When he turned six and his dad treated him to Sylvester Stallone and Superman movies, Rafael became more specific. He wanted to be another Stallone.
Thus, it was no surprise when the Norwegian-born Rafael sent an application letter, complete with his photos and a video to ABS-CBN, where he was accepted as member of Star Circle Batch 9.
Starting Jan. 30, when his first movie Kung Ikaw ay Isang Panaginip hits Metro theaters, Rafael will finally take the first step toward fulfilling his dream.
He plays a billboard model Jolina Magdangal falls in love with.
"My parents (his Dad is a geologist from Cebu and his Mom is a midwife from Bicol) are really happy for me," Rafael gushes.
In fact, his Norway-based dad and a brother (Rafael has two, Ralech, 12 and Russell, five) are visiting the Philippines just to watch his first movie. His mom, on the other hand, collects magazines containing write-ups about Rafael.
Even though he finished high school at St. Olave, Norway (he also attended a theater workshop there), Rafael speaks fluent Filipino, with no trace of an accent at all.
Credit it to his parents, who must have instilled in him an appreciation of their native tongue.
At Norway, where his top priority was his studies, Rafael whiled the time away by playing basketball, baseball, soccer and watching movies.
His favorite international stars are Brad Pitt, Eddie Murphy and Sandra Bullock while among the local performers, it’s Aga Muhlach this promising newcomer admires most.
"Like Aga, I want to have a stable career and happy family so I can pass on to my children the good values my parents taught me," Rafael says.
The Blue Soda image model is Filipino in many ways. He appreciates the conservative values of Filipinas, as contrasted to their more liberated Norwegian sisters. Rafael also loves the challenge local showbiz offers, never mind if it is full of intrigues.
"It’s all part of the package, and as long as I, my family and close friends know the real thing, it’s all right with me," he says.
Rafael is having the time of his life, guesting in such diverse shows as the soap Tabing Ilog, Arriba Arriba, ASAP and Maalaala Mo Kaya.
No wonder his one wish these days is for more showbiz assignments and TV-movie exposures.
"I hope I stay long in the business," he says with a glint in his eyes.