Filipino-Argentinian actress turns to K-pop: Lapillus member Chanty – aka Maria Chantal Videla – shares the story of her fresh start

By Dong Sun-hwa Starting again from scratch may not be the most desirable thing, especially when one has had a pretty smooth career.

Nevertheless, high-profile Filipino-Argentinian actress Maria Chantal Videla ventured into the world of K-pop and debuted as a member of rookie girl group Lapillus in June 2022, with her new name, Chanty.

When a friend of her father first made her an offer to go to Korea and join a new K-pop girl group, the 20-year-old was hesitant.

She loved working in the Philippines, where she had been successfully expanding her repertoire, appearing in popular TV shows like Spirits: Reawaken (2018) and Starla (2019-20) and films like Familia Blondina (2019).