Rhian's new leading man, TV projects, and album

CEBU, Philippines - It’s difficult to imagine now, but once upon a time, Rhian Ramos felt a pang of envy towards her sister because their relatives often gushed about her elder sibling’s beauty while she was praised sparingly. Which was why she was prompted at a very early age of 13 to get rid of her bulge and attain her sister Nadine’s svelte figure.

During Rhian’s recent appearance in Cebu, she wore a simply-cut dress bereft of accessories—not even stud earrings or a single ring on her finger. She said she prefers it that way because she has never been a fan of accessories and only wears them when she needs to. Well for someone as naturally pretty as her, adorning herself with piles of jewelry isn’t necessary because she sparkles on her own. She could wear a sack or just roll out of bed and still look good, thanks in part to her Filipino-British genes. The FREEMAN asked her if she grew up always confident with her looks.

 “Oh no! I was a chubby little kid,” she quipped. “Nadine is two years older than me and I remember every year when we have a family reunion, syempre sabay kaming piniprisinta ng mga parents namin sa mga relatives. Then always our relatives would tell my sister, ‘Wow Nadine, you’re growing up to be such a beautiful little girl!’ Then they would look at me and say, ‘Rhian! Ang cute cute mo pa rin.’ Kasi wala na silang ibang ma-compliment. So I always felt bad. I think I was a smart little kid because I knew they were just trying to be polite. Kaya naiinggit ako sa sister ko.”

As a result, Rhian turned to swimming three times a week and heavily cutting on her food intake. Not really healthy to have body issues at such a young age but she seemed to have disciplined herself without resorting to extreme deprivation.

 “It was a conscious effort at such a young age, kasi ayun nga, I was inggit. I didn’t eat as much. I have this thing kasi na when I’m sad, bored or even when I’m full, I eat. So that’s why I got so big. I just made a conscious effort to stop. Now I go to the gym three times a week. Kasi when I was 13, in a span of months, pumayat na ako so parang it left some skin. I have to work out to make sure nothing hangs,” she said.

Now aged 19, there is not a trace of the chubby girl she once was, only a model figure that others would die for. While Rhian fulfilled her dream to become an actress, Nadine (who once dabbled in modeling and briefly in showbiz) went to culinary school and is now managing a club.

Rhian just got back home from an almost week-long stay in New York where she promoted GMA Pinoy TV along with other GMA 7 artists. After taking a break when “Stairway to Heaven” wrapped up, she’s now ready to return to the acting grind via her upcoming primetime soap and a comedy sitcom.

Her soap has a tentative title of “Romana Santa” and will pair her for the first time with Starstruck discovery Aljur Abrenica. “Natapos na din finally yung ‘Last Prince’ niya kasi yun din yung hinihintay namin,” she said.

She clued us in on her character and how the story will run. “I will have certain abilities that normal people don’t have. My father fell in love with a not-so-ordinary person and I am their offspring. I have a sister and we’re in love with the same guy which is Aljur’s character. The story escalates from when we were small until we grow up. It’s gonna start with family problems, about friendship and what can ruin that and then how me and my sister react to one another.”

Will this be a much more dramatic portrayal than her last role as the ill-fated Jodie in Stairway? “I wouldn’t say more dramatic but there’s much more going on. Yung Stairway, we successfully made it as dramatic as it was because we focused on the small details. Kung merong nangyari, we’re gonna do a five-minute scene about how I feel. But this one will be much bigger than that. The first few weeks you’ll gonna see a very different me. I’m gonna do some stuff that you won’t expect me to do.”

Rhian has already bonded with Aljur at least on two occasions and attended a mini workshop with him to prepare for their respective roles. Paired with older actors before such as Dingdong Dantes, Richard Gutierrez and TJ Trinidad, Aljur (20 years old) is the leading man that’s closest to her age. We’d just have to watch out if the young stars will have chemistry on screen.

 “The first time we saw each other after finding out about the show was in this huge event. And then we were talking the whole night. When I had to leave, he made me hatid outside to my car. He is a gentleman and mild-mannered. You can tell na nahihiya siyang gawin but he makes an effort to be friendly,” she described Aljur.

Her comedic timing will likewise be tested in GMA 7’s newest sitcom, “Kaya ng Powers Ko”, topbilled by Joey Marquez, Rufa Mae Quinto and will also include Elmo Magalona.

 “This is my first sitcom and I’m very happy to be part of this pagkatapos ng lahat ng pag-iyak na ginawa ko with my other roles,” she said.

Last year, Rhian dabbled in recording when X-Play Online Games Inc. (X-Play) and Bellhaus Entertainment Inc. launched her singing career with the “Audition Dance Battle” dance album. This time around, she will be releasing an all-original album that will feature her own compositions.

 “My album is coming out this year. It’s been a lot of hard work and pouring out of a lot of embarrassing emotions. There’s no title yet. When everything’s finished, I want to pick the album name and the carrier single last. I want to release it a week before my birthday so that by the time my birthday comes along, everything’s set na. My birthday is on October 3 so probably around September,” she shared with excitement.

 “That’s why it’s taking so long because I want it to be something that I can defend. I don’t want it to go out and go, Ay, naubusan kami ng oras. Ay, siya nagsulat nun eh. Of course, my only hope is everyone likes it di ba? But just in case someone comes up to me and says, You know what, I didn’t like this song. I can defend it because you know what, this was how I felt, this is the story behind that and this is why.”

Asked to describe her sound, she compared her upcoming album to the music of Pink. “I really like Pink because whatever the emotion of her song is, that’s what her genre is. She can sing slow when it’s sad, she can sing rock when the song calls for a lot of energy. That’s how my album is because when I read the lyrics of my song and I’d feel the words would need energy, then I sing it that way.”