I WAS aware of Filipino actor/model and sportsman Derek Ramsay who’s been a famous actor, paired to talented actresses such as Angelica Panganiban, Cristine Reyes, Bea Alonzo, and Jennylyn Mercado. He was born Derek Arthur Ramsay Jr., while his dad’s name is Derek Arnold Ramsay.
A friend of mine introduced me to another Derek Ramsay a couple of weeks ago and curiously, told me he is the brother of Derek Ramsay.
Derek Andrew Ramsay, also known as Derek Ramsay III (the third, and the youngest sibling among three sisters, and Derek I, the eldest), has been following the footsteps of his brother as an actor, not in the Philippines but continuously making a mark… in Hollywood!
Growing up in Tagaytay (an hour away from Manila), Derek Andrew Ramsay (D.A. Ramsay) was an insecure, overweight, and awkward kid. He was more of an introverted kid until at age 16, he had a nerve-wracking experience but eye-opening experience when he had the courage to sing “Lovebug” by Jonas Brothers onstage. That changed his life forever.
He loved singing songs by Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Al Green, Elvis Presley and the Beatles, which his father introduced him to while being dropped off from school. Soon, he met a good friend who exposed him to the basics of footwork, waving, krumping, breaking, and free-styling.
Derek underwent an educational system at International Baccalaureate (I.B.) where he took English Literature and Theatre Arts. He also learned theatre genres and forms such as Kabuki from Japan, Kathakali from India, Shakespeare, Greek Theatre, and creative writing.
He pursued his acting career abroad when he got accepted from the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) and Cambridge School of the Arts (both in England). He studied Musical Theatre, Shakespeare, Stanislavski Technique, Dance Theory, Contemporary Theatre. After two years, he moved to Los Angeles and studied Acting for Film at the New York Film Academy, where he learned working behind the camera, screenwriting, production design, directing, editing, and filmmaking.
To his credit, he was able to co-produce the short film PANGAKO (“Promise”), together with one of his best friends, Warren Allen Carman and another friend Blasgil Tanquilut (from their company Shift Studio). The film has been accepted to Los Angeles International Film Festival, Asian World Film Festival, 9 Film Festival, and still in another festival circuit. D.A.’s production company has plans to produce more films. One of them is being pitched to a major studio based in Manila. D.A. also has another short film/ music video, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” that is taking great attention in other festivals.
One of D.A.’s most prized achievements is securing a talent agent and a manager in Hollywood, a month after he graduated from NYFA. He is currently being represented by Oliver Carnay at International Artists PR & Talent Management and Minc Talent Agency with agent Melissa Mangum (who is a half-Filipina).
D.A.’s proudest moment was when he was recently picked to play the role of “Malcolm” in the production of MACBETH at the prestigious Shakespeare Centre of Los Angeles (SCLA), having worked with Ben Donenberg, the founder and Artistic Director of SCLA, who has been affiliated with Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt, Will Smith, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Paul McCartney, and the list goes on. The play was directed by Kenn Sabberton, who has worked with The Royal Shakespeare Company, who has worked with Kenneth Branagh, Michael Maloney, and Sir Peter Hall, to name a few. He was proud to be selected as the only Asian actor in the cast.
D.A. is currently working on other projects: one to be directed by Kennedy Green, which is a post-apocalyptic themed concept where Mad Max meets The Book of Eli; another one is tentatively titled “Halo-Halo” to be directed by Ivan Bernal, which focuses on an American male who visits his Filipino girlfriend’s family for the first time and learns her traditional, yet unorthodox culture. He is also writing a web series called “You and Me Both” (under development with Matthew Godbey, President of CineFocus Productions.
As D.A. makes his strides, we can follow his along on his Instagram, @DA.Ramsay.
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Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, award-winning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary all-natural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration . To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at [email protected]
