Rhian's Challenge as Cindy

“[Playing Cindy] is, in terms of movement, the simplest character that I ever played, [but] in terms of emotion, the toughest,” says Rhian Ramos, who portrays a boyish, laidback, and fun-loving girl in GMA Dramarama’s “My Only Love” opposite Mark Herras. Analyzing Cindy She explains why. “I don’t have to change myself that much because well, I grew up being that kind of girl, and most of my friends were guys, so super walang poise!” Rhian shares. “That’s the best thing about it, because my past characters, like Leah [in Mars Ravelo’s Captain Barbell], she was very girly-girl, and Avril naman [in Lupin], she had to be poised in front of everyone because she was ‘grown up,’ and my character in The Promise, Monique, was super kaartehan naman. And then Ruth [in Ouija], well, she was kind of girly to a certain extent [too].” According to Rhian, it’s the toughest in terms of emotion because of the sudden change in mood required of her. “Kasi when I walk around, hindi naman ako sanay na a person will just walk up to me and slap me on the face or something!” she remarks, laughing. “[And this] happens in this show! So I’m walking around and ‘Hi, good morning!’ I’m fine, and that happens, so emotions have to change that fast,” she says with a snap of her fingers. “The situations that I am put through in this show, they’re way different than anything I’ve ever experienced.” Cindy started off as Billy’s [Mark Herras] best friend, but when they eventually fall in love with each other, Cindy’s closest confidante Trixie [Bianca King], who also likes Billy, ends up as her mortal enemy. “Billy doesn’t know it, but she’s trying to ruin us,” Rhian explains. “She’s trying to ruin me, in particular, because [Trixie and I] were [like] sisters, and then I just stole her [ex]-boyfriend.” But now that Billy and Cindy are together, Rhian says that her character is now making an effort to be more presentable. “I’m slightly more conscious, because when I see Billy, I want to make an effort to look good, kahit papaano. Or I move in a more feminine way, and I don’t slap him a lot!” Cindy and Billy started off as best friends and ended up as much more than that. Is this something Rhian can relate to? “I would never fall for anyone less than my best friend,” she answers. “If we didn’t have that closeness or if we didn’t share that friendship in the first place, I wouldn’t be that interested. I mean, I have crushes, of course -- that’s normal. But love is a deeper thing, so I would never fall in love with anyone [I didn’t fully know]. I’d have to be that close or I would have to see that person that often. Or not even -- I’d have to talk to that person, that person would have to know what makes me tick, and like, ‘Ooh, when you eat food off her plate it really annoys her.’ He has to know little details.” A second shot at drama? We asked Rhian if she still sees herself doing drama after My Only Love ends. “It’s really tiring because the next day your eyes are really puffy, but then again, there’s concealer for that!” she jokes. “[But really], I love a challenge! It’s a lot of fun. Because a lot of actors, they’re used to crying all the time -- there’s always the challenge to make it different, para hindi nakakasawa. [You shouldn’t] cry the same way every time. You change it, switch it around a little!” Rhian shares that before doing a moving scene, she gets a gut feel if things will go well or not. “So kinakabahan ako before any emotional scene!” she fesses up. She imparts that it took her a while to cry when she first started out in Barbell two years ago. “That was really difficult for me, because I’m like, ‘I’m not sad!’ Because when I started, I wasn’t really ‘thespian actress!’ I was just, ‘okay, I’m just gonna do this for fun!’” But working with different directors helped her get over that hurdle. “Kasi when directors are having a hard time with their actors, [especially] with crying, they’ll go to the personal issues. [For instance], ‘Imagine your mom, she’s on her deathbed!’” Rhian explains that there are many kinds of directors. “The ‘actor’s director’ will naturally step in even when you don’t ask for it. He explains [things] step by step. And then a ‘visual director’ will be, ‘Okay, direk, I’m gonna do this scene, it’s really emotional – can I have five minutes?’ ‘Ah, okay.’ You have to do it on your own.” “When a director is having a hard time, he’ll go to your personal stuff -- not through the scene. The bad thing about me is, the second you give me something personal to think about, like you bring me back to the past, or you bring me to this other thing that’s actually involving my real family, or a real experience – it will work for that scene, and you’ll get a really good scene, but don’t count on me for the rest of the day ‘cos I’m gone!” Rhian shares, demonstrating a spaced-out look on her face. “After the scene, I’m still crying, and then for the rest of the day, I’m completely distracted!” Only after she empties her mind and really tries to focus on her scene again can Rhian actually stop being affected. This is the reason why it’s easier for her to be motivated by putting herself in her character’s shoes, as opposed to relying on personal stuff. “If I don’t want it to affect me for the rest of the day and still give a believable performance, then I really put myself in the shoes of the character,” she says. What do you think of Rhian’s performance as Cindy? Talk about it in her official iGMA Forum Thread! Related features Playing Cinderella Rhian’s gallery My Only Love behind-the-scenes Mark Herras Take Three My Only Love on the set