KC Concepcion makes acting comeback via H’wood indie ‘Asian Persuasion’
Actress-turned-jeweler KC Concepcion makes acting comeback via Hollywood indie “Asian Persuasion.”
While she thinks show business in the Philippines “can be very invasive,” actress KC Concepcion says she is grateful to be a part of it because acting is her way of “making a mark” for herself.
KC plays the lead in the Hollywood indie movie, “Asian Persuasion,” alongside Filipino American actors Dante Basco and Paolo Montalban, under the direction of Tony and Grammy winner Jhett Tolentino. The romantic comedy will premiere at the 2023 Soho International Film Festival in New York later this month.
“It’s not easy for someone like me who already had a role right after she was born. My life is like a reality show. From the moment I was born, I was already the star of the show of my life,” said the daughter of Filipino celebrities Sharon Cuneta and Gabby Concepcion.
“I don’t see it in the same way as a lot of artists see it. Others chose this kind of life. For me, I didn’t really have a choice not to involve the public in my life. Admittedly, there were times when I tried to keep my life private. I kept saying, ‘Just give this one chance for me to think of myself first, to allow myself to make mistakes and learn from them,” explained KC as to why she chose to stop working in the biz temporarily.
Certified jeweler
Her last project on the big screen was released in 2013. She then launched her own jewelry line in 2018 called “Avec Moi by Kristina.” In 2020, she became a certified jeweler after finishing three courses at the Gemological Institute of America.
“I always think that I still have a lot to learn and improve on. Growing up with a Megastar for a mom and a papa who’s just as famous, you will never really feel that you’re good enough. That’s why it feels good to hear other people say it. I never left show biz. I hope to never leave it,” KC pointed out. “I’m grateful for it because hilig ko talaga s’ya.
“When I was young and my mama would bring me to ABS-CBN with her, I would try to observe people, especially the actors who eventually became my friends. I said I would also like to try it in the future. I’m thankful that I was given my own place here.”
‘Need to evolve’
KC admitted that she didn’t expect she would “lay low” from show biz longer than she did. “It’s just that I became busy doing other things, like trying my hand at business. I needed to evolve. As an artist, I think it’s natural that you’re always looking for new ventures, especially when you’ve reached a level of success where you know you can do more things,” she pointed out.
Starting her own jewelry business was something she has been wanting to do, KC said. “Jewelry, glamor and the movies have always been connected. Just like Elizabeth Taylor and her jewelry, I’ve also wanted to do that. I didn’t expect that this would be my comeback, that I’d be seeing all of you again at this time,” the actress said.
KC started working on “Asian Persuasion” in 2021. “I was in Los Angeles working on my gemology diploma and for some reason, I kept getting invited to events like movie premieres and TV series launches. I also got a call from Jhett saying he had a script he wanted me to read. He first got in touch with my mom, who later gave her blessing for me to do the project. My mom encouraged me to do it because it’s something new. We always joke that the biz is a family business, but this is really our world. It’s more than just a business for us,” she stressed.
KC immediately liked the material. “I didn’t even ask for a talent fee. I just said, ‘I’ll do it. It’s mine!’ In the past, I had to attend workshops to improve my Tagalog. When I got the script, nalula ako because it’s all-English. This meant that I had to unlearn acting in Tagalog and relearn acting in English,” she said. “I hope that people will enjoy it because it’s a fun film.
Shooting the film
“The topic is really exciting. I know a number of people who went through divorce, so I wanted to understand it. This movie shows us that getting a divorce is not always depressing, that there’s a lighter side to it, that life has surprises and they don’t always have to be that dark.”
“Asian Persuasion” is the story of a down-on-his-luck chef, Mickey (Dante), who cooks up a crazy scheme to marry off his ex-wife, Avery (KC), by setting her up with a fake internet dating profile in an attempt to find her a suitor to remarry in order to avoid his substantial alimony obligations. With the help of his trusted wingman, Lee (Paolo), Mickey gets off to a hot start, until he realizes that he wants a second chance with Avery.
KC shot the film for a month and a half in New York City, but she ended up staying there for six months. She claimed to have enjoyed working on the set, and added that all the workshops and training that her bosses in ABS-CBN made her attend have paid off.
She said, “If not for them, I would surely be lost. I felt intimidated by the other cast members in the beginning, but I later realized that they’re so humble and supportive. They made me feel like I have a place alongside them.”
KC continued: “I think that’s also the biggest advice I can give to artists who are from the Philippines: You have all the right to be on that stage or on that set because you’re an artist. Art is a universal expression. It is not bound by race. We see a lot of Korean dramas that we think are good, even though we don’t really understand them. I had a good experience working on the film. I realized, ‘Pwede pala.’”
“Asian Persuasion,” made with a budget of $2 million, will have its nationwide theatrical release in the Philippines on Nov. 29. The film, written by Mike Ang, will participate at the Soho IFF from Sept. 16 to 17.