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Aside from acting and making people laugh, Rufa Mae Quinto confesses to iGMA that she wants to do more for the industry.
Quite famous with her comedic roles on TV and the big screen, Rufa Mae Quinto has made a name for herself as one comedienne extraordinaire. And with the recent success of "I.T.A.L.Y. (I Trust and Love You)", she has further proven that she is indeed serious about her craft and that she is here to stay. But aside from acting and making people laugh, she confesses to iGMA that she wants to do more for the industry. Text by Loretta G. Ramirez. Photos by Mitch S. Mauricio. With more than 40 films to her name, Rufa Mae admits that she has grown and matured in the entertainment industry. In her present movie, I.T.A.L.Y. (I Trust and Love You), she portrays an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) aboard a luxury cruise ship. Admitting that she has a soft spot for Filipino contract workers, Rufa Mae confesses that she knows what these people and their families are going through, being separated from loved ones who work abroad. She was also touched with life stories of Filipinos she met during her various out-of-the-country engagements. And Rufa Mae says she definitely wants to help OFWs in her own little way. OFW advocate “Pangalawa ko na itong OFW na movie," she shares during a Bubble Gang set visit. "Una, domestic helper ako sa Apat Dapat. Producer din ako dun.” She also says that she loves making movies about Filipinos abroad, and that this is one of her advocacies. “Gustong-gusto kong gumawa ng pelikula about sa Filipinos abroad. Kasi ang mga pelikula ko suportado ng mga tao sa abroad, e. Alam kong kahit saang bansa ako pumunta merong Filipino,” says the sexy comedienne. She then declares that she wants to give back the support that she has been getting from her fans outside of the country; at the same time, she wants to help them immortalize the OFWs' ordeals and sacrifices with relevant films. “Kaya ako sabi ko bilib ako, e. So parang sobrang meaningful sa akin, parang naging inspirasyon ko din sila. I want to put a smile, and laughter [too], in their faces because laughter is the best medicine (laughs)!” Producing quality films Rufa Mae admits that she wants not just to star in, but produce more films now that she has started co-producing them: “Habang tumatagal, ginananahan akong gumawa nang marami pang pelikula kasi 'yun 'yung kaligayahan ko, e--ang makapag-paligaya at ma-entertain ang mga Filipino.” She also believes that she can contribute to the film industry by doing meaningful and socially relevant stories. In fact, her production outfit, On-Q 28, is in the process of filming a movie entitled Single with Viva Films. It's about a working woman who is in her prime and has no one to share her life with. Aptly made for Rufa Mae, she says that many women will be able to relate to the movie. A comedy directed by Joey Reyes, Single's tentative release date is in November this year. “I feel grateful and lucky, kaya in return gusto kong mag-produce because I want to help the people in the industry. Kasi when you are doing a movie, marami kang natutulungan at nabibigyan ng trabaho,” she says. She also admits that it has been her life-long dream to produce films. “Gusto kong maging Mother Lily (laughs)! Gusto kong gumawa ng mga makabuluhang pelikula.” Often portraying an airhead who makes us laugh with her wrong grammar and wacky quotable quotes, Rufa Mae Quinto is so good in her craft that people often forget that these are just roles she portrays. The real Rufa Mae Quinto, as iGMA discovered, is a smart, down-to-earth, and classy lady with a really big heart. Ask Rufa Mae about her advocacy and her upcoming projects when she goes online with her Bubble Gang friends, Michael V. and Francine Prieto on October 1, 2008. Log on to www.igma.tv/livechat from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. (Philippine time).