Pauline Lopez enters showbiz as part of Anne Curtis’ “BuyBust 2!”
Taekwondo champion and Pinoy pride Pauline Lopez is set to wear another hat as she is set to enter show business.
The award-winning athlete will make her acting debut in “BuyBust 2,” the action film headlined by Anne Curtis and directed by Erik Matti.
But before plunging into acting full-time, select members of the press, including FreebieMNL, had the chance to get to know more about Pauline and how a Taekwondo champion made her way to show business.
Here are some of the things you have to know about Pauline:
Pauline’s father initially did not want her to have Taekwondo as her sport
Pauline has been doing Taekwondo since she was 8 years old. But originally, this was met with apprehension by her father, who also used to play the sport.
In fact, he was supposed to fight in the Asian Games until, Pauline shares, “Natamaan siya sa mukha and ano na po, as in, his career ended.
“So, he vowed, he will never put his kids in the sport. He never wants that to happen to us, because I have an older sister and a younger brother.”
But when they moved to the United States, Taekwondo “found its way back” to her father and started teaching the sport.
It was when Pauline had a realization that she wanted to play the sport as well. However, her father expressed objection.
She says, “He said, ‘No. It’s a man’s world. It’s a man’s sport. You can’t do it.’
“Of course me, as a stubborn young kid already at that age, you can’t tell me I can’t do something just because I’m a girl. No, no, no, no. Let alone, tell me I can’t do something? No!
“So, I was just very persistent and he put me in along with my siblings and we saw potential. I just kept winning tournaments. And then when I turned 13, that’s when he really saw that he could go to a higher level.”
Pauline has been taking acting workshops since 2019!
Currently, Pauline is being managed by Virtual Playground, headed by Dondon Monteverde. The management is also home to other artists and athletes such as Ricci Rivero, Miggs Cuaderno, Dustin Yu, Rob Gomez, among others.
When Pauline signed up with the management, acting was something that she wanted to pursue.
She recalls, “The acting came in around 2019 when I was talking to my management and they showed me, ‘Are you open to this,’ and they put me in workshops.
“I obviously wanted to do it. Parang it’s a challenge, something new. Just like in America, you have to work hard for it, you have to study, and I really loved it. It’s different. Different vibe.”
Acting workshops became an eye-opener and some sort of therapy for Pauline, especially for someone who studied Psychology.
“My course in Ateneo is Psychology. So, it’s the study of people, how they, how and why they think what they think.
The workshops really, are more of a therapy, I learned more about myself. I learned how to understand—you acting feelings or even actions that happen in your life.”
“BuyBust 2” is Pauline’s first experience in acting
What makes Pauline more blessed in getting a role in “BuyBust 2” is she had no acting experience yet before getting cast in the film.
At the time she was doing workshops, Pauline was still busy with her competitions for Taekwondo.
“Along with that, I was still competing [in] the SEA Games, Asian Championships, and qualifications for the Olympics. So, although the sports are still there, workshops are still happening.”
Alongside her workshops, she had been training for action stunts, which served as her asset to be able to join the cast of “BuyBust 2.”
“I was doing action training also, alongside workshops, and then obviously with the help of our management and, you know, knowing the role, they probably felt that I was fit, maybe.
But um, when I got the official letter that I got cast, I was very shocked na ito pala! It was a blessing in disguise. And, I don’t know, we’ll see.”
Right now, she’s not yet allowed to divulge information about her role in “BuyBust 2,” but Pauline is willing to undergo more workshops and action training to be more effective for the role.
READ ALSO: COMPLEX COUNCIL: Pauline Lopez
Pauline has met Anne Curtis, the lead star of “BuyBust 2”
What makes Pauline more excited about her on-screen debut is that she gets to work with Anne Curtis.
She was also able to meet her during one of their workshops for action scenes.
What can she say about Anne, dubbed as one of the superstars in showbiz?
“Oh, very down to earth. Very kind as well, and honestly, very sweet. And I’m very excited to work with her.
“It’s a dream because ever since I was a kid, she was a role model. [She’s a] very empowering woman, businesswoman, mother, action star, everything in between. So, I look up to her and what she does.”
Speaking of training, Pauline enjoys how they are training for the action stunts needed in the film.
“Oh, I loved it. It felt like a playground to me because anything that has to do with guns, kicking, punching, and all of that, something that I truly love.
“So when I saw that with everyone there, it was a really great experience.
“We also did horseback riding. So that’s something that, at first I thought I was going to be scared [of]. But parang na-enjoy namin talaga.”
READ ALSO: Anne Curtis Shows New Tattoo For 2024
Pauline has her own Taekwondo school
As a way of giving back to the sport she loves the most, Pauline also established her own Taekwondo school called Shero located in Bonifacio Global City.
Here, she coaches students who are interested in learning Taekwondo, which she really enjoys.
In fact, one instance she wants to share was how she was able to grant scholarships to two students who really wanted to learn Taekwondo but can’t afford the fees.
“We have two students who are my scholars. So, they actually sent me an email saying, ‘I’m not able to pay for the rig, but what I do want to do is, I would apply for a scholarship program.’
“And then, I saw their training video, I saw their medals, and I agreed, yes, why not?”
It’s a program that Pauline wants to try because, from her experience, Pauline was also a scholar in the United States, which is another blessing knowing how expensive school is.
On January 28, Pauline organized a Taekwondo competition called MAPATA (Makati, Pasay, Taguig) Taekwondo Championship at the Amoranto Stadium, Quezon City.
A lot of kids who aspire to be the next Taekwondo champion participated in the successful event.
Right now, while Pauline is already pursuing show business, she does not intend to leave the sport through coaching more aspiring Taekwondo champions in her school.
Banner Art Paulo Correa
