Ruru Madrid Reflects on His Humble Beginnings in Showbiz
RURU MADRID – Kapuso actor and Lolong: Pangil ng Maynila star Ruru Madrid opens up about his humble beginnings in showbiz, sharing the challenges he faced and the lessons that shaped his journey to success.
Ruru Madrid recently opened up about his early struggles in the entertainment industry during an appearance on the GTV cooking talk show Lutong Bahay. Alongside hosts Mikee Quintos and Hazel Cheffy, Ruru shared heartfelt memories about his humble beginnings, accompanied by his father, Bong Madrid, and his uncle, Bon Madrid.
During the conversation, Ruru revealed that sinigang sa bayabas (guava sour soup) holds a special place in his heart because of its deep connection to his family’s struggles.
“Parang ito kasi ‘yung comfort food ko, e,” Ruru shared. “Naalala ko kasi, nakakakain lang kami ng sinigang sa bayabas kapag meron lang talaga kami (pera). Kasi usually maraming sangkap, maraming sahog, mahal ang bangus, [at] mahal ang baka! So bihirang-bihira kaming nakakakain [ng sinigang].”
Despite the hardships, Ruru remained hopeful for a better future. “Pero siyempre, pinangarap namin na darating ang araw [na] kahit araw-araw, puwede naming ulamin ang sinigang sa bayabas.”
The discussion became even more emotional when Mikee asked if their family ever had to portion their food. Ruru’s father admitted, “Oo, alam nila ‘yan. Kapag gagawin ko, sinusubuan ko sila, tatlo sila [na magkakapatid], alam nila ‘yun na walang pera.”
A particularly poignant memory for Ruru was when his family couldn’t afford to buy a serving of french fries that cost only PhP 30. Instead of being paid in cash for a project, he had received clothes as his talent fee.
“Tinanggap ko na (‘yung damit); kailangan din niya, e,” Ruru’s father explained.
Bong Madrid recalled how his son once asked for fries, unaware that he only had PhP 50 left. “Alam mo ‘yung bilang tatay… bilang ama, ‘di ba? PhP 30, hindi mo [mabigay],” he said.
For Ruru, that moment became a powerful motivator. “Tumatak siya sa akin. Parang ‘yun ‘yung naging motivation para sa akin na hindi na dapat darating ‘yung araw na ‘pag meron kaming gustong bilhin […] anuman ‘yung gustuhin namin, kaya na naming bilhin. Parang ‘yun na ‘yung tumatak sa akin.”
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