‘Where’s the toilet?’ Pinay actress on ‘Start-Up,’ shooting with Suzy, and what it’s like to be in K-dramas

Ever since K-dramas in 2020 became a huge part of lockdown life, fans have been finding ways to nurse their post-finale blues by exchanging insights on dedicated social media pages, or vicariously visiting the sets through Korea-based Pinoys, like actors Cherish Maningat and Nash Ang who were on “Dr. Romantic 2” and “Arthdal Chronicles” respectively, and vlogger Imee Lee who visited the filming locations of “Start-Up.”

It’s been a month since Start-Up’s final episode, but fans of this coming-of-age Korean drama are far from over it. The series remains in the Top 10 of Netflix Philippines, with rewatch and catch-up sessions rekindling the rollercoaster emotions it incited.

The K-drama also tickles Pinoy fans in one particular scene: Dalmi (played by Hallyu star Bae Suzy) goes to the coffee shop she works at, and sees a crowd of stans (hardcore K-pop fans) for a BTS-like group called JKN gathered together after hearing that the band might be holding a guerrilla concert there. One of the fans asks Dalmi where the “toilet” is. 

Yes, she’s Filipina.

That actress is Melanie Melencion, and Start-Up isn’t the first and only Korean show she’s on. She moved to South Korea from Cebu after getting married to a Korean national in 2013. She’s now a single mom of three, working as an English teacher, actress, and commercial model in Seoul.

“Pagdating ko dito sa Korea, wala talaga akong trabaho. Isa po akong housewife that time,” she says. Melanie decided to study the language and culture to be able to adapt right away, at the same time earn some income as an English teacher. She found related work as an English and Filipino translator for the Korean police, particularly in her district, Itaewon, which has a large number of foreigners. “Nag-aral din po ako [as] beautician,” she says of her experience working in a salon in Seoul. “May certificate po ako [in] makeup, hairdo, naggugupit.”

But Melanie’s dream job, she shares, has always been to become an actress or singer: “When I was 16 years old, nag-try po akong nag-audition sa ‘Starstruck’! Hindi lang siguro ‘yun ang pagkakataon na ma-discover ako.” Little did she expect that the opportunity would come in a foreign land, when a Filipina friend tapped Melanie’s son to work as an extra for a drama. “Sabi niya, ‘Melanie, mag-audition ka kasi nagpapa-audition si Direk.’” The director asked Melanie to portray a gamut of emotions, and she laughed and cried and read Korean lines with no hesitation. “First talaga na audition ko, tapos sunud-sunod na.”

That audition was in 2016 for the critically acclaimed “Burning,” a psychological thriller film starring Yoo Ah-in and Steven Yeun that created a buzz among awards circles. The other shows she worked on did similarly well. “Where Stars Land” (2018) is a drama on the lives of airport workers in Incheon, which had an episode about a Filipino couple whose special case caused a moral dilemma for the immigration officers. “Live” (2018) is a police drama that is now being adapted for American television, featuring Washington DC’s Metropolitan Police Department with a young African-American cop as the lead. “Voice” season 3 (2019) follows the lives of emergency call dispatchers who save lives based on the voices seeking help. 

“The Golden Holiday,” released in December, features veteran actor Mon Confiado as the main Filipino villain. Melanie met the actor in Busan, where she shot her scenes as the general manager of a Philippine bank.

She also does guest appearances on Korean variety and talk shows, as well as commercials. Her latest one is in post-production, a public advertisement promoting South Korea’s COVID-19 safety protocols. “Ito po yung pinaka-big na project ko. Kalimitan pag public advertisement, big stars ang kinukuha pero ito, iniba nila,” she says. “Ako yung main talaga. Ina-advertise namin na pag nagta-travel ka sa Korea, hindi mo kailangang mag-worry.”

So far, the characters Melanie played have been limited to a few speaking lines, but she’s more than happy to be working as an actress on projects like these without having to audition for roles. “Ganito pala ka-trending yung Start-Up … dream come true talaga.”

Especially after her appearance on Start-Up, more people from the Philippines got curious about Melanie’s life in Korea and her brushes with the entertainment industry. The most common question she gets: What’s it like to work with Suzy?

“I’m very flattered,” she says. “Si Suzy, she’s very famous, alam ko ’yun. Sikat siya sa Pilipinas.” But Melanie doesn’t get starstruck, “kasi nga, ’yun nga ’yung work ko, marami na pong mga big star na nakilala ko, kasabay ko pa nga sa pagkain, nagko-coffee kami, nagkukuwentuhan kami.” Pinoy fans are hoping she’d get to work Lee Min-ho, a Hallyu star of the same calibre as Suzy’s (and incidentally, her ex-boyfriend). As for dream roles? “Wala pong problema sa ’kin kahit ano!”

Restrictions are being tightened again in South Korea to curb the surge of COVID-19 cases. Apart from having to homeschool her children and leave them with her mother-in-law when she has work, Melanie says she isn’t worried about the production industry, having seen how K-dramas are able to continue shooting throughout the pandemic. After all, her own life is a series of unexpected opportunities and perfect timings.

“Sa mga kababayan ko po na may dini-dream, huwag po kayong mawalan ng pag-asa. Sipag at tiyaga lang po,” Melanie says. “Huwag niyo pong madaliin, kasi may darating na para sa inyo talaga.”

With more and more K-dramas becoming more and more diverse both in topic and in casting roles, we might just see actors like Melanie in bigger roles, soon. – RC, GMA News