[Exclusive] UNIS's Elisia Still Dreams of Acting: "I Want to Star in a Horror Film"

K-pop group UNIS member Elisia has not given up on her dream of acting while pursuing a career as a K-pop idol. She worked as a child actor and musical theater performer in the Philippines before joining the group, and hopes to take on roles suited to her age now.

In an interview with K-POPIT at F&F Entertainment's headquarters in Nonhyeon-dong, Seoul, on Sept. 22, Elisia recalled how she first became interested in K-pop. Her father encouraged her to watch Korean survival shows, including "The Unit," which featured Hyeonju, her future UNIS bandmate.

"My father loved survival shows," Elisia said. "He showed me ‘The Unit' and other programs so I could see how people worked toward their dreams." As she watched, she became drawn to K-pop and its performances. She told her parents she wanted to become an idol.

"I told them, ‘I'm sorry, but I want to be a K-pop idol rather than continue acting,'" she recalled. "Thankfully, they supported what I wanted to do." Elisia went on to audition for "Universe Ticket," the survival show that formed UNIS. Hyeonju said she had since met Elisia's father and heard the story herself.

Elisia still hopes to act again. "Even while promoting as an idol, I liked getting to act a little in music videos," she said. "I've grown up since my days as a child actor, so I'd like to try roles that fit my age now." She said she would especially like to play the lead in a horror project.

The response from friends in the Philippines has also stayed with her. "Friends I used to model with as a child reached out. Even friends who don't know much about K-pop told me they were proud that UNIS was doing well," she said. "Being loved in Korea and overseas still feels like a dream."

Elisia took part in writing "Milky Way," UNIS's final single and a song for the group's fans, released on Sept. 23. "When I first heard it, everything from ‘Universe Ticket' to now came back to me, and I got choked up," she said. "There was so much I wanted to express, in both Korean and English, that I ended up crying."

She worked to put those feelings into Korean. "The song is in Korean, and I didn't want to suddenly switch to an English verse," Elisia said. "I tried to express as much as I could in Korean."

UNIS announced the end of the members' exclusive contracts on the afternoon of Sept. 22, the day of the interview. "Some fans have supported us since the survival show, while others only recently discovered UNIS. I'm grateful to every single one of them," Elisia said. "I laughed and cried reading their letters. Thank you so much. I love you."