Basketball was what lured Xian Lim to come home for good three years ago and he landed not on the hardcourt but in showbiz.
“It must be destiny,” said Xian who was born and raised in Daly City, California, where he finished grade school and middle school and was a B.S. Psychology sophomore when he put his studies on hold and decided to follow in his father’s footsteps. No, his father is not Samboy Lim contrary to what many people think. “My dad is Godofredo Lim-Uy, who’s half-Chinese. He played for UE Warriors with (Bobby) Jaworksi but he never graduated to the PBA. My dream was to be a basketball player like him, but then…”
No regrets, added Xian who is an only child. (His parents are separated and are back home. Xian lives with his mom in Marikina City.) He speaks fluent Filipino because he and his mom would spend extended vacations here before they decided to stay for good.
How was it growing up an only child?
“It was kind of boring dahil wala kang kalaro. And yet, it’s masaya because you monopolize your parents’ attention and affection,” he confessed, adding, “but I’m spoiled only with attention and not in any other way.”
Xian said that he wanted his “professional photos” taken. The photographer saw a potential actor in Xian and recommended him to Star Magic head Johnny “Mr. M” Manahan. Xian was introduced in the ABS-CBN rom-com Katorse, is now in the cast of 100 Days to Heaven and will soon be seen in Binondo Girl (with Kim Chiu in the title role), both also on ABS-CBN. He was in Gil Portes’ indie film Two Funerals, a 2010 Cine Malaya entry in which he and his mother (played by Tessie Tomas) travel to the province to retrieve the remains of his fiancée.
A Cancerian (July 12, 1989), Xian stands 6’2”; weighs 185 lbs.; and wears large-sized shirt, size-34 briefs and size-11/12 shoes.
How often do you work out?
“Every other day kasi hindi daw maganda ang every day dahil mabubugbog ang katawan mo. You have to give your muscles time to build.”
Your body looks good enough. Any part that you think needs improvement?
“You know, I eat a lot; I’m a buffet type of person. Kaya I feel that my abs have to be trimmed…just a bit. But they will look good enough in a pictorial. Hehehe!”
What part of your body is most vulnerable?
“My legs, especially my knees which have torn ligaments. The x-ray revealed that the joint from the kneecap to the lower leg is not smooth. I was injured during a basketball game.”
And what part of your body is your favorite?
“My chest and my arms. I concentrate on them when I work out because those are the parts na nano-notice sa camera, aside from the face.”
What part of a girl’s body do you notice first?
“The height. Choosy ako sa height. And also, nice legs. Every guy likes nice legs, di ba?”
And what type of girls turns you off?
“’Yung unhygienic, ‘yung hindi malinis sa katawan. Makikita mo sa aura niya if she’s not clean, di ba?”
What about your diet?
“I eat anything except pork. I don’t eat anything fried. I follow the pyramid — eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper. My staple dish is eggs, just the whites. Very little rice, if at all. For breakfast, oatmeal, eggs and chicken or fish, and green tea. For lunch, almost the same. For dinner, more eggs. I try not to take dinner after six p.m. but oftentimes I can’t help it especially in showbiz where you have to attend social functions.”
Do you take snacks between meals?
“I do, mostly mixed bars and oatmeal cookies. I can finish a whole jar of peanut butter. I do that during my ‘cheat’ days.”
How many glasses of water do you take per day?
“A lot. As in a lot!!! Especially when I’m working out.”
Favorite fruit?
“Mango.”
Favorite vegetable?
“Broccoli.”
How much sleep do you get per night?
“Eight hours, regularly. When there’s work, I get less.”
Favorite sleepwear?
“Basketball shorts.”
Never in the nude?
“Never!”
How many pillows do you sleep with?
“A lot! I have two big ones, as big as I am. One under my head and one between my legs. The smaller ones I place on beside me.”
Do you snore?
“Yes, I do. My room (in the States) is just beside my mom’s; manipis lang na wood ang divider, so she could hear me snore. She would knock on the divider and wake me up, ‘Xian, ang ingay mo!’ But I snore only when I’m tired.”
Do you talk in your sleep?
“Sometimes. According to my mom, sinasabi ko daw na may humahabol sa akin.”
Do you sleepwalk?
“No, I don’t. It’s so scary, baka kung saan ka makarating.”
Last thing that you do before you go to sleep.
“Nag-i-Internet.”
And the first thing that you do when you wake up?
“I feel so hungry so I eat at once. I look forward to waking up so I can eat.”
How do you cope with stress?
“I watch movies. My favorite is horror movies. Working out in the gym is also a good way of distressing. Or I get a massage from the certified masseurs at Gold’s Gym. It’s so relaxing. Afterward, I take a sauna at pagkatapos, tulog na.”
What about music?
“It’s also relaxing. I play the piano. Magandang pampa-relax mga classical pieces.”
Favorite hideaway?
“Being a homebody, I’d rather stay in my room. It’s my favorite hideaway. Sometimes, I go to Tagaytay with my mom to eat.”
How is your love life?
“Still searching. I always say, ‘Naghihintay pa ako ng person na makakapulot ng nahulog kong puso’.”
Your sex life?
“Hahahahahaha!!!”
Outlook in life?
“I’m a positive thinker. My philosophy is: Live each day like there’s no tomorrow.”
Name three men that you think have bodies as nice as yours.
“Brad Pitt, Ryan Reynolds and Chris Hemsworth (star of Thor).”
And three women that you think also have nice bodies.
“Megan Fox, Jessica Alba and Angelina Jolie.”
Using only body language, how would you make a woman know that you admire her?
“I just smile at her.”
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph or at entphilstar@yahoo.com. You may also send your questions to askrickylo@gmail.com. For more updates, photos and videos visit www.philstar.com/funfare.)