BACK in December of 2022, Jowable actress Kim Molina announced in an Instagram post that she would be joining the Ateneo Blue Repertory in its staging of Zsazsa Zaturnnah the Musical… Yun Lang!, which ran from March 17 of 2023 up to April 2. 

Molina saw her participation in the musical as her comeback to theatre, where her journey as an actress first started. From acting in local productions of plays to being named the Most Promising Female Star for Movies back in 2020, the growth of this actress due to her talent and range can be seen by anyone with a working pair of eyes.

Where, then, did it all start for Molina? How has she built her way up to get to where she is now? 

Here is a short list of shows where our newest Zsazsa Zatturnah showed off her talent.

1. Aileen in Rak of Aegis (2014)

The one that truly started it all, Rak of Aegis was Molina’s first-ever lead role in her theatrical career. 

The story revolves around a young woman named Aileen who hopes to grow famous on YouTube and guest star on Ellen. She faces challenges in her journey, including dealing with life in the flood-prone Barangay Venezia. 

Molina, during her theatrical run, played the lead character Aileen and belted out the songs of the popular Filipino band, Aegis. She was amazing in her role, even though this was her first. For her portrayal of Aileen, she won the Gawad Buhay Award for Outstanding Female Lead Performance in a Musical. 

Back in 2021, she reprised the role alongside Aegis for an online concert entitled #RakWithAegis. 

2. Luli in #WalangForever (2015)

In this comedy film, viewers are introduced to the characters of Mia (Jennylyn Mercado) and Ethan (Jericho Rosales.) Mia is a bubbly, happy-go-lucky writer of sappy rom-coms who has her life turned upside down when her ex-boyfriend, Ethan, suddenly returns to her life out of the blue.

Here, Molina plays Luli, Mia’s kind, loving, and quirky best friend.

This movie was an entry into the Metro Manila Film Festival and received six awards in total, including those of Best Original Story, Best Screenplay, and Best Picture. Molina herself received a New Movie Actress of the Year nomination in the Star Awards for her role. 

3. Joan in Camp Sawi (2016)

In this comedy film, five different women head to a boot camp called Camp Sawi, a place where people go to heal from their heartbreak and dating mishaps. 

Starring alongside Arci Muñoz, Andi Eigenmann, Bela Padilla, and Yassi Pressman, Molina played a woman named Joanne. Their coach, Louie (Sam Milby), tries to help them get through their heartache and move on toward better things. 

This raunchy comedy highlights Molina’s comedic prowess, showing a new side of herself to the audience with her character’s harsh manner. This is a darker persona compared to what people may be used to seeing from her.

4. Minnie in Miss Granny (2018)

Based on the South Korean comedy-drama film released in 2014, this story looks at the life of a woman named Fely Malabao, an old widow who works at a karinderya. 

After suffering from a sudden collapse one day, a strange turn of events finds Fely suddenly turning back into her younger self. Realizing that she has several opportunities now that she’s young again, she pursues a new dream of being a singer, taking on a new identity: that of Audrey de Leon.

In this film full of twists and turns, Molina acts as a young woman named Minnie. Minnie is the daughter of Bert, a friend of Fely with whom she’s been close her entire life. She plays the grumpy, possessive role amazingly, and the film is a great adaptation of its source material, given the number of awards it was able to garner later on.

5. Masked Singer Philippines (2020)

Different from the rest on this list is one of Molina’s most recent artistic ventures: her becoming a judge on the local edition of the Masked Singer. 

And given her history performing in theatre in productions such as Tarzan, Carrie the Musical, and most recently Zsazsa Zaturnnah the Musical… ‘Yun Lang!, her credibility as a judge is no question. 

In one interview, Molina even said that when she was invited to the show, she thought they were inviting her to be a contestant.

“I didn’t imagine myself na makukuha as a judge kaya sobrang grateful ako for that opportunity,” she said. 

The second season wrapped up back in 2022, and we hope to see another season featuring Molina once more in the years to come.