Rhian Denise: The Captain’s Lady
Being in showbiz was the last thing in Rhian Denise Ramos’s mind. However reluctant she may initially have been, the acting bug still bit and took hold. Now the Welsh mestiza is Leah in the TV incarnation of the Mars Ravelo classic, Captain Barbell."A reluctant actress" is how Rhian Denise Ramos describes herself. The bubbly young lady who plays the role of Leah in the TV series Captain Barbell wouldn't be an actress right now if she had her way.
"If my father (Gareth Howell) could go back in time and tell me again that I would be playing Leah in Captain Barbell, I would playfully punch him," laughs Rhian. Despite her initial "no," her folks were insistent and finally convinced her to just give it a try.
"An opportunity like that doesn't come very often," Rhian's mom and dad told her. Fortunately, the young lady decided to follow their advice, to the delight of many fans today.
Getting The Call
"I was noticed because of my commercial for McDonald's," narrates the 16-year-old Rhian, who's half-Welsh. At that time, executives from the GMA Artist Center were looking for two actresses to play either Leah or Kit for the Captain Barbell series.
The network people were discussing the possibility of signing up Rhian for either of the two roles when, at this point, another GMA executive quickly asked, "Are you sure?"
As it turned out, the GMA executive was Rhian's aunt. Quite understandably, the latter had her misgivings because she knew it wouldn't look good for either of them if her niece got a role in a GMA-7 show. People could talk about Rhian snagging the role through nepotism, the aunt thought. And true enough, rumors to that effect went around after Rhian was cast as Leah.
“They’re only saying that because they (the rumormongers) didn’t talk to me about it.” Rhian asserts. “One of them just got in touch with me, saying that there were people looking for me.”
Rhian concedes that more rumors about her will make the rounds, but she has no choice but to grin and bear it. “Nasa showbiz na ko,” she equips. “Anyway, most intriga that come out aren't true."
The Audition
Rhian goes on to say that she still had second thoughts even as she tried for the roles of Leah and Kit.
"Although I agreed to go to the audition, a part of me didn't want to go," she relates. "I didn't read the script. I just glanced through it because I really didn't want to go through the whole thing. I ad-libbed na lang because I knew what the script was about, anyway."
To this day, she still expresses surprise on why she was cast as Leah. "Maybe because I wasn't nervous or anything," says Rhian. "I remember that I got along with them really well."
Rhian adds that the choice for Leah came down to between Camille Prats and her. "Camille was eventually cast as Kit because mas bagay sa kanya, so I ended up with Leah." In the series, Leah is the childhood friend and love interest of Teng (Capt. Barbell's alter ego).
Rhian, as Leah, now appears on TV regularly, alongside hot young actor Richard Gutierrez, who plays the lead role of Capt. Barbell.
Also in the cast are veteran actors Richard Gomez, Snooky Serna, Ricky Davao, Jackie Lou Blanco and Gloria Sevilla, together with young talents Patrick Garcia, Camille Prats, JC de Vera, Ryan Yllana, and Ms. Sunshine Dizon.
The show also has Dante Rivero, lan Veneracion, Paolo Bediones and Pinky Amador in special roles. Completing the cast are Rez Cortez, John Regala, Ryan Eigenmann, Jeremy Marquez, Ces Quesada, Dexter Doria and Melissa Avelino.
Dominic Zapata and Mike Tuvierra direct the series.
Learning To Act
Making the jump from acting in a commercial and being in a regular TV series was no walk in the park.
"In a commercial, it's okay to have several takes," she explains. "But in a TV series, you can't take too long on a scene. There's a timetable to meet."
Since Rhian had no real acting experience aside from a short summer gig with Trumpets, when she was 12 years old, she had to go through a two-day acting workshop. She describes her experience in the workshop as "grueling but worthwhile."
The most difficult part, she learned, was getting in touch with her emotions. She tends to block negative emotions and for a budding actress, that's a no-no. "You need to remove all the blocks. But it isn't easy tapping into emotions like anger and sadness when you can't relate to them."
Enjoying the Grind
"I have tapings on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays," says Rhian. "Free days are devoted to guest appearances on shows. But sometimes, tapings take 24 hours—maybe even 28 hours!" Sundays, she adds, are kept free as much as possible so she can spend time with her family and go to Church.
Rhian points out that she's still game despite the long hours, adding that she really hasn't been mindful of the little sleep she's getting. "Gosh!" she exclaims. "I really have no idea how many hours of sleep I've had lately."
It's not that Rhian is a work junkie. It's simply who she is, or more appropriately, how she is.
"Well, before showbiz, I did have this problem of going to sleep so the long taping hours are no big deal," she points out. "When I'm at home, I just listen to music. I rarely watch TV; I'm not an avid TV watcher. My peak TV time was when I was nine years old."
Getting Used to the Change
"Whenever I needed to shop for clothes, I used to go to the men's section where there are lots of jeans and T-shirts," says Rhian. "I always go for comfort because it never goes out of style. Now, I’m learning to fix myself up. Kailangan kasi.”
The changes extend to her eating and sleeping habits, even her personal ties. "I haven't seen my friends, like forever," declares the showbiz newbie. "Before showbiz, I'd prefer to go to a mall on my own. I was quite a loner.
"But I've changed. And I'm enjoying all the changes in my life. Because of my job now, I've learned to be a more social person."
Rhian's regular schooling has been affected, too.
"I'm enrolled in a home school program but I haven't really done anything yet because of my hectic schedule," she reveals. "That's why I took an acceleration test given by the Department of Education."
According to Rhian, if she passes the exam, she'll qualify for fourth-year high school even if she hasn't completed her junior year. "I wouldn't say the test was easy but it wasn’t tough either," says Rhian. "It was surprisingly short, just a hundred items. I expected it to be longer."
She also takes pride in pointing out that she took the exam seriously to the extent that she even went through a review program. "In fact, I was so engrossed in my review materials that I even took them with me to the set."
Because of it, she had to bear with some good-natured ribbing from the show's cast and crew. "In scenes when I was in a school uniform, I actually carried and read my review papers. The cast and crew would tease me about being so serious that I was sobrang internalizing my role. Actually, I was actually just reviewing for my test."
Simply Rhian
But despite the changes, one thing that remains constant in her life is her bedroom. "It's still a mess but I know everything is. Organized disorder is how I can best describe it," she laughs.
And her taste for music hasn't changed much either.
"Rock and chill out music, I like listening to them. On the set or at home, they’re my constant companions,” she reveals, referring to the sounds of the bands lncubus, Red Hot Chili Pepper, Urban, Kapatid ... Radioactive Sago. "Radioactive Sago, they're really good."
Does this indicate that Rhian could consider singing as a career? She laughs at the question. "Yes, I sing but I really am just an actress. I can sing well, but only when I'm in the shower."
1. How do you think other people see you?
Jolly and positive. I'm very hyper all the time. But when I'm alone, I'm at peace.
2. If you were a box of crayons, which color would most reflect your personality and why?
Green. I love the color green. It's nature's color. It's relaxing. Maybe that's why God made the grass green.
3. What's the single biggest mistake you've made in your life?
Gosh ... I really do not know.
4. Let's rephrase that. What's the most embarrassing thing that you've done in your life?
That would be when I was in Grade 5. I was beginning to develop crushes then. It was 4 a.m. and we were rehearsing for a school play. While sitting on the floor, I dozed off. When the call came for us to stand up and begin dancing, I was still on the floor because I was asleep! I was so embarrassed that I just pretended that I had a stomachache, and promptly left the scene.
5. What is it about you that not many people know?
My teeth have a weird color because I used to wear braces. I'm also somewhat sentimental. It's hard for me to throw things away, especially if they were given as gifts. I hate the color pink. There's something about it that bothers me. I've never had my nails treated in my life, nor my hair.
6. If your life were a movie, what movie would it be?
Peter Pan
7. The boy who didn't want to grow up? Why?
I love the idea of not growing up, of just being a kid and having fun forever. The sad thing nowadays is that too many teenagers are in a rush to grow up. They don't know what they're missing.
8. What is your favorite pick-me-up when you're depressed?
Hmmm ... I eat avocado shake and just sit somewhere with music and I'm a happy person. Give me some chocolates and avocado shake any time—they're so good.
9. Which person has been the single biggest influence in your life?
Probably my sister, Nadine.
10. In what way?
She's very capable! She's just a couple of years older than I, but she cheers me up and gives me good advice. When I need help, she's always there. I really respect her. What's more, she wants to be a chef. It's a perfect relationship. She loves to cook and I love to eat!
11. What's your favorite travel destination?
I love going to Thailand because of its beach resorts. The Philippines has great beaches, too. They're so different. They're so diverse.
12. Who's your favorite traveling companion?
My sister!
13. What time in your life do you have the happiest memories of?
I don't know. As I just go along, it keeps getting better. The best, I believe, is yet to come.
14. If you had an unlimited amount of cash and could give yourself a present, what would you buy?
I'd produce my own movie or something ... maybe a movie or a show. Just so I can say that I'm the boss.
15. What's your biggest fear?
What am I afraid of? I'm pretty daring. I'm a risk taker. Well, maybe I'm afraid of being afraid. I like extreme sports, I dream about extreme sports. I'll try anything.
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