Xian Lim As The Voice Of The Bear In 'Paddington 2', Talks About The Real Score Between Him & Kim Chiu

XIAN LIM was presented by Captive Cinema in a solo presscon as the voice of the popular British bear, Paddington. This is the second time for Xian to do this as he also voiced the lovable bear from the jungles of Peru in the first “Paddington” movie in 2015, which charmed viewers of all ages.
“I’m really very happy that they chose me again for ‘Paddington 2’,” says Xian. “It’s really a big surprise as I didn’t know the movie will have a sequel. Now, I feel grateful and honored to be part of the project again.”

For the first movie, Xian had to undergo some sort of audition. “We had to send samples of his work to the producers, first in Hollywood, then in London,” says Creative Cinema executive Maver Mayuga. “In both instances, they both liked Xian right away.”

Was Xian their only choice? “No, he’s one of three. But he’s the most qualified kasi he grew up in the

States and speaks fluent English. Also, ‘Paddington’ is about family and he comes from a good family and has also obtained good education. And we made the right choice. For ‘Paddington 2’, we had to send samples of his work again and nabigyan siya uli agad ng go signal.”

So how is it dubbing Paddington for the second time? “Mas mahirap nung first time kasi the experience was so different for me,” says Xian. “Dun ko na-realize na mahirap maging voice talent kasi wala kang ka-interact. Ikaw lang mag-isa ang sumisigaw, tumatawa. Tumaas ang respeto ko sa dubbers. But I enjoyed it so much, kasi you get to play around with the emotions. Doon sa first movie, ipinapakilala pa lang si Paddington na galing sa Peru. This time, kilala na siya at mas marami ng jokes at katatawanan. E, yung jokes niya rito sa Part 2, very Filipino ang dating so maraming viewers natin ang makaka-appreciate. Sa first movie, si Nicole Kidman ang kasama ni Paddington at dito sa second, si Hugh Grant naman. Sana, maging big hit din itong Part 2 para magkaroon pa ng Part 3 as doing such voice jobs is another feather on my cap.”

Also in the cast of “Paddington 2” are Hugh Bonneville of the popular British drama series “Downton Abbey” and Sally Hawkins who just won the Golden Globe best actress award for “The Shape of Water”. They play Henry and Mary Brown, the adoptive parents of Paddington, with their kids Judy and Jonathan. He has become an important member of their community, running errands for its people and making their life brighter. But his Aunt Lucy in Peru (Imelda Staunton), who raised him, is about to turn a century old and he wants to buy her the perfect gift, which is an old pop-up book of London. This becomes the highlight of the film with dazzling special effects as the pages of the book come to life with various animated styles and techniques. “The story of ‘Paddington 2’ is really very heartwarming and for the whole family, so don’t miss it,” Xian adds.

On the local front, Xian has just finished a sexy movie, “Paradise Island”, with Coleen Garcia and Nathalie Hart that is due to be shown in February. This is under the direction of Gino Santos of “Love Me Tomorrow” and “Ex With Benefits” who, Xian says, is even younger than him. About his love life, he becomes evasive when it comes to his relationship with Kim Chiu. “We don’t talk about it. Basta kung ano yung nakikita nyo sa’min, yun na yun.”

Didn’t they just have a vacation in Scandinavia during the Christmas holidays? “Yes, at ang dami naming napuntahang lugar sa Finland, Denmark and Sweden. Nag-enjoy kami kahit sobrang lamig. White Christmas talaga. It was my Christmas gift for her.”

And with that, you can draw your own conclusions as to what’s the real score about their relationship. We’re sure they didn’t go to those countries just to make visita iglesia.