Some people dream of the spotlight at an early age, seeking opportunities to bring it to fruition.
Others find that eureka moment out of necessity.
Sue Ramirez falls under the latter category.
“Nakita ko yung commercial ng Star Magic na may audition sa Audience Entrance. First time ko yun ever. Wala akong background sa commercials or sa showbiz. So sabi ko sa mga ate ko, 'Try ko kaya?'” she told broadcast journalist Karen Davila in an interview.
Twelve years later, Sue’s showbiz career is flourishing, with solid projects under her name that prove her mettle as an actress.
GOOD INTENTIONS
Born on July 20, 1996 in Parañaque, Sue’s full name is Sue Anna Garina Dodd.
Her American father, James Peter Dodd, used to work as a senior officer at the US State Department.
Sue’s mother, Concepcion Garina, is a native of Sipalay City, Negros Occidental.
In an interview with Magandang Buhay, Sue said that her father’s illness started manifesting when she was still quite young.
“Mahirap siguro kasi pinanood mo siyang nahirapan nang ganoon katagal. 'Tapos, bata pa kasi ako noon,” she shared.
Looking back, Sue’s sudden desire to try out show business stemmed from her difficult situation at home.
With her father sidelined by illness, Sue’s mother took on the role of breadwinner to provide for the family.
Sue had nothing to lose, after all.
“April 2010 po ito. I was 13 and sabi ko sa mga sisters ko samahan ako para mag-audition. Pumunta kami sa [ABS-CBN] Audience Entrance ng 6 a.m. Hindi ko in-expect na there would be that much people. Pang 697 ako sa pila, but there were more after me pa. I was there the whole day. I didn’t have a phone, I didn’t have money. Hindi ka rin puwede magsama sa loob. So ang dala ko lang talaga yung resume ko,” recalled Sue.
She added: “Nung araw na yun, wala akong naramdaman na pagod.
“Hindi ko naisip na mainit or na gutom ako. Puwedeng umalis na lang ako or puwedeng napagod ako or puwedeng natakot ako. Pero parang sinamahan siguro ako ni Lord.”
Sue was first seen in Shoutout, a teen music variety show aired on ABS-CBN from 2010 to 2011.
The show served as the Kapamilya network’s platform to showcase its new generation of stars.
Stars of today who got their start through Shoutout include James Reid, Yen Santos, Ryan Bang, and Emmanuelle Vera, among others.
Likewise, up-and-coming Kapamilya stars such as Enrique Gil, Miles Ocampo, Paul Salas, and Jane Oineza, were also seen on the show.
Like any upstart, Sue was not earning big money but was happy that she could finally contribute to her family’s finances.
Unfortunately, Sue’s father passed away on May 22, 2013. She was 17 at the time of her dad’s passing.
Sue admitted that the death of her father made her contemplate quitting showbiz altogether.
But Sue was destined to be in the entertainment industry as projects kept coming her way despite being a newcomer.
“Sabi ko sa sarili ko, kapag hindi na ako binigyan ng ABS ng project, baka mag-aral na lang ako ulit. Hindi ako nawalan ng project. Dirediretso po talaga,” she said.
"Sobrang grateful talaga ako. Hindi ko iniisip nung mga panahon na yun na support ako. Ine-enjoy ko rin yung ginagawa ko.”
EARNING HER STRIPES
Sue got her feet wet acting-wise in 2011 when she was included in the remake of the hit drama series, Mula Sa Puso, in 2011.
This was followed by more shows under the Kapamilya network such as Angelito: Batang Ama (2011), Angelito: Ang Bagong Yugto (2012), Annaliza (2013), Dream Dad (2014), Nasaan Ka Nang Kailangan Kita (2015), Pangako Sa ‘Yo (2015), La Luna Sangre (2017), FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano (2018), just to name a few.
She also appeared in several ABS-CBN non-series shows like Wansapanataym Presents, Ipaglaban Mo, Maalaala Mo Kaya, and ASAP.
To Sue’s credit, she never ran out of projects even amid ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal woes.
Playing supporting roles, according to the pretty actress, was never an issue as she was grateful for the opportunity to work in front of the camera.
“Ang mindset ko kasi, yung pagpapalaki sa amin. Yung mga bagay na dumadating sa buhay mo, sakto lang ang timing nun parati,” she mentioned in an interview.
“So nung bata ko, kahit hindi ako bida, hindi sumasama ang loob ko. Pakiramdam ko dati, parang naglalaro ako. Ang saya-saya ko lang pumunta sa taping.”
She also observed the immense pressure on the shoulders of her lead star colleagues.
“Nag-e-enjoy ako na hindi ako nape-pressure. Pero sila, sobra silang nape-pressure. Kahit nae-enjoy nila yung work, meron pa ring bigat somehow. Kaya nung bata ako, sabi ko parang ayaw ko maging bida.”
GOING LEAD
It was only a matter of time before Sue got her chance to do a lead role.
This happened in 2017, when she starred in the supernatural horror film, The Debutantes, under Regal Films.
But perhaps her most notable early lead role portrayal was in 2018’s Ang Babaeng Allergic sa Wi-Fi, written and directed by Jun Lana.
In the quirky romantic comedy film, Sue assumed the character of Norma Villanueva, a teenager who was forced to give up technology and move to the province for a simpler life after being diagnosed with electromagnetic hypersensitivity.
“Doon nag-start yung spark sa akin na hindi pala ganun yung pressure [of playing lead roles] as long as you’re doing what you’re supposed to do,” Sue said.
More lead roles for Sue soon followed, most notably Cuddle Weather (2019) and Finding Agnes (2020) shot in Marrakesh, Morocco.
The movie premiered on Netflix on November 30, 2020, to mostly positive reviews.
Meanwhile, Sue got her biggest break on television as Lexy Lucero, the mistress on the hit drama series The Broken Marriage Vow produced by ABS-CBN and aired on A27, TV5, and The Filipino Channel.
“I’m an actress and I want to evolve, improve. I think my character, Lexy, is very interesting, very challenging, and it excites me,” said Sue about her role in the series.
Playing a mistress role can be challenging for any actress. Not to mention the ire one gets from the viewers, whose sympathies always go to the legal wife.
“I could only be grateful to land the role. This is something I really wanted to do. I believe I will learn a lot from it I think it will allow me to grow more as an actress.”
She added, “Hindi ako natatakot ma-bash. I’m sure our viewers are already mature and wise enough to understand that I’m just playing a role and Lexy is not me.
“Actually, may inis din ako kay Lexy and I play her so I understand where some people are coming from.”
Needless to say, Sue’s portrayal of Lexy was a success, with viewers hating and admiring her take on the character from beginning to end.
CONTROVERSIES
Sue has had her share of controversial issues over the years.
In December 2017, a certain Jeanette Terrenal Alba called out Sue on social media for allegedly displaying rude behavior while in a parking lot.
According to Jeanette, the actress-singer flashed a middle finger at her after she got a parking spot ahead of her at a restaurant in Parañaque City.
“Kung nauna akong mag-park, you do not have the right to put your middle finger out of your car and made that dirty finger sign. I may be a 51-year-old woman but my vision is clear. And when I confronted you, ituturo mo pa kasama mo. Poor friend,” wrote Jeanette.
The matter was settled after Sue extended her apologies to Jeanette.
“I have accepted the sincere apology of Sue Ramirez. Thank you to those who took the flight with me,” wrote Jeanette.
“I will make my posts private now. To her fans, please continue liking her, it may be a case of misunderstanding.”
In January 2021, Sue and singer-actress Maris Racal cried foul after an edited photo of them together circulated online.
The original photo showed the two sunbathing while in bikinis during a beach getaway.
However, the edited photo made it appear that Maris and Sue were naked when the photo was taken.
“Kung sino man ang nag-edit nun, wala kang utak. Itigil na ang pambababoy ng katawan ng mga babae. Pag-aari namin ‘to. 2021 na, manyak ka pa rin? Magbago na,” an aghast Maris wrote on Twitter.
“’Wag ko lang mahanap ang nagpapakalat ng kung ano-anong katarantaduhan na ‘to. Ayoko na sanang magsalita pero ginagambala niyo ang katahimikan ng buhay ko. Umayos kayo,” said Sue on Instagram.
“At ‘wag tanga pls. ‘Wag basta bastang naniniwala sa mga nakikita online. Hindi kayo pinalaking uto uto. Pls lang. Sumosobra na kayo. Sa mga nakakatanggap ng picture, siguro naman may delikadesa at respeto kayo enough to know na dapat hindi na kumalat pa ang pambababoy na ito.”
Star Magic, the talent arm of ABS-CBN, condemned the malicious photo and threatened legal action against people who would distribute the photo online.
NO PLANS OF SETTLING DOWN… FOR NOW
Sue is in a relationship with fellow Star Magic talent, Javi Benitez.
Javi is from Negros Occidental and comes from a prominent family.
He is the son of Filipino businessman and former congressman Albee Benitez and Dominique “Nikki” Lopez-Benitez.
Following in his father’s political footsteps, Javi recently triumphed in his mayoralty bid in his hometown, Victorias City.
While supportive of Javi and his showbiz and political career, Sue is not rushing to settle down anytime soon.
“When you’re young, gusto mong magmadali. It’s like you want to take your shot at your happy ending right away,” she said in a recent interview for the Manila Bulletin.
“But now, I appreciate my life more, enjoy the process, absorb everything and learn from everyone I meet. I have a better understanding of the people I interact with. So really, I have zero plans as of now of getting married.”
Given her flourishing career, Sue–who is currently seen in the movie Mr. Heartless on Vivamax opposite Diego Loyzaga–is wise to realize that her time in showbiz is now.
Not bad for someone who found her place in the spotlight by chance.