Julia Christine Botin

How Fil-Am 'Elio' lead star Yonas Kibreab found his superpower

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ABS-CBN News North America

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1750660728636Screenshot 2025-06-23 at 2.17.30 PM.png" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Fil-Am teen actor Yonas Kibreab and Elio</div>HOLLYWOOD -- When Yonas Kibreab popped out from behind a curtain to surprise this interviewer, greeting with a cheerful “Kumusta ka?” and a grin that lit up the room, it’s clear he’s not your average Hollywood teen actor.The rising star of Disney-Pixar’s &quot;Elio&quot; may play a kid accidentally mistaken for Earth’s ambassador to the galaxy, but off-screen, Kibreab is proudly representing something even bigger: himself.“I feel like it’s been a long time, but then it also hasn’t at the same time,” he says, reflecting on the two years since our last interview. “Time’s weird like that.”Back then, Kibreab was already building up his resume with shows like &quot;Pupstruction,&quot; where he voiced the lead pup Phinny. Now, &quot;Elio&quot; gives him something totally new and very personal.The movie follows a quirky, creative kid who doesn’t quite fit in until he’s yanked into space and has to prove Earth’s worth to a bunch of aliens. No pressure, right? But behind the cosmic chaos is a message that hits hard.“One of my favorite lines in the movie,” I tell him, “was when someone says, ‘Being unique can make you feel alone, but you are not alone.’” He nods enthusiastically when I asked if he related to the movie’s theme. “Yeah. Just like Elio, he’s a very unique kid. He’s very outgoing, and he doesn’t care about what people think, which is like a superpower. He’s taught me to be myself, because, you know, being myself is cool. And maybe if I’m weird… who cares? It’s cool.”<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/movies-series/2025/6/20/-elio-review-lost-in-space-not-in-translation-1526">&#x27;Elio&#x27; review: Lost in space, not in translation</a></div>That message of being who you are and letting the right people find you isn’t just movie fluff. It’s something Kibreab actually lives. He owns his theater kid roots, even when other kids tease him sometimes, and doesn’t sugarcoat the hustle behind child acting.“Sometimes you have to wake up at 4 a.m., go to sleep at 7, and skip hanging out with your friends,” he says with an amused smile. “One time, my friend’s little sister asked if she should try acting, and when I told her that, she was like, ‘Yeah, never mind.’”He laughs, but you get the sense that he’s proud of the work, and what it represents.“I’m so humbled that people, especially in the Filipino community, see me as someone to look up to,” he says. “Yesterday, I was helping my mom roll lumpia. She always gets mad when I mess it up,” he adds, smiling. “But I haven’t been doing it as long as she has.” The love for his culture is loud and clear, from his Tagalog greetings to how he talks about hoping to be a role model for Filipino kids who also want to be a performer. And yeah, he knows it matters.As for Elio, it gave Kibreab a new kind of acting challenge: voicing two versions of the same character. There’s “real Elio,” and then “Other Elio,” a perfect, rule-following clone who totally freaks out Elio’s aunt (voiced by Zoe Saldaña).“Other Elio is like… always taking orders. Elio’s the opposite,” he explains. “That’s how (his aunt) Olga figures out something’s off. Like, ‘Dude, this is not my kid.’”The dual role gave him a chance to stretch and and soak up advice from legends like Saldaña and his castmate Remy Edgerly. “We exchanged knowledge,” he says, casually. “It was really great.”So what’s next for the young star?“I want to do all kinds of movies,” he says. “My favorite genres are action and comedy… and I’m manifesting Spider-Man. That’s my dream role.” Also, yes, he also sings. He flexes that skill in &quot;Pupstruction&quot; and another project called &quot;Reimagined,&quot; where he belts out songs on top of acting. Luckily he’d been training for this since childhood. “It definitely helps,” he says. “Especially because I learned it at a young age. Being Filipino helps.”If there’s one thing Kibreab wants people to walk away with, from &quot;Elio&quot; and maybe from his story, too, it’s this:“Be yourself. That’s what this movie’s about. And eventually, you’ll find friends who are the same way and have the same interests as you.”

The rising star of Disney-Pixar’s 'Elio' may play a kid accidentally mistaken for Earth’s ambassador to the galaxy, but off-screen, Yonas Kibreab is proudly representing something even bigger: himself.

The rising star of Disney-Pixar’s 'Elio' may play a kid accidentally mistaken for Earth’s ambassador to the galaxy, but off-screen, Yonas Kibreab is proudly representing something even bigger: himself.

How Fil-Am 'Elio' lead star Yonas Kibreab found his superpower

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How Fil-Am 'Elio' lead star Yonas Kibreab found his superpower

ABS-CBN News North America,

Yong Chavez

Published June 23, 2025 02:48 PM PHT

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Elio

Yonas Kibreab

Disney

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