| Filipina actress Kim Hidalgo set to conquer Hollywood |
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 BALITA EXCLUSIVE: HOLLYWOOD make room – there’s another Fil-Am on the rise, following in the likes of half Filipinas Vanessa Hudgens (of “High School Musical” fame), Tia Carrere (“Wayne’s World”) and Phoebe Cates who is best known of course, for her memorable red bikini scene in “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” (the 80s teen flick which also coincidentally launched the career of a very young Sean Penn). But let’s face it – time moves fast, and nowhere is this more apparent than the fickle world of Hollywood. Phoebe stopped acting after marrying Oscar winning actor Kevin Kline, Tia peaked in the 90s and Vanessa is so 2008. Now, the Filipina in Hollywood to watch is Kim Hidalgo, who is set to star in the upcoming “Ball Don’t Lie,” a feature film with an impressive ensemble cast including Nick Cannon (“Drumline,” “Wild ‘N Out”), Rosanna Arquette, rapper Ludacris and even 2009 Oscar nominee Melissa Leo. “They were all great to work with,” Kim says of her famous co-stars in an exclusive interview with BALITA. “Everyone was really nice and I learned so much from them.” Working with such a heavyweight cast was especially daunting for Kim given that “Ball Don’t Lie” was her first ever feature film audition, where she amazingly ended up landing the female lead.
“Yeah, a lot of people really took a chance on me,” Kim laughs, commenting on her unknown status coming into the audition. “I’m definitely grateful to them.” Kim, who was born to a Swedish and British mother and a Filipino father, is originally from the Bay area. After moving to southern California to attend the University of Southern California (USC), she started going on auditions in L.A. her junior year, though acting was not her major at the time. “It’s funny because I was actually a communications major but I’ve always loved acting, especially doing musical theatre,” Kim, who has played parts in such productions as “South Pacific” and “Splendor in the Grass,” explains. Her Hollywood break-through role comes in “Ball Don’t Lie,” a coming-of-age film adapted from the popular novel written by Matt De La Pena. The film centers around a talented high school basketball player named Sticky (played by fellow newcomer Grayson Boucher), who struggles to overcome emotional scars from an early life tragedy, a difficult foster care system and his resulting obsessive-compulsive disorder. Kim plays Annie, Sticky’s girlfriend, who besides basketball is the only thing the 17-year-old basketball prodigy really cares about.
“In the book, Annie is actually half Vietnamese,” Kim elaborates. “When I first read the script, the breakdown just called for an Asian actress. Since I happen to be half Asian [Filipino] that part of it turned out great. I have that half Asian flare,” she laughs. Kim also has great things to say about her co-star Grayson Boucher, who actually plays on the Street Ball AND1 Mixtape Tour, an elite traveling basketball competition and exhibition sponsored by the basketball apparel manufacturer AND1. In fact, he is better known by his street ball nickname “The Professor.” “Grayson is an actual basketball player and that was really important for the producers of the film,” Kim says. “Everyone really wanted to make sure that the basketball aspect of the film is really authentic, so all of the basketball scenes in the film are shot with real, actual basketball players, not just actors.” Besides “Ball Don’t Lie,” which comes out this June, Kim has another upcoming film titled “How to Save a Life” which she shot last summer. The film revolves around the character Jake Taylor, an all-star athlete who must change his life after a childhood friend's death. Though both “How to Save a Life” and “Ball Don’t Lie” are dramas, Kim tells BALITA that she would actually love to try her hand at all film genres. “I mean, I would definitely love to do everything, though of course I’m more comfortable with drama,” Kim says.
And Kim lets her eclectic tastes show, citing everything from French films “La Vie en Rose” and “Amelie” to the more crude humor of Judd Apatow (who produced such blockbuster hits as “Knocked Up” and “The 40 Year Old Virgin”) as her favorites. Surprisingly, given her early success where she basically bypassed grueling supporting work and countless auditions for a leading role in a major feature film, Kim is also refreshingly humble for an actress. When asked which photo of herself she would like to use to accompany this article, the obviously photogenic Kim laughs “Oh gosh, I hate taking pictures!” “Pick whichever one you think is best.” And trust us when we say this – a statement like that is uncharacteristic for both up and coming and seasoned actresses alike. It is clear that Kim, who also dances and sings, has a bright career ahead of her – and she doesn’t take it for granted that she will soon be the face representing Filipinos in Hollywood. “It’s great,” Kim says enthusiastically when asked about being able to represent her Filipino heritage. “I know that there haven’t been so many opportunities for Filipino actors out there, but I think now there are definitely starting to be more opportunities. I’m definitely proud to represent Filipinos.” Kim, whose father is from Ilocos, also hopes to visit the Philippines one day. “I’ve always wanted to go but I was either too busy or didn’t have the money at the time,” Kim says. “But I definitely want to go soon.” (By Antoinette Bueno/BNS) 
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I HOPE SHE WILL MAKE A GOOD ACTRESS NOT DOING THOSE BAD MOVIES PROMOTING
