Kimberly Sue Yap Chiu (born April 19, 1990) commonly known as Kim Chiu, is a Chinese Filipino actress in the Philippines.
Chiu first starred in the television series, Sana Maulit Muli (2007) which won her Most Promising Female Star at GMMSF. This followed by a string of successful projects and leading roles in dramas such as the Philippine adaptation of My Girl (2008), action-melodramas Tayong Dalawa (2009) and Kung Tayo'y Magkakalayo (2010), rom-com My Binondo Girl (2011–2012), and family drama Ina, Kapatid, Anak (2012–2013).
She also starred in several films including Bride for Rent (2014), the sixth highest grossing Filipino film of all time grossing Php 326 Million at the box office. Her other films include I Love You, Goodbye (2009), Bakit Hindi Ka Crush Ng Crush Mo? (2013), and Past Tense (2014).
Throughout her career, she has received a PMPC Star Award for Best Drama Actress, four FAMAS Award nominations (winning one) and was hailed Princess of Philippine Movies and TV for her accomplishments in the film and television industry.
Chiu primarily gained prominence by winning the reality series Pinoy Big Brother: Teen Edition. For the show, Chiu left her hometown of Cebu City and moved to Manila. She, along with the rest of the housemates entered the Big Brother house on April 23, 2006. After 42 days in the Big Brother house, she was named the Teen Big Winner with 626,562 votes (41.4% of the total votes) at the Aliw Theatre inside the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex in Pasay City. She was the only housemate who was never nominated for eviction.
After winning, Chiu became part of Star Magic. She and her on-screen partner Gerald Anderson became a regular in ASAP XV and appeared together in several ABS-CBN shows Love Spell, comedy sitcom Aalog-Alog and in the film First Day High.
In 2007, Chiu starred in the primetime TV series entitled Sana Maulit Muli alongside Anderson., which was released to significant acclaim. That year, she was nominated and eventually won the 38th Guillermo Mendoza Box Office Awards as Most Promising Female Star and Best New Female TV Personality (for Sana Maulit Muli) at the 21st PMPC Star Awards. Sana Maulit Muli was later released in Taiwan under the PTS network, under the title Chances.
Chiu then launched her debut album Gwa Ai Di (我爱你; Minnan, "I Love You") under Star Records, which included the single Crazy Love. It reached a Gold Record status.
Gaining much recognition for her acting roles, she then starred in the movie I've Fallen For You under Star Cinema and continually appeared in numerous advertisements. In 2008, Chiu was cast in the Philippine adaptation of the South Korean TV series My Girl.
Her movie I Love You, Goodbye became part of Star Cinema's official entry to the 2009 Metro Manila Film Festival. It was Chiu's first role as a villain and her first film to hit P100 million mark, with her receiving several nominations under different award giving bodies including PMPC, 12th Gawad PASADO Awards and the 34th MMFF for Best Supporting Actress.
In 2010, she then starred in the romance film Paano Na Kaya, released nationally and internationally. She also starred in the well-received primetime drama, Kung Tayo'y Magkakalayo, the highest rating teleserye of 2010 in the Philippines. In October 2010, Chiu and Anderson teamed up again in the film Till My Heartaches End. In the midst of movie promotions, it was reported that the long-time couple (known as Kimerald) had split, yet the reason for the breakup was not discussed.
She top-billed in a weekly musical anthology series Your Song, as a sub-series for the 12th season called Your Song Presents: Kim. It ran for four months and led her to pair up with Sam Milby, Jake Cuenca, Pokwang, Derek Ramsay, Enrique Gil and Vice Ganda. In 2011, Chiu starred in romantic-comedy television series titled My Binondo Girl alongside Xian Lim, Matteo Guidicelli, and Jolo Revilla.
In 2012, Chiu starred in a horror film with Vilma Santos entitled The Healing. From this film, she received a number of Best Supporting Actress nominations from almost all of the film award-giving bodies, missing only the Gawad Urian and The Young Critics' Circle.
Chiu also returned to melodrama acting via Ina, Kapatid, Anak, alongside Xian Lim, Maja Salvador and Enchong Dee. The teleserye ended with an average TV rating of 30.3% provided by Kantar Media/TNS and was awarded the Best Teleserye of the Year (2013) in Philippine's Yahoo OMG! awards, leading it to be aired internationally as Her Mother's Daughter, released in foreign territories including MIPTV in France and at DISCOP West Asia in Turkey. Her portrayal also earned her an award for Best TV Drama Actress. She reunited in a movie with Anderson titled 24/7 in Love, Star Magic's ensemble film in view of the agency's 20th year anniversary.
She starred in a film adaption of Ramon Bautista's novel co-starring Xian Lim, Bakit Hindi Ka Crush Ng Crush Mo?, released on July 17, 2013. Her performance received positive feedback and critics praise in view of her first comedic role on the big screen. On January 2014, Chiu cemented her top star status with the romantic-comedy movie entitled Bride for Rent. The film achieved various milestones and established her as one of the country's top stars having both a successful film and television career. It was Star Cinema's first movie offering of 2014 and holds the title of sixth highest grossing Filipino film of all time, having grossed P325 million.
After the success of her two films, Chiu returned to television through Ikaw Lamang, a period drama series with Coco Martin, Julia Montes, Jake Cuenca and KC Concepcion, produced by ABS-CBN and Dreamscape Entertainment Television. The series currently holds the first and second place viewer rating in its time slot.[ This followed with the romantic comedy film, Past Tense.
On October 9, 2014, Walt Disney released an official statement and confirmed that she'll be part of an upcoming Disney project in Southeast Asia and will portray the character of Mulan.
Chiu enjoys traveling, extreme sports, shopping, and recreational activities like equestrianism.
Following her parent's separation in 1998, Chiu mostly grew up with her paternal grandmother and four siblings. She frequently moved residencies as a child, raised mainly in the Philippine Visayas; locating in Tacloban, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, General Santos City, Mindoro and back to Cebu City. She is fluent in Cebuano, Tagalog, English, Chinese with proficiency in Waray, Mandarin Chinese and Hokkien. As a child, she attended Cebu Cherish School and worked as a boutique cashier.
She had not spoken out about her family problem to her friends in her youth, until her involvement in reality television which led to the exposure. Chiu had relayed in the past that she had no contact with either of her parents. After five years of estrangement from her father, Kim reconciled with him in 2013 after visiting his home in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro where he lived with his second partner. She has half-siblings from her father's second relationship. A month after her meeting with her father, her biological mother, Louella, fell into a lifeless coma, which led Kim to rush to the hospital. Louella succumbed to brain aneurysm a week later and eventually passed away. After claims that it was affecting her work, the actress professed that everything dealing with her mother was "difficult [...]" Later, Chiu cited the reason for her success was the "belief of her mother's guidance" as a sign that her mother was "watching over her and her siblings."
Chiu privately dated co-star Gerald Anderson from 2006 to 2010. Chiu was then linked to actor and singer Xian Lim, after months of open courtship beginning in 2011. The relationship was never officially addressed until a July 2013 appearance on talk show Kris TV where they acknowledged they were dating exclusively. Lim was said to be a main support in the midst of the controversy over the death of her long lost mother.
Chiu joined the PETA campaign Free Mali along with Xian Lim. Chiu made a video plea for Mali, asking that she be moved to a sanctuary for the sake of her well being. In August 2012, she and Lim spearheaded a relief operation in Marikina. Participating in various charities, Chiu was heavily involved with relief efforts for Typhoon Yolanda, which had affected parts of her hometown. Aside from giving food and water, she also held a week-long clothes auction to raise money for Typhoon victims.
By 2013, it was also revealed that the actress was involved with regularly funding Isla Pulo, an impoverish community of 1,000 inhabitants in Manila Bay, Philippines.
Year | Title | Role | Company |
---|---|---|---|
2006 | First Day High | Indira "Indi" Dela Concepcion | Star Cinema |
2007 | I've Fallen For You | Alex Tamayo Reyes | |
2008 | Shake Rattle & Roll X | Joyce Ching | Regal Films |
2009 | I Love You, Goodbye | Melissa "Issa" Benitez | Star Cinema |
2010 | Paano Na Kaya? | Mae Chua | |
Till My Heartaches End | Agnes Garcia | ||
2012 | The Healing | Cookie Limguangco | |
24/7 in Love | Patty Escalona | ||
2013 | Bakit Hindi Ka Crush Ng Crush Mo? | Sandy Veloso | |
2014 | Bride for Rent | Raquelita "Rocky" Dela Cruz | |
Past Tense | Rosabelle "Belle" Garcia |
Album | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Album Title | Recording label | Certification |
2007 | Gwa Ai Di | Star Records | Gold |
2011 | Meteor Garden | Gold | |
2015 | Chinita Princess |
Singles | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Song Title | Album | Company |
2006 | Heartbreak Song | First Day High Soundtrack | Star Records |
2007 | I've Fallen For You Duet with Gerald Anderson | I've Fallen For You Soundtrack | |
Whisper I Love You Duet with Gerald Anderson | Paano Na Kaya? Soundtrack | ||
Gwa Ai Di | Gwa Ai Di | ||
Peng Yu | |||
The Moon Represents My Heart | |||
Crazy Love | |||
Mine | Sana Maulit Muli Soundtrack | ||
2008 | Pusong Lito | My Girl Soundtrack | |
2011 | Ang Hanap Ko (Ni Yao De Ai) | Meteor Garden Soundtrack | |
2015 | Mr.Right |
Soundtrack Albums | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Album Title | Recording label | TV series/Film |
2008 | My Girl Soundtrack | Star Records | My Girl |
2007 | Sana Maulit Muli Soundtrack | Sana Maulit Muli | |
I've Fallen For You Soundtrack | I've Fallen for You | ||
2006 | First Day High Soundtrack | First Day High |