As comedienne and actress Rufa Mae Quinto returns to doing projects, she’s now more ready to face her fears, conquer the stage, and rediscover her love for performing through her first Kapamilya show after years away from the limelight.
In an interview on Are You G? with MJ Felipe, Rufa Mae shared that joining the new season of Your Face Sounds Familiar became an opportunity for her to bring back joy and excitement into her life.
“Bago ako umalis papuntang America, nag-audition na ako para rito sa show na bago sa ABS-CBN, so pagbalik ko, buti naman good news daw,” Rufa Mae said. “Nalulungkot ako ‘yung mga huli. Gusto kong may gawin kasi, kaya mag-showbiz ako ulit.”
Joining the show couldn’t have come at a better time. “Gusto ko may training, may kanta, sayaw. Tapos everyday may galaw, may shoot, para maging masaya rin and tsaka makabangon-bangon sa pagiging haggard,” she explained, referring to the difficult times her family went through in the past months.
Rufa Mae also revealed that she saw the show as a “second chance” after not winning in Last One Laughing Philippines. “Naalala mo ‘yung Last One Laughing? Hindi ako nanalo ng 1 million, so ngayon naisip ko na baka ito ‘yung second chance ko, na baka manalo na,” she admitted.
“Dati nahihiya ako pagdating sa pera, pero ngayon ayaw ko na mahiya. (Sa totoo lang) lahat ng tao sinasabi na ‘ikaw ang binoto namin na nageexpect kami’ so para sa akin, dahil gusto niyo ito, so ito pa ang isang chance kaya suportahan ninyo ako.”
Beyond the competition, Rufa Mae emphasized that Your Face Sounds Familiar is a platform for growth and self-improvement.
“So ito sa Your Face Sounds Familiar, it’s all about face, impersonatin. So sa boses, hindi naman siya competition sa pagkanta, but sa character naman iyon. So kung makuha ko man ’yung boses, bonus na yon,” she expressed.
“Medyo nahihiya pa ako kasi ang tagal ko rin nagpahinga sa performance, tapos may live audience. Dati kasi sanay lang ako sa acting kapag walang tao,” she said
Though she has been working for years in the industry before taking a hiatus, Rufa Mae admitted she still feels shy performing live. “Magaling ako kapag walang nanonood, pero kapag action o live na, baka hanggang doon na lang kasi fear ko ang stage. Makulit lang ako ‘pag kumakanta and wala akong sineryoso na kumakanta kasi nahihiya ako kapag nagpeperform. Sanay ako na artista na lights camera action na kumbaga lahat camera lang,” she admitted.
Despite her stage fright, Rufa Mae said she decided to join the show to overcome her weaknesses: “Kaya ngayon, face your fears din. Kaya sumali ako kasi kailangan ko na harapin ‘yung mga weaknesses ko, and ngayon ito na iyon, ito na ‘yung isa sa mga pangarap ko.”
Returning to ABS-CBN also brought her a deep sense of fulfillment: “Masaya ako kasi matagal ko nang gusto sa ABS-CBN. Excited ako na marami pa akong pwede umpisahan and gawin, lalo na mga kasama ko ay mga bagets,” she admitted.
When asked about her mindset in joining the competition, Rufa Mae said she just wants to enjoy the process. “Gusto ko maging malakas. Ayon ang peg ko rito para magaya ng lahat. Kailangan muna masaya ako, may energy at nag-eenjoy lang. Ayon lang naisip ko. Ayaw ko kasi na nape-pressure. Bahala na basta I’ll do my best naman. Kung magkamali o hindi basta the best ko iyon na kahit na sumablay o hindi o kung ano man, basta I gave everything I got,” she remarked.
During the pilot episode of the show, Rufa Mae transformed into Vice Ganda and performed the latter’s hit song “Rampa.” After her performance, she admitted being overwhelmed by the crowd’s energy.
“Sobrang enjoy na enjoy ako na sa sobrang enjoy ko, nalito na ako sa stage. Kasi una, ‘yung mga sigaw ng tao, tapos syempre pilot kaya lahat excited at masaya. Hindi ko na narinig ‘yung sarili ko. Late ‘yung pasok ko kasi nanonood na rin ako sa sarili ko.’
“Ang tagal ko rin nagpahinga sa taping tapos ganyan na Your Face Sounds Familiar pa and alam mo international din.”
Looking forward to more performances, Rufa Mae said she wants to make the most of this comeback.
“Gusto ko ‘wag mapahiya and gusto ko sana maka-score. Noong una, nanguguluhan ako kasi ang daming nangyari (pero) dahil nakalimutan ko na ang lahat (sa showbiz), kaya ako sumali para mamaaala ko and magtraining na rin,” she said.
Watch the full episode of Are You G? With MJ Felipe here: