No longer do we see the carefree teenager who goes wherever the tide drags him to, unlike those early years when Polo was just out there in the acting arena to have fun, hobnob with beautiful people, and have lots of spare money. The Polo that greeted me at the backstage of Music Museum during rehearsals of the much-talked about musical revue about men, their penises and their sexual journeys is a young adult in control of his thoughts, his actions and his emotions, not to mention that his physique at this time, literally and figuratively, is a wonderful sight to behold.
"Been there, done that," he admits, adding that he has learned valuable lessons along the way that made him a more realistic person as well as a more resilient artist. Whereas then, Polo would splurge on luxuries from his many showbiz incomes, this 23-year-old actor would now think a couple of times before buying on impulse.
"When there was plenty of work, it seemed that I had all the freedom to do what I wanted to do, and everything was sort of justified. But after a few good years, one experiences a slowdown in projects, and then, instantly, without any warning, reality bites," he intones.
Paul Patrick Gruenberg initially skidded into the acting world when a senior resident network writer spotted him and offered him an instant role for a TV show. When Polo got good feedback, he was given more projects, and more challenging roles like the one he was assigned to do in Anna Karenina, a widely-followed drama series that served as his real baptism of fire.
Word got around that this Polo, who came in without the benefit of acting workshops and formal training, was a natural, and could pit talents against the more experienced among the actors. Perhaps not many know that the late great film icon Rita Gomez was a relative of Polo, but aside from her, Polo’s immediate kin and family are all non-showbiz.
But even promising talents have to constantly battle it out with the emergence of newer talents and the irresponsible neglect of most showbiz bigwigs for their prized possessions, so Polo found himself without work, and was thrown back into the real world. "You can say I was depressed for a while, and I had to do a lot of soul searching, whether to go on and pursue my dreams of becoming a truly competent actor or retreat and become a commoner, and just engage in business," he recalls his confused years.
While he wasn’t doing anything, he found a very good outlet: physical fitness. He went to the gym and lifted weights, poured his heart out in machines and dumbbells. He very much wanted to look good outside even while he was finding ways to address the emptiness he felt inside. I must say that it was excellent thinking for Polo to have focused on beefing up his body, instead of wasting away his young life like many young actors we know who found themselves immersed in vices that eventually ruined their lives.
Polo was on the verge of giving up show business completely when one day, towards the end of last year, he thought of asking God for a sign. "I may not be the religious type of a believer, but I converse regularly with God, and one day I asked God to show me the way." And it seemed like an instant granting of a Polo’s request when, the following day, he bumped into respected artist manager and movie line producer Manny Valera in a Makati mall. Valera was God’s instrument to help Polo make his decision.
Expectedly, Valera’s clout did wonders for Polo. Now we see him as the warrior Hitalo in Encantadia, a high-rating fantasy series on GMA 7. Polo is also excited about an important role he is playing in the movie Blue Moon, an entry to the forthcoming December film festival, directed by Joel Lamangan.
But what excites Polo these days is his inclusion in All About Men – Penis Talks Reloaded, a musical revue featuring the buff-est hunks this side of tinseltown. Polo shares that when he was offered to play a part in the first staging of Penis Talks last year, he declined, reasoning that he felt he wasn’t ready. But when the opportunity knocked again this year, he knew he wasn’t going to let it pass.
"I’m ready! Physically – I work out religiously and I feel good about my body. Emotionally – I have no excess baggage and unresolved issues (Polo assures me he is not romantically involved with anybody at the moment). Plus the fact that I’ll be under the direction of two of the most respected directors – Joel Lamangan and Mel Chionglo!" he exclaims.
Never mind if his participation in this project requires him to come out on stage in skimpy briefs and sensually explicit scenes with his co-actors because Polo just charges everything to experience and he knows he’d grow into a better actor when he takes calculated risks with his decisions.
"Acting has become not only an income-generating profession but a passionate commitment," he says, and regardless of whether Polo Ravales is fully clothed or skimpily clad in doing what he does best, I have this feeling that this is just the beginning of better things to come for this genuinely gifted actor.