Ruru is on the right track

MANILA, Philippines - Life is also about making choices. That’s why Ruru Madrid never had second thoughts on chasing his dream by joining GMA 7’s Protégé: The Battle for the Big Artista Break. With his innate talent for acting and boyish charm, he made it through and became part of Top 6. Even if the title went to someone else, Ruru has never faltered to live his dream. And he is on the right track.

“I think I made the right choice,” says Ruru. “Acting is my passion.” The 15-year-old lad from Marikina is now seen weekday afternoons in Paroa: Ang Kuwento ni Mariposa as one third of the Ruru Madrid-Derrick Monasterio-Barbie Forteza love triangle. “I have a daily show,” adds Ruru. “I get good exposure. Others like Jeric Gonzales and Thea Tolentino have a weekly show Teen Gen. I think GMA has better plans for all of us.”

His performance in Paroa has impressed many. This is already a pat on his back for portraying his character well. It will set Ruru’s career pace.

“In Protégé, we were taught and molded by our mentors,” he recalls. “This time, we can stand on our own in terms of acting. It boils down to me to act naturally and to put myself into my character. I’m applying what I have learned from Protégé.”

The word Protégé always reminds Ruru of his mentor, Phillip Salvador.

“I just have to be natural in my acting,” Ruru shares his Tatay Ipe’s pieces of advice. “I don’t have to act. But I have to be natural in playing my character. According to him, I should never give up and do what is expected from me. So, I will do everything (to meet expectations).”

Fans are not the only ones Ruru has been winning with his budding career. He is also getting the admiration of fellow teenagers. Why? Ruru can juggle showbiz and school.

“There’s a special arrangement between my school and me,” says the second-year high school student at the National Christian Life College (NCLC). “They send me extra school work or reading materials. I’m determined to finish my secondary education. Doing showbiz is not permanent. It’s different when you’ve earned a degree.”

What are the sacrifices Ruru has made since he entered showbiz?

“I don’t have time for my family and friends,” he answers. “I used to go out with them. I tape thrice a week (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays). My Sundays are allotted to Party Pilipinas.”

After Paroa, which will have its finale episode on March 1, Ruru will head to Mt. Pulag for the international festival-bound Above the Clouds under the direction of Pepe Diokno, winner of Venice Film Festival Lion of Future award. This is Ruru’s first taste of acting for an independent film.

“In the story, my parents died because of Ondoy,” he says. “Pepe (Smith) plays my grandfather, the only relative I have. He lives in Mountain Province. I will go there and take the chance to meet him. But we’re not close. It’s heavy drama.”

His character’s encounter with a natural calamity is not far from Ruru’s real-life experience. The then 12 year old witnessed the wrath of Ondoy as his family’s three-storey house fought against the floods spilling over Marikina River.

“I did a VTR for the role,” says Ruru. “Direk Pepe thinks that me and Pepe Smith have chemistry onscreen. He asked me to share my Ondoy story. I told him about my experience like seeing a cadaver floating. I swam to save kids. I wasn’t afraid because I’m a swimmer myself. I can relate to my character.”

That sealed the deal for Ruru to star in Above the Clouds. The cameras will start to roll on March 7. Ruru will also be seen in My Lady Boss, and there are rumors that he will be paired with Barbie in a Kapuso teleserye.

If everything is coming up roses for the dead-ringer of a kart racer-turned-actor, it’s because Ruru has his “own appeal” and considers doing showbiz “a big blessing.”