Filipino actress Ruby Ruiz has just arrived from the successful premiere of Expats in New York City, where she partied with the cast, including Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman.

During a media conference for the series held at the Cornerstone Studio Quezon City on Jan. 30, Ruby expressed her joy working with Nicole on and off-screen. In the series Expats, now streaming on Prime Video, Ruby plays Essie, a nanny to the family of Margaret, played by Nicole. The single mom recalled how she got the part for the Hollywood series.

"Nasa ilalim ako ng puno ng manga in a remote place where we were shooting Nina Nino. Habang

naghihintay kami ng take ni Maja (Salvador), may pumasok na call. Pagtingin ko sa cellphone ko may plus. Hindi ko agad naisip na abroad kasi malapit na kami mag-take.

"Sabi ni Maja sagutin mo na Tita nakaka-irita yang cellphone mo. Sinagot ko at ang tawag ay galing sa Hong Kong. I was told to free my phone in 10 minutes because director Miss Lulu Wang is going to call you. So I asked the caller, did I get the part? Sabi niya, 'I don't know.'

"Tumawag na si Lulu Wang at sinabi niya, 'Congratulations, you got the part!' Sabi ko, 'Thank you.' Sabi ko, "What part did I get?' Marami kasing audition. Sabi niya, 'the role that you auditioned Essie.' Ganun lang. Tapos sabi niya, 'aren't you excited? Sabi ko, 'Oh yes, I am!' Doon niya sinabi na hindi ko tatanggihan ang amo ko who plays Margaret. I asked, 'Who is Margaret?' Sabi niya, 'It's Nicole Kidman.' Nabigla ako.

"So tinanong ako ni Maja, 'Sino yun, Tita? Bakit English, English ka? May boyfriend?' Sabi ko, 'Wala.' So si Maja ang unang nakaalam.

"Noon parang hindi naman ako masyadong interesado na kasi ang ganda na ng role ko sa Nina Nino and besides pandemic pa noon. Tapos ang shooting daw sa Hong Kong, so medyo afraid. So sabi ko kay Maja, sandali lang naman baka mga three months lang.

"Sabi ko sa team ng 'Nina Nino' huwag muna nila ipakita yung pagkawala ko. Puwede pa naman akong bumalik kahit sa flashback lang. But the three months extended to six months. Dapat sa Hong Kong lang ang shooting pero nag shoot din sa LA, so na-extend for a total of 11 months. Yan po ang kuwento paano ako napadpad sa 'Expats.'

"Bago kami pumasok ng Hong Kong dapat nag-quarantine muna sa ibang bansa. Yung quarantine ko for 21 days was spent in Maldives. Doon pa lang pinadala ang script. Noong nabasa ko na, ang crucial pala ng role ng nanny. Kinilabutan talaga ako while reading the script," she said.

On her talent fee, Ruby said: "Worth it not monetarily if I would be very honest. But considering the experience and the amenities that came with the package, sobrang worth it. I would never have lived in a five-star service apartment. Everything is provided. Even the bra. Kaya bilang artista, walang dahilan na hindi ka dumating sa set na hindi ka handa. Kasi wala kang irereklamo. Walang kang hihingin na hindi ibibigay. So you better deliver as an actor."

Shanelle La Torre, an independent actress from GMA, informed her about the audition for Expats.

"Nagkatrabaho kami and I told her irerekomenda kita sa mga makakatrabaho kong directors. Ang husay niyang umarte. Nagpa-audition siya sa 'Expats.' Naka dalawang call back siya. But she got frustrated. Tinanong niya yung casting director, 'What are you looking for? Am I not good enough?' Sabi naman sa kanya, 'It's not that you're not good enough but we're looking for someone older.' How old is older? Sabi mga 50s or 60s. Sabi niya, 'Oh, I know someone. Her name is Ruby Ruiz.' Sabi nila, 'Can we get in touch with her?' Hiningi yung email. I told Shanelle, 'Hindi naman ako nakukuha sa ganyan. Lagi lang shortlisted. Besides may serye naman ako baka hindi puwede.' But they were really persistent. So I tried. And I'm grateful na nakapasok ako.

"Bago kami pumasok ng Hong Kong dapat quarantine muna sa ibang bansa. Yung quarantine ko for 21 days was spent in Maldives. Doon pa lang pinadala ang script. Noong nabasa ko na, ang crucial pala ng role ng nanny. Kinilabutan talaga ako while reading the script.

'Expats' is about the lives of expats of three women na meron nangyaring tragedy sa storya which affected all of them. Ngayon, saan papasok ang papel ng Filipino nanny? May isa pang nanny. Doon ipinakita na walang expats kung walang domestic helpers. Crucial yung presence ng mga domestic helpers sa buhay ng expats.

Showdown with Nicole

"That's for episode 5. May confrontation scene kami ni Nicole. That was my favorite scene. Not because it's with Nicole but because that's where I felt the essence or dilemma of a migrant worker. Yung dilemma ni Essie kung babalik ba siya sa Philippines and spend the rest of her life with her children or the surrogate family she established in Hong Kong.

"In terms of acting experience, doon ko naranasan how powerful ang isang Nicole Kidman. Nakatingin lang ako sa mga mata niya. Nagpadala lang talaga ako sa kanya. After the premiere in New York, people were congratulating me. I was very good in that scene raw. I would always tell them it was Nicole. I was her scene. Nagreact lang ako sa kanya as the character. And it came out so beautifully.

"After our emotional scene, sinabi niya, 'You were so good!' Sobrang galing talaga niya. Tuod ka na lang kapag hindi ka nadala the way she carried her scene. She asked me, 'How do you feel about the scene?' Sabi ko, 'My God! Thank you! You were so good!' Sabi niya, 'No, you were so good!' Nagpalitan na kami ng reactions. Then hinawakan niya ang kamay ko, 'We have chemistry, Ruby.' 

"Sabi ko, 'I have a question?' Akala niya may request ako. 'Are you wearing contact lenses?' Sabi niya, 'No!' Then she rubbed her eyes to prove it's natural. She said, 'Why did you ask?' Sabi ko, 'In our country, our actors change their colors.' Her eyes as an actress are her asset. Nagsasalita ang mga mata niya kahit walang linya. Ang dami kong natutunan sa kanya bilang actress.

"It's true. In character na siya when she arrives on the set and pareho lang kami. Wala naman yang mga method acting na yan. Maging totoo ka lang sa character na ginagampanan mo. The moment she gets out of the green room (our standby area), she's in character na. She mumbles her lines. She rehearses it."

Bonding with Nicole

"Napakabait niya. Natural na tao. Bakla rin siya. She's very considerate at mararamdaman mo yun. She will try to make you feel at ease. Marami akong anecdotes during first day of shoot.

"Dati pinagtabi yung working chair namin. Ayoko umupo roon. Kais nosebleed pero doon talaga ako pinaupo siguro to establish rapport. She's conscious of that. She would strike up some small conversations to make you feel relaxed. Sabi ko nga noon, 'What? Pardon?' Her accent is very Australian.

"But she's very friendly and warm. On the set, naka standby lang kami. Kapag nakita na niya ako, yayakapin na niya ako. 'Oh, Ruby's here!' Naaaliw siya sa akin hindi ko alam kung bakit?'

"One time tinanong niya ako, 'What did you do yesterday? It was our free day.' Parang nabigla ako. Hindi ako prepared. Baka may itanong siya sa akin about the Philippines. So what did you do yesterday? Sabi ko, 'Ah, I did my laundry.' Sabi niya, 'The whole day?' Sabi ko, 'Oh yes, I was fascinated by your washing machine here. With one click, it's already dry.' So natutuwa siya sa akin sa mga ganung moment.

Nicole is also generous in many ways, Ruby also revealed.

"Pero hindi ako nagpatalo dahil binigyan ko siya ng pandesal. Meron doong eksena na ayaw ng mga bata yung dinner buns. Sabi ko, 'You want pandesal?' Sab ni Nicole, 'What's pandesal?'

"Nag-Google sila. Let's ask Ruby, 'What's pandesal?' I explained it. Sabi ko, 'You can eat it for breakfast, but you can eat it anytime. It's like a dinner bun. Sabi niya, 'Is it sweet?' Ang dami niyang Q&A (about the pandesal). So nagorder tayo ng pinakamasarap na pandesal. Siyempre hindi naman tayo papahuli. Noong natikman nila, gustong-gusto nila.

"Very generous si Nicole hindi lang sa akin but to everyone. Natutuwa siya sa akin kaya may mga gift akong natatanggap sa kanya. Dati nagpadala rin siya ng isang kiosk ng bread sa set. Sabi niya, 'Hey have you tasted it?' So ikukuha ka ng PA. Sabi ko, 'I want to line up.' Doon kasi pag-artista ka, puwede mong iutos lahat. 

"May maliit ako na tote bag na may laman kung anu-ano like candies, chips, chocolates. Lagi niya akong nahuhuli (kumakain). Kikindat lang siya.

"Noong una niya akong tinawag sa set, dahil pakalat kalat ako, sabi niya, 'Hey Ruby! Yes, it's you!' Hindi kasi ako makapaniwala. Ang trato kasi nila kapantay ka lang nila. They really treat you equally. I think that's important for the actors. Sobra ang respect nila.

"Sabi ni Nicole, 'Thank you for accepting this role. We know that you are an actress in the Philippines.' Sabi ko sa sarili ko, ''Di ba dapat ako ang magpasalamat?' Pero sabi ko, 'Thank you for the role of Essie. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

"Bawal sa set namin ang racists. Iba't ibang nations kami. May Koreans, Indians, Filipinos. Even the staff came from all over the world. Our female cinematographer came from Spain. Our assistant director is from Australia, so we have Australian actors. May mga Chinese. So kailangan talaga pantay-pantay ang treatment," she said.

Two years ago, she experienced these wonderful moments that made her miss the team, especially Nicole, even more.

"Hindi mo naman puwedeng hanapin sa atin yung mga nangyari sa akin sa Expats. Alam ko naman yung ibang kalakaran dito. Masaya rin ako rito kasi kasundo ko rin naman sila. Naging close kami roon. Bago ka lumabas ng trailer mo, dapat may coat ka ayaw nilang malalamigan ka. Sabi ko, 'Hindi naman ako ganun katanda.' Iba rin yung tsinelas mo papunta sa studio kasi baka madulas ako. Tapos iba rin gagamitin mo indoors. Maingat sila sa akin especially aware sila na hindi ako cut-out sa weather na nila. 

"Minsan nakasabay ko si Nicole at napansin niya na iika-ika ako. Sumakit yung lower back ko. Sabi niya, 'Hey Ruby.' Nireport na niya agad sa team. Magkakandarapa na sila noon kung saan kadadalhin na clinic. Napaka caring nila sa lahat. Para sa kanila, dapat umandar ang production na walang problem," she added.

Following her successful journey to the "Expats," Ruby is scheduled to appear in two international projects. She refused to reveal the details.

On her parting words with Nicole after the shoot, Ruby said: "Hindi na talaga ako nahiya. Sinabi ko sa kanya, 'I would love to work with you again!'