How ‘KimPau’ sees fan culture in their 30s
Kim Chiu and Paulo Avelino aren’t a “love team” in the strictest sense. For starters, they’re not exactly wide-eyed teen hopefuls in need of a career break; they’re both established and bona fide stars well into their 30s. Their first series, “Linlang” (2023)—a mystery thriller centered on a toxic marriage and infidelity—definitely doesn’t inspire kilig.
And the collaboration, at least at first, didn’t seem like it was meant to be anything but a one-off.
But their chemistry proved so unexpectedly potent that people latched onto them as if they had just discovered a new, next big thing. In a sort of role reversal in the traditional showbiz model, it was as if their fans who ended up selling the idea of the two together to the powers that be—not the other way around.
Too old for love teams
Producers sensed the buzz, and soon came follow-up projects: a Filipino adaptation of the Korean drama “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim?” (2024), the romantic comedy film “My Love Will Make You Disappear” (2025), and their latest offering, “The Alibi,” on Prime Video.
Now, Chiu and Avelino, at 35 and 37, respectively, find themselves christened with a classic, two-syllable love team tag of their own: “KimPau.”
“Feeling ko nakasanayan na lang ‘yan kasi unique ang term na ‘love team’ dito sa Pilipinas. I don’t see it that way. Maybe let’s leave that term to the kids, to the younger generation—parang bagay sa kanila,” Avelino tells Lifestyle Inquirer with a laugh. “Parang ang tanda ko na para ma-label as a love team.”
Perhaps the more fitting word or phrase is “tandem” or “onscreen partnership.” Because, as Avelino sees things, it’s “about us playing different characters and tackling unique stories, more than us working together regularly.”
Still, it’s undeniable that their working relationship—regardless of what you call it—gets the full love team treatment and all its trappings: a legion of ardent fans, viral hashtags, gifts of food on the set, block screenings, billboards, free streaming platform subscriptions, and more.
“Ganyan talaga sila”
At the recent premiere of “The Alibi,” for instance, some 45 KimPau groups put up a show of support. Avelino is no stranger to fan adulation. But since he had never been part of any official love team, what he’s seeing now is something he still can’t quite wrap his head around.
“‘Di naman bago sa ‘kin ‘to, but everything just feels heightened,” he says. “When you work with big stars like Kim Chiu, you have to know that they come with massive followings.” To which Chiu quips, “Napaka-OA!”
“‘Di pa siya sanay… Na-shock siya na may iba-bang grupo pala ng KimPau,” shares Chiu, the one vastly experienced navigating such a setup, having been part of two major pairings that shaped her career: “Kimerald” with Gerald Anderson and “KimXi” with Xian Lim.
“I think 45 groups attended, and Pau was like, ‘Umabot na tayo sa ganun?’” she adds. “I told, ‘Ganyan talaga sila.’”
It goes without saying that Avelino is the more reserved of the two. But while he has always valued his privacy, he’s fully aware of the effort the fans put in just to show their love. He notices all the banners, the posters hung on gates, and even the stickers of their faces on passing motorcycles.
“I’m thankful,” he says. “That’s time and effort they won’t get back, but they gave it to us anyway.”
For her part, Chiu sees the springing up of fan groups as a sign that she’s fulfilling her job as an entertainer. “They do that kasi sobrang mahal nila kami. In turn, they all become friends, too,” she says. “This is something you can’t just ask or demand from people.”
Learning from each other
While Chiu helped Avelino ease himself into fan culture, Avelino has been similarly instrumental in guiding Chiu toward more mature projects.
Both actors are products of reality shows: Chiu from “Pinoy Big Brother” and Avelino from “StarStruck.” The trajectories of their careers, however, couldn’t be more different.
Avelino has pursued a more experimental filmography, with forays into indie (“Ang Sayaw ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa”), a historical epic (“Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral”), and several projects where he played morally gray characters (“Fan Girl”).
Chiu, on the other hand, has been one of the biggest and most consistent forces in mainstream entertainment since the late 2000s, starring in several box-office hits (“Bride for Rent” and “The Healing”) and top-rating soap operas (“Tayong Dalawa” and “Ina, Kapatid, Anak”).
Which brings them to “Alibi,” a mystery drama series that follows Stella (Chiu), a struggling dancer and escort whose life becomes even more complicated when she crosses paths with Vincent (Avelino), heir to one of the country’s biggest digital news empires. Vincent turns out to be a prime suspect in a high-profile murder case, and, in a desperate attempt to save his reputation, he strikes a deal with Stella to serve as his alibi.
There’s murder, there’s blood, and the occasional show of skin. It’s nothing new to Avelino, but intense and risky enough to be considered “daring”—“the most daring yet,” in fact—for Chiu.
“My genre is so far from what he does in his world. Mine is colorful with lots of pinks and rainbows and butterflies,” says Chiu, a romcom and melodrama veteran. “But ito ang mundo niya na very serious! If you trace my journey from where I started, you would never imagine I would end up here.”
And she must admit, she really felt the pressure to keep up with Avelino’s acting. “When you do heavy scenes with him, kailangan mo siyang habulin, kung hindi, maiiwan ka,” Chiu says.
Avelino has been nothing but generous, though, in helping her co-actor stay focused and intense—all while making the set feel safe during intimate scenes. “You have to have intent,” he says. “Of course, like with any friend or coworker, your relationship grows and trust is earned the more you work together.”
This is the kind of working dynamic Chiu and Avelino hope to foster and deliver time and time again—whether you call them a love team, a tandem, or onscreen partners.
“We’re fine with any,” Chiu says. “As long as we do our jobs, and the fans feel happy and inspired, that’s all that matters.”
