This A-Profiler we bring you Kimee Balmilero, perhaps best known for being one of the five members of the television show Hi-5. We find out what it was like to audition for Hi-5, what she has been doing during the show's hiatus, and what we can expect from her in the future. We also discover she likes to introduce people to Filipino and Hawaiian food! Yum!

Your site URL:
www.kimeebalmilero.com
www.kimeejay.com

What is your ethnicity?
Filipino. Both my parents were born in the Philippines, but my dad was raised in Hawaii.

You are best known for being one of the members of Hi-5, at least with parents with children. How did you become one of the members and what was the audition process like?
Long. We all went in individually at first. We were asked to sing a pop song and tell a story from our childhood. I sang, "Let's Hear it for the Boy," one of my favorite songs, and I told a story about me and my cousin Eric in 3rd grade. Eric used to meet me at my classroom after school. My teacher saw him standing in the doorway and she asked him if we were related. His response, "No. We're just cousins." I'll never forget that.

What is it like being on Hi-5?
It's Wonderful. Not only is the show super fun to do, but the fans are just amazing. I talk about them all the time because the experiences that we've had with them have been nothing short of magical. Not only the kids, but the parents have been awesome too. We have created so many memories and I will forever hold them dear to my heart.

As a child, did you always have aspirations of being a performer?
Well, to be honest, I never thought of doing it as a "Serious Job." In high school, I wanted to work in the Hotel Industry, being an event planner or something. I've just always had fun performing. Whether it be dancing, singing, acting or just goofing off and making people laugh. I'm an only child, so I had to entertain myself a lot of the time. Which usually meant holding interviews with myself in front of a mirror. I did grow up with 10 other cousins though, so it was a constant battle for my Grandma's attention. Together we would re-create scenes from our fave movies or dress up and do fake music videos. Good times.

Were your parents supportive of your creative endeavors?
Yes, always. My Dad loves to sing and play on his guitar. My Mom used to dance back in the Philippines, but now enjoys watching my Dad and I be silly. My earliest memory is my parents helping me memorize my Shel Silverstein Poem for a speech festival when I was 6.

Having performed on Miss Saigon and Mamma Mia, did those shows help you prepare for Hi-5?
ABBASOLUTELY! A big part of Hi-5 is touring with a live stage show, so being comfortable on stage definitely helps.

Did you expect the success and notoriety that Hi-5 has given you?
Yes and No. When we started the show, we all knew it was something really special. We were having so much fun doing it that it was a bonus to see how many people were watching it an enjoying it as well.

Any interesting stories about being recognized by fans?
Oooooh...I have a good one. I had just moved to LA and the show just started airing earlier that year. One of my best friends was baby sitting and asked if I wanted to go with her to the playground. I wanted to hang out with her and I love playgrounds, so of course I went. We were hanging out and talking when all of a sudden this woman grabs my shoulder and says, "Oh My God!! You're Kimee!!" I felt a little bad at first because I thought she was an old friend of mine that I didn't recognize. I responded with, "I'm sorry...do I know you?" and she said, "My kids love you on Hi-5!" That's when it clicked. I ended up in the middle of the playground taking lots of pictures with her and her kids. It was sweet.

You also have your own line of jewelry which you call Kimeejay (www.kimeejay.com). What inspires your jewelry creations?
Lots of things inspire me. Friends, colors, flowers...one rule that I live by is I won't make anything that I wouldn't wear myself. If I'm not happy with my products, then there's no love and what's the point? I'm having a lot of fun designing and I've gotten a lot of great feedback so that's awesome.

Are you looking at expanding your business into other fashion areas?
Most definitely! I'm working on clothing and bags right now. A really good friend of mine is a designer and we want to start a children's clothing line together. She's just had a baby and a lot of my friends are starting families, so it just feels like the right way to go. I'm also a huge fan of lots of colors and mis-matching, and kids are not afraid of either of those things. They just like to have fun with everything and there's nothing wrong with that.

You are currently on hiatus with Hi-5, as are all of the other members, is that hiatus going to end soon and will you all be back for more Hi-5 goodness?
Nothing is scheduled as for right now, but you never know. We love filming and touring, so hopefully we'll start some Hi-5 fun again soon.

During this break, what have you been doing to keep yourself busy?
I've been keeping myself busy with a lot of fun stuff. Our hiatus started in October, so the holidays hit me pretty hard. I actually took advantage of the time off by spending almost 3 months back home in Hawaii with my family. I'm back in LA now working on my jewelry line "Kimeejay," my web show "Mee Time" and other projects. I've started hosting a show for "MyAlohaVibe.com" which is an online restaurant guide in Hawaii. Think of it as a Myspace for restaurants. The show itself is similar to Rachel Ray's "Tasty Travels," but with a Kimee Twist. We're going to start showing episodes online and hopefully start airing them on TV both in Hawaii and elsewhere.

Your online videos called "Mee Time" have been entertaining to watch. Any aspirations to be a host of your own talk show?
Well thanks for tuning in! I'm having a lot of fun doing "Mee Time" and have been getting a lot of emails asking for more episodes. I would love to do more Hosting. I really enjoy talking to people and finding new things to do.

What can we expect from you in the future?
Fun! Who knows what else I'll be doing, but no matter what it is, it'll always be a good time. Unless I get cast in some really depressing drama.

When you have free time, what are some of the other things you enjoy?
I just like spending time with my friends. Whether is grabbing a bite to eat, shopping, bowling or sitting on the couch watching "Project Runway," my friends and loved ones are everything to me and I wouldn't be who I am without them.

I've read you enjoy cooking. Any dish you make that everybody always asks the recipe for parties?
Funny you should ask, because a friend of mine called me the other day begging for my Adobo( A Filipino dish) recipe! It was so cute. I don't know if there is a specific dish that everybody asks for, but everyone always seems to enjoy my cooking. I like going to restaurants and trying out their recipes at home. It's worked out pretty well so far. I also really like introducing people to Filipino and Hawaiian food...now that's good stuff.

Finally, what advice do you have for aspiring performers trying to land a role like Hi-5 or on Broadway?
Never give up is the best advice any one could give you. As long as you wanna do it, always believe in yourself and keep going for it. I'm a girl from a little island far from the bright lights on Broadway and honey...if I can do it...so can you!!

Any final words for your fans?
Thank you guys so much for your endless support and love. I can't say this enough...YOU GUYS ROCK!!!

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This issue of A-Profiler is brought to you by Nelson Wong.
Special thanks to Kimee Balmilero.

Photos used with permission.
Copyright retained by original copyright holder(s).