“I really had a fun birthday dinner in her beautiful home,” he says. “Heart is really so sweet and she’s like a God-sent angel to me, along with her super nice husband, Sen. Chiz, and our co-stars in ‘My Korean Jagiya’, Janice de Belen, Ricky Davao and my GMA Family. I had fun bonding with everyone who came and I ate so much good food. I feel so blessed. Praise the Lord for giving me such an unforgettable birthday this year.”
Xander was born in Hong Kong on July 29, 1988 and he’s half Korean, ¼ Portuguese and ¼ Chinese. He can speak 7 languages: Korean, English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Spanish and Portuguese. After being a member of the South Korean boyband U-Kiss from 2008 to 2011, he went solo and debuted as an actor in the TV drama “Immortal Classic” and in the Singaporean film “3 Peas in a Pod”. He’s currently hosting Arirang TV’s “StyleCast 2017” and the radio show “Double Date”. As a singer, he recorded the gospel song “A Long Long Time Ago”, “The Kimchi Song”, “Nobody”, “Looking for the Day” and “I Just’.
“It was hard to go solo because you have to handle the work, the social pressure, all by yourself. But eventually, I learned to enjoy all the joys and pains of being on my own. I also gained more confidence and I consider this chance to act on Philippine TV a big break and a great blessing for me.”
Does he miss his colleagues in U-Kiss? “Oh yes. Honestly, I miss everyone. We had a lot of good times together. I hope we’ll be given the chance to enjoy being together again but, unfortunately, everyone has gone to different directions. But going solo has its advantages because you can do whatever you want. Before, there is less freedom because there are many of us in the group. And I’m glad that from performing on stage, I am now into acting, so I’m very happy right now.”
Since he’s now 29, does he think of starting his own family soon? “No, not yet. I have to find my special someone first. In Korea, most guys marry later, like in their mid-30s or late 30s. Maybe I should really start seriously dating, but right now, I’m so busy working, so God bless me. I’m just praying that ‘My Korean Jagiya’ will be very successful when it is shown.”
