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SOAP star visits the Inquirer office in Makati City.
Actress Kylie Padilla says her work as an actress clashes with her being a Muslim.
“In Muslim culture, you can’t be left alone with a man. You’re not allowed to look at him in the eyes, you should always look down. Nakakalusot lang ako (I just get away with things),” she tells Living Stars. “I refuse to believe that the female sex is the weaker one. If not for us, males will not exist. After all, we give birth to them.”
Kylie was supposed to portray the role of a Muslim girl who is secretly in love with a Christian boy in the series “Haram,” which GMA 7 had opted to discontinue due to its sensitive subject matter. The actress is now seen in the afternoon drama series “Unforgettable,” which will air its final episode on May 31.
Kylie says it was their being a Muslim that led her elder sister Queenie to leave show business for good. “She’s a devout Muslim. She felt out of place, like she didn’t belong in this business. I, on the other hand, love acting so much that I couldn’t leave it. This is why some people say I’m not a practicing Muslim. As an actress, I need to wear sexy clothes. I can’t defend myself from criticisms. I just keep quiet and work. I can’t do what my sister did.”
She insists that her dad, action star Robin Padilla, supports her decision. “He just reminds me not to go overboard. He dislikes partying, dating, drinking and, of course, drugs. I make sure I stay on the right path.”
Book collection
BOOKS on the late Marilyn Monroe, whom she finds mysterious and intriguing.
The 20-year-old actress is into reading “mystery” books, like the adult-fiction novel “Thirteen Reasons Why” by J. Asher. “It’s about a girl who commits suicide. Before she does it, she records videos of the 13 reasons why. She puts the videotapes in boxes and sends them to 13 people,” Kylie says. “I like it because I can relate to how she thinks and feels, although I don’t understand why I do. This is also why I became an actress, so I can express these feelings.”
She also enjoys “Looking for Alaska,” by John Green and has a collection of books on the late actress Marilyn Monroe, like “Marilyn & Me” by Lawrence Schiller, “The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe” by J. Randy Taraborelli, “Goddess” by Anthony Summers and the picture book “Metamorphosis” by David Wilde.
“I like her not only because she is one of the most beautiful girls in the world but also because I find her to be mysterious. She committed suicide while at the peak of her career.”
Video Games
SHE ENJOYS playing PlayStation 3 games with her siblings.
For Kylie, playing video games reminds her of the times she spent with her family while growing up in Australia. “It’s all we ever do when we hang out at home,” she recalls, adding that she enjoys playing the Sims, Devil May Cry, Tekken Hybrid and Biohazard Resident Evil on her PlayStation 3.
Artworks
Kylie keeps 10 notebooks, where she writes songs, poems, stories and scripts. She’s also into painting and drawing. “This artwork is inspired by the play of my Kuya RJ (Padilla, her cousin), titled “Maskara.” This is also inspired by my being an actress. You see, when you face the camera, it’s not really you. You play someone else.”
She then shows off her favorite painting, an image of a mermaid sitting and listening to a shell. “It has most of me in it. She’s shy, not looking at the camera but looking down. She’s listening—I’m not much of a talker but a listener. The way she is sitting also says that she’s shy. I’ve always wanted to be a mermaid.” Kylie says she started coloring and painting as early as the first grade. “That’s what I do when I’m bored. I also do a lot of doodles,” she adds.
Memorabilia
Kylie has kept a booklet on her defunct show, “The Good Daughter,” as a souvenir. “It was in this show that I got to explore myself as an actor. In my first show, no offense to the people I worked with on ‘Blusang Itim,’ I went to set feeling afraid. I guess we weren’t really the right team, we were incompatible,” she recalls. “Here, I go to work already in character. I know the script. My director and I understand each other. I really believe that you have to have a good relationship with your
teammates in order for it to work.”
Kylie usually goes target shooting with her dad. “The technique is to relax and breathe slowly. When you stiffen up, that’s when you miss the target,” she says, as she shows off her board riddled with bullet holes.
Cosmetics
MAKEUP must-haves
The actress prefers light makeup, or else she gets pimples from having to wear it all day at work. “I like Makeup Forever’s foundation. Maybelline has the best mascara while Napoleon’s best makeup is its eye shadow palette. Lush Lash has extenders that you put on before sleeping and when you wake up, you grow extra eyelashes. It looks good on girls like me with chinky eyes,” she says. “Amira is also one reason everybody is asking me why my skin is so nice. I apply its whitening cream before I sleep.”
To girls her age who are starting to use cosmetics, Kylie has these pieces of advice. “Protect your skin from dirt. I have nothing against using the tools of my makeup artists but I prefer to bring my own makeup and brushes. At least I know they are clean because I clean them myself. Also, never go to sleep with makeup on so your pores won’t get clogged.”
Clothes
A PAIR of denims from MSE that makes her legs look thin and sexy.
Kylie prefers pants that make the legs look thin and sexy. “It’s hard to find a pair of denims that really looks good on you, that’s why I love this piece from MSE,” she says. “A leather jacket is a Padilla trademark. You’re not a Padilla if you don’t own one. I like this from Miss Selfridge because it’s girly. Wearing it makes me feel powerful even if I’m a girl, like no one can push me around.”
“I’m either really girly or really boyish,” Kylie says as she shows off gowns that make her “feel like a princess.” She adds: “I used these for my Amira commercial. I like the flowing and soft fabric. They’re for a video that had a ‘Romeo and Juliet’ theme. It’s one of my favorite love stories.”
Eyewear
Police provides most of the shades that Kylie uses. She prefers the squarish frames because they compliment the shape of her face. “I don’t think eye glasses have to be branded. As long as I’m comfortable with it and it looks good on me, I’ll buy it. Society shouldn’t necessarily dictate what you should wear.”
Scent
Since Kylie has “a deep fascination” for anything Japanese, she loves the Japanese cherry blossom cologne by Body Shop. “I’m interested in Japanese culture, food, everything. When I went to the store and saw ‘Japan,’ I grabbed it.”
Gadgets
“I’m a BlackBerry girl but Instagram and Twitter have convinced me to get an iPhone, also because it has a notebook app where I put phrases and ideas that I don’t want to forget. The
iPhone is really just to feed my imagination. The case is from Shopaholic Honey, which gives me a lot of nice stuff.”
She prefers to use her BlackBerry Bold because of its keypad. “I’m not so good at sending text messages using a touch screen. I feel embarrassed whenever I send text messages with wrong spelling. ’Di mo na mababawi.”
Bags
EVERY girl should have her own LV bag, she says.
Kylie claims her mom, Liezl, is “addicted” to Louis Vuitton products. “I’m not. Why would I buy a bag that’s so expensive when I can get one with the same style for less? [Mom believes]… every girl should own one LV bag, so I bought myself one in Australia. I like it because it’s not the usual brown LV. I hardly use it; I’m just happy to have one.”
She adds: “The other piece is from Ooh La La, which is also from Australia. I like it because it’s so girly with all its frills. A good bag shouldn’t be too big. I get too comfortable putting everything in a big bag and before I realize it, the bag is already too heavy that it hurts my back.”
Shoes
SHE PROMISES not to buy more expensive shoes to save up for her new condo unit.
Kylie says her manager, Betchay Vidanes, has asked her not to buy more shoes, since she’s saving up money for her newly bought condominium unit. “I love shoes so much that when I shop, I have to get more than one pair. What I’m showing you is not even half of what I own,” the actress admits.
Her pair of red pumps from Betsy Johnson was bought in Australia. “I got this because the style is unique, also because it’s in red, my favorite color.” Her Nine West pair costs P8,000, Kylie notes. “I was sad on the day I bought it and I wanted to make myself feel good. I like it because it’s in silver, which to me symbolizes power. It also looks very feminine.”
She also has a pair of strapped peep-toes from Aldo in beige and peach. “They go well with just about any color of dress,” she points out. “Also a favorite pair is the black stiletto pumps from Call it Spring. Every girl has to have a pair of sexy black pumps. I wish I could say buy comfortable shoes but heels are never comfy. As long as you feel beautiful and can stand wearing it for hours, I suggest that you go for it.”
Photos by Jim Guiao Punzalan
