Rising star #RuruMadrid sat down with Esquire Philippines to talk about his journey in show business so far, from facing struggles early in his career, to landing the lead role in the hit teleserye Lolong, and to eventually winning his first acting award at the most recent Metro Manila Film Festival. #EsquirePHVideo #EsquirePHCover
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00:00Of course, I thought, this is just a bonus.
00:02They saw how hard you worked.
00:10So I started when I was 14.
00:13I joined a reality show called Brote J.
00:16And in that show, my mentor was Mr. Philip Salvador.
00:20He was also an action star that I looked up to.
00:23But prior to that moment, I have a core memory
00:26that when I was a kid, my father had an owner.
00:30And in that owner, I would ride.
00:33For example, I would play with guns.
00:35I would play with my two sisters, Rara and Rere.
00:40They would be the ones I would save.
00:42For example, I would play with guns.
00:44I would do fight scenes.
00:46So, since then, since I was a kid,
00:50it was clear to me that I wanted to become an action star.
00:56When I was a kid, I really loved watching action films.
01:00I was a big fan of Mr. Robin Padilla.
01:03He would watch all of his movies.
01:08Of course, FPJ, Cesar Montano.
01:12It was all about action.
01:18In my 13 years, of course, it was like a rollercoaster ride.
01:22At first, when I was 14 years old,
01:24it was like I was just playing.
01:26I couldn't see what an actor really meant.
01:30For me, at that time,
01:32I was just doing this to help my family
01:35so that we could get by in poverty.
01:37But that's when I realized
01:39that it's not all about the money or the fame.
01:42You have to love the craft
01:44to last in this kind of industry.
01:46Because in this industry,
01:48it's not easy to always fight for yourself
01:52because there are a lot of people
01:54who want to enter this industry.
01:56So we always need to show something new.
02:00I guess that's my mantra in life.
02:04I always want to push myself to my limits
02:07and to be the best version of myself.
02:09That's what's always on my mind.
02:12But we're not always happy, right?
02:16We're not always happy.
02:18Of course, there came a point in my life
02:21I guess that was my 10th year in the industry.
02:25I didn't have a project for two years.
02:27Then I reached a point
02:29where I was thinking,
02:31what's happening?
02:33I'm the breadwinner of my family.
02:35Of course, I was afraid
02:37not only for myself,
02:39but also for the people I love.
02:41I started to doubt
02:43why I wasn't doing anything
02:45because I'm not worthy
02:47because I'm not talented enough.
02:49That was the lowest point of my life
02:51where I thought I had a lot of friends
02:53but when I needed them,
02:55I didn't have any.
02:57I always compared myself
02:59to other artists,
03:01but I lost my drive and passion.
03:03After that,
03:05Lolong came in.
03:07I guess Lolong was the turning point
03:09in my career.
03:13The first Lolong in 2022.
03:15So when the day came
03:17that Lolong was released,
03:19I didn't expect
03:21that it would be that successful.
03:23That's when I realized
03:25that sometimes that's why
03:27we go through such trials
03:29to the point where we question
03:31our own abilities
03:33so that you don't take for granted
03:35the things that will come to you.
03:37Your head won't grow.
03:39You won't be able to camp.
03:41You won't be able to say,
03:43I did it.
03:45Sometimes we have something
03:47that we really want
03:49but we won't give it
03:51because there's more
03:53than we expect.
03:55After that,
03:57I said, whatever trial
03:59I go through,
04:01I know I can do it
04:03because that's it.
04:05Sometimes you have to go through
04:07that kind of hardship
04:09for success to be better.
04:11Well, to be honest,
04:13I wasn't the first choice
04:15for Green Bones.
04:17I went through a lot
04:19before I got Green Bones.
04:21I guess,
04:23two artists
04:25went through the same thing
04:27for my character.
04:29At that time,
04:31I was doing Black Rider
04:33and when I finished it,
04:35I was waiting for Lolong.
04:37Ms. Nessa,
04:40we thought of
04:42a role for you
04:44and we'll fight for MMFF.
04:46When I heard that,
04:48I said, wow, that's my dream.
04:50In my 12 years in the industry,
04:5213 years in the industry,
04:54it's actually the first time
04:56that I'm doing
04:58a Metro Manila Film Fest project.
05:00I said, I hope
05:02I can get it.
05:04I've been through a lot,
05:06I've talked to a lot of people.
05:08As soon as they sent me the script,
05:10I read it right away.
05:12I finished it
05:14in almost 2 hours.
05:16When I saw the last part,
05:18I said,
05:20this is for me.
05:22It's meant to be for me
05:24because it was very challenging for me
05:26because I was doing
05:28other projects
05:30but I had to prepare.
05:32But it was fun.
05:34I enjoyed every single moment
05:36of the whole journey
05:38or the whole process
05:40of making this film.
05:42From the preparation,
05:44characterization,
05:46to the actual shooting,
05:48to the voice-overs,
05:50I really enjoyed
05:52making this film.
05:58It's very challenging
06:00because most of the time,
06:02I don't have a dialogue.
06:04I don't talk.
06:06Most of the time,
06:08through my eyes,
06:10I have to show
06:12or make people understand
06:14what I want to say.
06:16My biggest winner here is
06:18my attention-focusing skill.
06:20You have to be very present
06:22in every moment.
06:24You have to be present
06:26in every scene
06:28so that people can feel you.
06:30If you don't feel it
06:32in your head,
06:34it's not going to work.
06:36I guess for me,
06:38that's the only thing
06:40I removed from myself.
06:42I don't have a bias.
06:44Whatever my character says,
06:46whatever my understanding
06:48of my character's reading,
06:50that's what I give up
06:52and how I relate to myself.
06:56When they offered me
06:58this project,
07:00what can I give
07:02to my character
07:04or what can I contribute to the film?
07:06More than the accolades
07:08or more than the awards
07:10that you think
07:12you should receive,
07:14I need to feel it more.
07:16I don't think
07:18I should win this
07:20because it's my first MMFF.
07:22It's not like that.
07:24When I was there
07:26and they announced
07:28that I was nominated
07:30for Best Supporting Actor,
07:32I was so surprised.
07:34Of course, I'm very grateful.
07:36I didn't expect that to happen.
07:38As in,
07:40I didn't expect anything.
07:44For me, to be a part
07:46of this kind of film
07:48like Green Bones,
07:50it's a huge honor for me.
07:52I'm so happy
07:54to be a part of this
07:56because I was just manifesting it.
07:58And then,
08:00I was with Kuya Dennis,
08:02who is also one of the
08:04most respected actors.
08:06That's when I was so relieved.
08:08It's like a bonus if I win an award.
08:10But,
08:12when I received the award
08:14and announced my name,
08:16I didn't have anything else.
08:18Thank you, Lord.
08:20I just closed my eyes and looked up.
08:22Thank you, Lord.
08:24When I got on the stage,
08:26there were a lot of big stars
08:28that I used to watch.
08:30But now, they're looking at me
08:32and they're patting me.
08:34I felt like I'm an artist.
08:36But, it feels so good in my heart.
08:38It feels like
08:40there's no equivalent to
08:42what I felt that night.
08:44To be honest,
08:46every time I look back,
08:48I can't stop being emotional
08:50just because
08:52it never occurred to me
08:54that it would happen.
08:56But, it did.
08:58I'm very grateful.
09:02This year,
09:04I want to
09:06focus all my
09:08energy here in Lolong.
09:10Because,
09:12as I said,
09:14Lolong is what changed my life.
09:16I want to pour everything
09:18that I can pour
09:20into this project.
09:22But, at the same time,
09:24after Green Bones,
09:26I want to make another movie
09:28that I know will challenge me
09:30as an actor.
09:32A story that will
09:34reflect the lives of Filipinos
09:36and the lives of people.
09:38It will give them
09:40a lesson
09:42and leave a mark on their hearts
09:44just like Green Bones.
09:46For me, it's challenging right now
09:48because it's hard for Green Bones
09:50to choose the right project.
09:52As I said,
09:54what's right for us will come.
09:56So, I'm just waiting.
09:58I don't want to look for it.
10:00I'm just letting
10:02what will happen to me in the future.