Kylie no longer just ‘another Padilla’

There is no doubt that Kylie Padilla is on the threshold of stardom. Blame it on the bloodline  she hails from the illustrious Padilla clan whose lineage carries some of the most celebrated stars in Philippine entertainment.

But Kylie, 20, knows what it takes to last long in the business. After all, she learned the ropes from an industry veteran whose sage advice kept her grounded all these years — her father and mentor, Robin Padilla.

“In this business, I always tell myself, huwag lalaki ang ulo,” begins Kylie, giving an ode to the glitzy world she has known for years. “I don’t ever want to think I am better than anyone else just because I’m an actress.”

Kylie has the formula for success all figured out — she is equal parts dreamer and doer. She keeps her head in the clouds, but her feet on the ground. Even with a primetime hit like Adarna (a modern retelling of the folklore), the Kapuso actress manages to keep herself in check by constantly searching for new things to improve on. She shows much promise that showbiz pundits have christened her, “the next big thing.”

With household names for relatives, Kylie is no stranger to the screen. Her first TV appearance came when she was about seven, in a sitcom headlined by her father. “I had no idea what I was doing,” she recalls. Right then and there, she decided against acting and joined her family when they moved to Australia. She stayed there until she was 14. 

It wasn’t until several years later that Kylie harnessed the acting talent she always knew she had. She resurfaced a decade later on GMA 7’s Joaquin Bordado, a Robin Padilla starrer taking up a supporting role.

“I did take workshops for that,” adds Kylie. ”I still do ongoing workshops, but I believe life is the biggest workshop.”

She commandeered her career with a whirlwind of blockbusters and lead roles, pushing herself to newfound stardom one smash hit at a time. She launched her celebrity status with the remake Blusang Itim, and followed it up with starrers The Good Daughter and Unforgettable — both topraters in the Kapuso Afternoon Prime.

Kylie’s biggest break of late is Adarna, an ambitious production helmed by Ricky Davao, who helped Kylie ease her foray into the coveted primetime block. The transition revealed a far greater challenge, but Kylie was more than willing to work doubly hard.

“Primetime has a very different audience, and there are more expectations of me, but I do my best to relax and take the pressure in stride. As long as in every scene I give my best performance, I’m all set.”

“I really love exploring the lives of other people and touching people’s hearts through the screen,” she adds, smilingly. “Iba ang fulfillment, especially if I do a scene well.”

Kylie’s extensive background in Muay Thai helps polish her scenes with as much realism as possible, shedding off her sweet, girly mien for a rougher onscreen counterpart.

But underneath the grace and glamour is a tough cookie who “loves action and kicking butt.” It’s in the blood, Kylie says. Robin is a trained Muay Thai practitioner.

“My adrenaline is on overdrive when I kick ass and I do believe training is an important factor in any form of physical activity, especially in martial arts. You must have complete control of your body, be lightweight and be able to carry your body.”

Kylie has avoided rice since she turned 16 — around the same time she started learning Muay Thai. There are cheat days once in a while, she adds. “I love to eat! It’s not healthy to starve yourself and work out. Your self-worth shouldn’t be the number that appears on the weighing scale.

“And I always like being strong and independent,” she continues. “What I like about Muay Thai is that it allows me to be physically equal to men. My dad trained us ever since we were young in that kind of stuff — how to hold a gun, how to lock someone, all of it. That’s where my interest started. It was a boyish childhood, but I loved the challenge.”

Kylie has many reasons to be happy about. Besides the rare gift of being able to roll up her sleeves and get dirty, she also dabbles in delicate, feminine activities such as belly dancing and air dancing. “First and foremost, I am still a girl, and being sensual comes with being a girl,” she grins. “These activities are a way to enjoy that.”  

As though she’s not active enough, Kylie also considers herself outdoorsy (“I love team sports and sunshine!”), and an old soul, especially with her penchant for film, art and literature. She loves to wear her thinking cap and enjoy pensive solitude — through writing.

Last Saturday, Jan. 25, she turned 21. What’s her birthday wish?

“Move in to my condo and design it and have money to sustain it!” Kylie answers jokingly.