Who is Romeo Joven anyway?

The word is out that there’s a new reality show on Philippine TV that opens the gates of Hollywood to Filipino actors. The auditions (which will be aired on the show’s first two episodes) were held at the ABC studio complex and real talent surfaced. TV/film talents and stage actors went through the mandatory interviews and rigorous (sometimes funny) screening led by directors Boots Plata and Armida Siguion-Reyna, and the Fil-Am producer (also the mind behind the show) Romeo Joven.

But with the buzz on the show Hollywood Dream, several questions also lingered in the Pinoy entertainment grapevine, the most important of which is: who is Romeo Joven? He promises Hollywood movie (Wrinkles and UN Murders) roles plus other attractive incentives (including a Screen Actors Guild Card and appointments with Hollywood and New York casting directors, commercial producers, etc.) to one brave Pinoy artist who will win the reality series, but does he really have what it takes to make this dream come true?

Romeo’s resumé reads remarkable credentials. It says he is a producer, writer and director, whose productions, which include TV shows (he was casting director for CBS), TV commercials, films, musicals, concerts and cabarets, have been seen all over the world. He earned degrees both in Film and Television, Anthropology, and Political Science from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts (NYU) where he graduated cum laude. Aside from being the current President of As We See it Pictures (which will produce the Hollywood film Wrinkles), 30-year-old Romeo has come home to produce his first Filipino TV series. Let’s hear more from him.

For starters, how "Pinoy" are you?

Full. My parents are both Filipinos, but I speak little Tagalog. I grew up in the US; my family is in Connecticut, two hours outside of New York. My parents moved there when I was seven and they brought the whole family. So, I’ve basically been living there since. In terms of culture, I am more American than Filipino but I still consider myself Pinoy, especially more so now than ever.

How did you end up working in LA and New York?

I went to school in New York. I went to New York University in Manhattan- NYU for Film. I studied filmmaking, directing, producing and writing. I stayed around there for work, did some theatre and Broadway, then went to LA, and I’ve been going back and forth since.

What inspired you to create/produce Hollywood Dream?

I was working in LA, in Hollywood and also in New York, and it hit me one day: ‘Why are there no Filipinos who have made it in Hollywood when there is so much talent in the Philippines?’ And not just talents. Our stories don’t get there as well. So, I made it a goal to really find a way to help Filipinos get into the international market because all the other countries are doing it. Hollywood Dream is all about giving the talents here the right opportunity, the right backing, and the right connections that can really establish them in Hollywood.

How did you meet Luigi Santiago and Eric Quizon? (Luigi directs Nginiiig and The Hidden Files on Studio 23, together with Hollywood Dream with Eric as host) Luigi and I went to NYU film school. We met again here when I started coming back for one of my other projects. I met Eric through my other project, Wrinkles. He was applying for a directing job. We’ve gone along really well since. We have very similar background, very similar ideals.

Tell us how you broke into Hollywood yourself.

I basically got lucky. And it’s a little bit of determination. I think it’s the same thing the winner will need– talent, drive, determination, relentlessness, and luck. I think luck was a big factor for me because I ended up meeting the right people in college who introduced me to TV. That’s how I ended up in CBS Television (he was casting director) in New York. Luck plays a factor, but then it is how determined you are and how hard you are willing to work to get your dreams to come true.

You said you got lucky. So the pursuit of Hollywood wasn’t really tough for you?

Oh it was. It’s tough! Because when I first started I didn’t know anyone and being an Asian plays a factor as well. You have to prove to everyone that you are as good as everyone else or even better and that you are a harder-working person. You have to go an extra mile. It was tough.

How much does having the right connections play in securing a career in Hollywood?

It’s 60 percent of the battle! More than half, because it’s really about having the right contacts that will eventually give you the exposure.

Is there a rising need for Asian talents in Hollywood?

I think so yes. Since the market is becoming more global, Hollywood has opened up to obviously a larger market and of course they need more stories. Not just American stories, but they need more global stories. So with that comes the talent. But I do think that for there to be jobs for Asian talents, there need to be writers, directors, and producers willing to work with those guys.

Do you think Asians are treated fair and square- meaning, are they presented with equally challenging roles like those given to American stars?

Yes and no. Yes in the sense that if there’s a role that’s right for them, they are given the opportunity. But no, because a lot of the roles are written by Caucasians or African Americans who write about their experiences, because that’s what you write about. There are not enough Asian writers so there are not enough roles. If there were an Asian role, they’d look for an Asian actor fair and square but if it calls for a Mid-Western Kansas City boy, they would be looking for a blonde-hair blue-eyed guy instead.

So the need is more for Asian writers?

As I keep on saying, it all comes down to Asian writers and producers who are willing to back them up.

When did you come back here in the Philippines?

I got back last month for this project. I’d be leaving by the end of May or early June to work on my film there. Shortly after I leave, the two finalists will be following us in Los Angeles.

The Filipino market/audience is very different from Americans. We have very different cultures. How do you deal with that?

Yeah, I’ve been learning a lot. Even though I grew up in the US, I follow a lot of TV shows and movies here so I kind of get the sense of what the Filipino tastes are. And I grew up with my relatives around me. They are all Filipinos so I kinda know the Filipino preferences somehow. But at the same time, I have a great group here that’s really been educating me on the tastes of the Filipino.