Before becoming the calm and composed filmmaker he is today, Xian Lim went through a baptism of fire and quite literally, with flying chairs involved.
The actor-director recently opened up about his early years in showbiz, when set life was less about artistic collaboration and more about surviving emotional dodgeball.
“Naranasan ko na kasi before yung masigawan, mamura, batuhin ng silya and, you know, being actually taken out of a project before,” Xian revealed.
The image of a young Xian ducking for cover from an airborne monoblock is both tragic and oddly cinematic — but it also became a turning point.
“I made a conscious decision that as a director, I don’t want to terrorize my actors,” he said. “Naniniwala ako na hindi na dapat takot ang basehan para makakuha ng magandang performance sa mga actors mo.”
Now that he’s calling the shots behind the camera – his latest directorial job is the upcoming Viva One series “Project Loki,” Xian is all about empathy and collaboration.
“As a director, I’m here to guide my actors and get the best performance out of them in a collaborative way,” he shared.
It’s a refreshing take in an industry notorious for “method” mentors who think fear equals focus. But Xian’s learned that a terrified actor doesn’t necessarily give a better performance — just a faster one trying to avoid another flying chair.
