Ka Crush ng Crush Mo. He then worked as a writer-director for the 2019 movie Tabon and the 2021 digital series Pasabuy.
Now Lim wrote and directed the fantasy comedy movie Hello, Universe, starring Janno Gibbs, Anjo Yllana, Gene Padilla, Benjie Paras, Maui Taylor, Sunshine Guimary, MJ Cayabyab, Madelaine Red, Majo Lingat, and Joe Vargas.
