Actor and filmmaker Xian Lim has revealed that, like many artists, he once faced moments of failure — including being scolded, shouted at, and even removed from projects for not meeting expectations.
Lim made the candid revelation during the story conference and cast reveal for the upcoming Viva One and Cignal Play series ‘Project Loki’, a live-action adaptation of the hit Wattpad webtoon detective series written by Akosiibarra (Rhein).
“Siyempre, nadapa. Ilang beses na rin akong nadapa in my journey in my acting career. Maraming beses na rin akong napagalitan on set, nasigawan. Maraming beses akong hindi nakapag-perform, tinanggal ako sa mismong project,” Lim admitted.
Despite those experiences, Lim said he now wants to share his lessons with the younger generation of actors who will star in ‘Project Loki.’
“I wanna be able to impart with them kung ano yung mga pinagdaanan ko rin in the acting process… It’s my job here to guide them para hindi sila maligaw,” he said. “That’s my promise to them — na aalagaan kong mabuti yung characters nila, and I will make sure that each character will shine for this project.”
The series will feature Marco Gallo, Jayda Avanzado, and Dylan Menor in the lead roles, alongside Yumi Garcia, Martin Venegas, Joanna Lara, Love Yauco, Michael Keith, M Drew, Kent Domingo, Iven Lim, Ashley Diaz, and Kurt Delos Reyes.
‘Project Loki’ marks Xian’s comeback as a director after focusing on personal endeavors, including his passion for flying.
When asked which role fulfills him the most — actor, pilot, or director — Lim answered thoughtfully: “Napakahirap ng tanong. Mahirap kasi i-compare at sabihin na one is better than the other. But what I could say is I feel at home… I feel my heart is at its happiest every time I am behind the camera.”
Lim expressed his admiration for the cast, describing them as eager and full of potential.
“They’re stars in the making, diamonds in the rough. I am very proud of all of them,” he said.
The actor-director also emphasized the importance of working with new talents.
“It’s a challenge and a blessing as well because they’re fairly new in the industry. Hindi pa nahahaluan ng bad habits, and that’s a good thing.”
‘Project Loki’ follows a group of students forming the QED Club to solve crimes and uncover the identity of a mysterious mastermind known as ‘M.’ The story revolves around Loki Mendez (played by Dylan Menor), an anti-social genius, and Lorelei Rios (Jayda Avanzado), an observant investigator determined to find the truth.
As Lim officially takes the helm of the series, he promises to honor its source material and deliver a faithful adaptation.
“We will do it to the best of our abilities. We will give justice to the series dahil it’s a masterpiece,” he said. “We just wanna stay true to the source material. Hindi lang basta kinuha ang ‘Project Loki’ tapos iibahin namin ‘yung kuwento. We will do our best to execute it as close as possible.”
“This is an adaptation, so makikita ninyo in the flesh ‘yung mga paborito ninyong characters,” Lim added.
With production set to begin soon, Lim says he is excited to start filming and grateful for the opportunity.
“Laking pasasalamat din po yung dumadaan sa puso’t isipan ko ngayon. Being given this opportunity means a lot to me. It feels great to be the director of ‘Project Loki.’”
