RJ Rosales: From Banker to Broadway

His is the classic tale of passion overcoming fear. At 25, thespian, singer, and ASAP host RJ Rosales gave it all up—the suit, the Wallstreet Journal, and the prestigious corporate office. For a career in showbiz?! Nope. To follow his dream!

Don’t expect shy, monosyllabic answers to come out of RJ Rosales’s mouth. In a single breath, he eagerly spews his hopes, frustrations, favorites, pet peeves, celebrity crushes ("All the ASAP girls are pretty," he pronounces) ambitions, as well as regrets. After all, who could blame him? At 25, this up-and-coming singer has already led a colorful life, one that has transformed him from his old "nerd" self back in Australia ("I had glasses and braces!" he laughs.) to his current identity—a toned, muscled crooner who spices up the local Philippine entertainment scene.

But beneath his chiseled features lies the heart of a man truly living out his dream. "Singing is my first passion. I discovered this when I was six," he relates, referring to an age when most boys are too preoccupied with robot cartoons and action figures to even care about the rest of their lives. As he began singing at baptisms, weddings, and "almost everywhere", his love for music began to develop as well. However, the debate of practicality-versus-passion arose at a time when choosing a life path became inevitable. "When I had to choose a course for college, I kind of skimmed over my grades and saw that I was good in math. So I took that."

Thus, music took a back seat for a while as he pursued a more typical life as an Australian yuppie. "I was scared to tell my parents that I wanted to become a singer. I was pretty much set in becoming a professional, just like they were." He was well on his way up the corporate ladder when, one morning, while reading his paper and drinking his coffee, he ran across an ad that would lead him down an incredibly different path. The copy simply stated, "Auditions for Miss Saigon." The rest, as they would always say, is history.

Today, after Miss Saigon and the lead role of Chang in the musical Chang and Eng (where he was velcroed to actor Robin Goh—hey, they played Siamese twins), RJ finds himself pre-occupied with hosting at ASAP, as well as guest starring in a cornucopia of sitcoms at his mother ship, ABS-CBN. He occasionally struggles with his so-called dark side. "I have a very bad temper and I try to control it," he says. His main goal today, however, is to come out with an album early next year. "I’m putting together songs for the album, which will hopefully become hits, and I’m definitely planning a bar tour, plus some shows and concerts really soon," he keenly shares.

"The people whose careers I’d really like to emulate are Lea Salonga’s, who opened a lot of doors for every Filipino; Martin Nievera’s, who has always been a big inspiration for me even back in Australia; and Anthony Warlow (an Australian singer and actor). I set my goals, both in my career and as a human being, around him."

Indeed, RJ Rosales is a product of passion, talent, and sheer serendipity. "It’s been a year and I’m really thankful for everything. They say things come when you least expect them," he discloses. When asked what was the most special moment was in his career so far, he gasps. "Oh boy, every moment is special." He ponders for a moment, then answers. "I would have to say Miss Saigon. That’s when I took a chance and went for my dream."

And things were never the same since.