Ruru Madrid Opens Up About His Journey from Humble Beginnings to Showbiz Success
RURU MADRID – Actor Ruru Madrid opens up about his journey from humble beginnings to showbiz success, sharing the challenges he faced and the determination that fueled his rise to fame.
Kapuso star Ruru Madrid, known for his role in Lolong: Pangil ng Maynila, recently looked back on his early struggles in showbiz during an appearance on the GTV cooking talk show Lutong Bahay. In a heartfelt conversation with hosts Mikee Quintos and Hazel Cheffy, he opened up about his humble beginnings, joined by his father, Bong Madrid, and his uncle, Bon Madrid.
During the conversation, Ruru shared that sinigang sa bayabas (guava sour soup) holds a special place in his heart, as it reminds him of the hardships his family faced.
“Parang ito kasi ‘yung comfort food ko, e,” he revealed. “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 these challenges, 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 conversation turned emotional when Mikee asked if their family ever had to portion their meals. Ruru’s father confirmed, “Oo, alam nila ‘yan. Kapag gagawin ko, sinusubuan ko sila, tatlo sila [na magkakapatid], alam nila ‘yun na walang pera.”
One of Ruru’s most unforgettable memories was a time when his family couldn’t afford a PhP 30 serving of french fries. Instead of being paid in cash for a project, he was given clothes as compensation.
“Tinanggap ko na (‘yung damit); kailangan din niya, e,” his father shared.
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Bong Madrid recalled how Ruru once asked for fries, not realizing 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 turning point. “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.”