Paulo: Happy with career and personal life

In real life and off-screen, he is soft-spoken and can strike you as a bit shy. Even when he faces the press, his answers are measured, and he’s not as talkative or as gregarious as other actors.

But put him onscreen and Paulo Avelino seems to instantly transform. A lot of people remember his intense performances in TV dramas like Walang Hanggan and Bridges of Love where he showcased a totally different side of himself. He will get another chance to do this when he joins the cast of the top-rating Dreamscape drama On The Wings Of Love (OTWOL) as advertising executive Simon, the new boss of Nadine Lustre’s character Leah. Based on the show’s official character description, Simon will come in as a sort of third wheel that will shake up the relationship of Clark and Leah a bit.

Paulo is excited to be joining the show, even if his character is a bit on the kontrabida side, a fact that might invite bashers and negative comments. “Di naman maiiwasan ‘yon na madala ang tao sa pinapanood nila na character,” he says. “Pero hindi naman ako nag-join sa show para sirain ang pagiging magkaibigan nila,” he explains.

As an actor, he has done mostly dramatic and intense roles, so for OTWOL he needs to make some adjustments. But that is something that he has come to expect with every role that he takes on.

“Siyempre, laging may adjustment,” he says. “Bawat adjustment, medyo iba, but for me, that’s never-ending. As an actor, you always adjust. Maraming nadadagdag sa alam mo, pero mas maganda ‘yon kasi parang continuous ang learning.”

Ever since he moved to ABS-CBN, Paulo has been kept busy, working on project after project, and that’s not even counting the ones that aren’t network-produced. Sometimes it gets physically and mentally exhausting, says Paulo, but when he feels that way, he thinks of his future, which — aside from it being his passion — is the reason he got into show business in the first place. “Oo, napapagod din ako, medyo tumatanda na rin kasi (Paulo is in his late 20s) pero kailangan pag-igihan ang trabaho para sa mga pinapangarap sa buhay.”

Right now, his priority is his career. He wants to seize all the opportunities coming his way to the point that he’s willing to let his private life take the backseat. Paulo was formerly linked to mega-daughter KC Concepcion, but their relationship fizzled out before it could go the distance.

Since then, there have not been any reports of Paulo getting into a new relationship, or seeing someone. He’d rather spend his time studying the characters he plays instead of getting into a relationship right now. What he is in a relationship with right now is his career. Paulo sees every role as a challenge because it forces him to tap into his creative juices. He likes three-dimensional characters, or those that stretch him as an actor.

“That’s why I always look for something broken about them,” he says, adding that, “Challenge sa akin lahat ng roles ko, like for instance, coming from Bridges (of Love), ibang-iba siya dito sa gagawin ko sa On the Wings of Love.”

The challenge he is facing in On the Wings of Love is two-fold: First, he is joining a show that is already successful and has a built-in audience and solid following built around the JaDine love team, and second, that Leah is a woman who is brilliant and yet has an air of mystery about her. He is intrigued by those types of women.

Despite this, he is excited to be working with James and Nadine. “Medyo late na ako papasok sa show, but it’s an honor dahil alam naman nating hit ang OTWOL,” he says. “Working with the love team, I’m pretty excited sa mabibigay kong bago, na mayayanig at palalakasin pa lalo sina Leah at Clark as characters sa show.”

He addresses the JaDine fans: “To the JaDine fans, thank you for the welcome. I’m just here as an actor, baka kainisan ako sa show, but I’m really just here to inspire everyone.”

Paulo is very happy with the way his career and life are going. On a scale of 1 to 10, he’d rate things as they are now as a 9. Why not a perfect 10? Paulo quips: “Para may room for improvement.”

What is his Christmas wish? “Hindi showbiz pero ngayon ang daming terror attacks, and not just in Paris. I just wish it would stop, and that everything would be peaceful for humanity’s sake.”