January 23 ------ British-Filipino child actress Xia Vigor, who first made a name for herself when she became the grand winner in the “Mini Me 2” contest of “It’s Showtime” (2014), was merely five years old when she bagged the cash prize and house and lot. “My mom and I saw this line for an audition and we queued for four hours,” Vigor told ABS-CBN News. “We didn’t know that was for ‘Mini Me.’ But I was blinded by the [klieg] lights inside the studio and I didn’t perform. Nakatulala lang ako.” Surprisingly, Vigor was called anew to audition. “That was really surprising because they asked me to return,” Vigor recalled. “There, I already performed.” She rendered Selina Gomez’s “Love You Like a Love Song.”
Showbiz is apparently the ultimate go-to for Vigor after arriving in Manila from the UK. After doing TV commercials, she appeared on TV and eventually the big screen. From “Ang Probinsiyano” (2015) on TV to director GB Sampedro’s comedy flick, “Mang Kepweng Returns” (2017), Vigor was doing well as far as her showbiz career was concerned. Her last film assignment was her first dramatic salvo, director Nuel Naval’s “Miracle in Cell No. 7,” which became a top-grossing entry in the 2019 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF). Vigor was only 10 years old when she got to work with Aga Muhlach, Joel Torre, John Arcilla, JC Santos, Mon Confiado and Soliman Cruz. It was her impressive performance when she sang Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me” on “Your Face Sounds Familiar” that was shown to Viva’s big boss Vic del Rosario, who gave his nod to Vigor’s memorable role in “Miracle in Cell No. 7.” Then, the pandemic came. Vigor experienced what was it like to be out of the limelight, for a change. “Noong nag pandemic na po, my mom decided to go to our province,” Vigor shared. “When she was young, she had the experience of climbing trees, biking around the village. Tabing dagat din ‘yung house namin sa Mindoro. “I was able to do different things for the first time which I never did when I was still in the city, even in England. I enjoyed the peaceful life in Mindoro in Paloan and Mamburao. I got to plant rice and different vegetables like pechay and onions in our garden. “I was really grateful that during the pandemic, we were there. Our village was COVID-free. I learned a lot with that decision that my mom did. We stayed in Mindoro for more than three years. “Then, my mom asked me if I still wanted to be in showbiz or we could just return to England and I could go back to normal school. But I think hilig ko talaga and passion ko in being part of the industry. I miss acting and doing movies. I didn’t have second choice. “Alam ko rin that when you are an actor, you are given that influence in social media. I want to take that opportunity where I get to have my platform to inspire other people. Sana magtuloy-tuloy na po ito.”
Turning 15 this June, Vigor surprises everyone who sees her today as a pretty young lady. “Those who approach me for photos got really surprised. Ang reaction nila, ‘Huh, si Xia ba ito? Hindi ‘yan si Xia dahil bata pa ‘yun.’ “A lot of people still don’t recognize me. Because they still remember me as a kid. I get excited when I see their reactions.” Vigor gets a chance to do comedy for the first time and she was thrilled to co-star and be directed by singer-comedian Janno Gibbs in “Itutumba Ka ng Tatay Ko.” “It was such an honor for me to have Tito Janno as my dad in this movie,” said Vigor. “I realized while working with him, how passionate he is even if it’s the first time for him to direct. He was very detailed in every scene. “Like what Tito Anjo [Yllana] said, we were like working with a veteran director. Sobrang creative ni Tito Janno in many scenes. He knew all the details. He helped me a lot in the comedy scenes, because this is my first comedy movie. I’m not really used to doing comedy. “Dapat pala exaggerated ang mga facial expressions. Para mas good vibes. So Tito Janno really helped me a lot in this movie. I don’t mind doing another comedy movie with him.” After “Itutumba Ka ng Tatay Ko,” slated to be shown in local theaters starting January 24, Vigor also embarks into recording. She also devotes time to her advocacy, Save the Children Philippines of WWF (World Wildlife Fund).
In her future film assignments, Vigor expressed her desire to work with Sarah Geronimo, as well as veteran stars to learn more about her craft. One particular film that Vigor mentioned was the action-thriller, “Hannah,” starring Saoirse Ronan as an assassin. Vigor enjoys the support of her dad who is based in the UK. “He is always very supportive,” she said. “He came last December and spent the holidays with us.” She has an older teenage brother who completes their small family. Her mom, meanwhile, extends her hands-on support to her career. “She’s the one who’s always with me everywhere I go to, whatever I do,” Vigor said. “She prepares everything I need whenever I have shoots. She packs everything for me. She’s very supportive to me.”
Source: news.abs-cbn.com