He tells FreebieMNL how he found his footing in showbiz.
As Raven Rigor tells it, his first year in showbiz was a rollercoaster ride. After joining The Squad Plus in 2021, his career went from zero to a hundred real quick. The Tarlac native had no time to get his bearings.
“Ang bilis po nung pangyayari,” he recalls. “At first po, gusto ko lang i-try yung acting. Pero hindi pa talaga ako that crazy about it. Tapos nung napasama ako sa The Squad Plus, kabado ako kahit nasa side lang ako. Podcast at vlog na nga lang yung ginagawa namin, pero kinakabahan pa rin ako.”
But by the time he was cast in Huwag Kang Mangamba, he had found his footing in the industry. Raven did so well as Mateo Panganiban that ABS-CBN offered him a more prominent role in Beach Bros. Looking back, Raven says he’s glad that he accepted the offer. Doing the show allowed him to bond with his co-stars. He, Brent Manalo, Kyle Echarri, Lance Carr, and Sean Tristan are bros for life now.
“Since barkada kami sa series, dapat comfortable kami sa isa’t-isa,” he says of his co-stars. “Nagkukuwentuhan kami habang hindi pa nagte-take. Kaya naging close kaming lahat nang ‘di namin ine-expect.”
He felt intimidated by some of the more experienced people on the set, but having Kyle around made him feel at ease. “Natakot ako kay Chie [Filomeno] nung umpisa. Pero inalalayan ako ni Kyle. After a few days, nawala yung takot ko kay Chie. Naging parang ate ko siya, kasi pinapa-feel niya talaga sa iyo na hindi ka dapat mahiya sa kanya.”
Stepping up to the plate
On the show, Raven plays a pastor’s kid named Pete Resureccion. “Siya yung pinaka-close kay Dave Alon na character ni Kyle. Sa kanya lumalapit si Dave for advice. Pero may sariling problems din si Pete. He’s repressed at gusto niya ma-prove yung sarili niya. Magkakaroon din siya ng journey of self-discovery, at yun ang dapat nating abangan.”
Raven says Pete came with his own set of challenges. “Challenging siya i-portray kasi meron siyang tinatago. Siguro magkapareho kami in that sense, na hirap kaming mag-open up. Yun at yung shyness niya ang similarities namin. Mabuting kaibigan si Pete. Kapag may mali si Dave, tutulungan niya ito. Itatama niya yung mali ng kaibigan niya.”
Their director’s collaborative approach helped Raven step up and bring Pete to life.
“Mas may depth yung character ko dito. Nakapag-adjust ako kasi Direk Victor [Villanueva] let me make suggestions sa character ko. Minsan may sasabihin ako, tapos siya, ‘Ah, OK. Sige.'”
Raven Rigor, future BL star?
In Huwag Kang Mangamba, Raven made the most of his limited screen time. His efforts didn’t go unnoticed, and he’s grateful for that, but he’s thrilled to have a meatier role in Beach Bros. Like his ultimate idol Paulo Avelino, Raven is hungry for roles he can sink his teeth into.
“Favorite ko yung Fan Girl,” he says of the award-winning film Paulo did with Charlie Dizon. “Sobrang galing niya dun, lalo na sa pag-shift nung character niya. Nagustuhan ko din yung Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral. Madalas ko din siya napapanood sa mga teleserye sa primetime.”
A Beach Bros teaser hinted at a romance between Pete and Jeremy Marvista. Sean Tristan, who plays Jeremy, told reporters that the two boys are best friends and nothing more. But here’s what Raven said: “Sabay-sabay nating panoorin yung show. Alamin natin kung best friends lang talaga sila.”
Should Beach Bros go in that direction, Raven would be fine with it. In a previous interview, he expressed an interest in becoming a BL (Boys’ Love) actor.
“Open ako sa roles na ganun, because I’ve always been an ally of the LGBTQIA+ community,” he enthused.
Good for you, Raven Rigor!
Featured Image Macky Arquilla
