MANILA, Philippines — Derek Ramsay never thought he would be acting again after choosing to focus on family life these past few years.
“I never thought I’d come back. I thought I was done,” he said. “I was focused on my family, I was focused on my next chapter.
“There were so many attempts and I declined. Even when I’d get asked, ‘What if it’s the right project?’ I’d still say, ‘Wala na talaga.’
“In the six years (I was away), there were nights when I did think about (acting) and yeah, I missed it…I love my craft but then life goes on, and you enter a new chapter. I was in that chapter. Never did I think it would bring me back but here I am.”
Derek is admittedly nervous over rejoining showbiz. The STAR and TV news outlet TV5 saw that ourselves as we caught up with the comebacking actor at the storycon for the APT Entertainment and MediaQuest-produced primetime epic series “The Kingdom: Magkabilang Mundo” at the APT Studios on Friday.
This new project, which will premiere first on Netflix, serves as the continuation — in series version — of the Metro Manila Film Festival 2025 historical-fantasy drama “The Kingdom.”
As Rajah Siyam, Derek will be one of the new faces in the show, joining original main characters from the film such as Piolo Pascual, Cristine Reyes and Sue Ramirez. It’s still going to be directed by Mike Tuviera.
“It’s nerve-wracking… sobra! It’s been a while, and it’s not like it’s a small and easy role. It’s kinda how my career started. I didn’t know anything about acting and then they threw me in as one of the lead actors in ‘Panday,’ which is similar to this guy Rajah Siyam, a badass character.
“But I like that I’m nervous because it means that I care,” he said. “This is my craft. If I’m not nervous parang (it means) I don’t really give it much thought or that it doesn’t matter.”
On what really led him back to acting — life happened.
The actor no longer addressed his reported marital issues, since these had already played out in public and in the press. Nevertheless, this paper couldn’t help but notice that family photos with Ellen and their daughter Liana are still up on his Instagram. Derek also confirmed that his father is being treated for cancer.
“Certain things happened in my life, which I never thought would happen,” was all the actor said. “I said maybe this is a sign to get my mind off things. (I thought) let’s just hear what direk has to say and so, I met with them. I felt like God was telling me, this is what you should do to get your mind off everything that’s happening. So, I listened and I loved the project. And it’s hard to say no to direk.”
It helped that direk Mike is not just a frequent collaborator but also his longtime friend.
“When direk Mike approached me with this, I was very confident even if he didn’t tell me about the role or the show yet,” Derek shared.
“But because we did the TV5 show ‘Kidlat’ together, we did the film ‘The Janitor,’ I said let’s do it. I had that trust in him. I like his style. I love him as a friend and as a human being. So, when he approached me, it wasn’t an automatic yes like it used to be. But I prayed over it.”
Even his parents weighed in.
“Even my dad was a big part (of the decision to say yes). He told me, ‘You should do this.’ My mom, too. All sides were pointing in that direction. So, here I am. I wanna focus on this,” he said.
Before the storycon and cast reveal, Derek, his parents, daughter Liana and other members of the family flew over the holidays to the UK, a trip that turned out to be far more than a vacation.
He said the visit gave the family much-needed relief. “I think that trip really gave my mom, my dad and myself a lot of breathing room. A lot of relief. So we’re really thankful for the trip.”
“We’re just counting our blessings. I have a very comfortable life, very blessed, so these are all tests given to you. It’s tough. Tough is an understatement. It’s really, really hard. But you know, He’s not going to give you anything that you can’t handle,” he reflected.
Meanwhile, “The Kingdom” is exactly the kind of material he has long wanted to do.
“I’ve always wanted to play a role like this, maybe like a Lapulapu,” he said. “And you can see that it’s a bida-kontrabida. I’ve always loved a challenge. I loved playing a kontrabida.‘The Janitor’ was one of my favorite roles.
“Now I’m getting my tongue prepared to speak malalim na Tagalog. It will be a challenge.”
The concept of the show particularly excited him.
“Ang galing ng concept na, what if the Philippines was a monarchy? The twist is crazy,” he said. “I’m very, very proud to be Filipino.”
How else is he preparing for this comeback?
“I’m doing a lot of innerwork also. I’m a man of faith, I’ve never lost that. I think we’re all guilty when your life is so good and you’re so happy, you think everything is perfect, that you kind of like forget to say thank you or prioritize Him…
“So, I have friends who have brought me back to the faith. That has helped me tremendously.”
After everything that has happened in the year that was, Derek is feeling “very positive” this 2026.
“I’m very, very thankful, I know ‘The Kingdom: Magkabilang Mundo’ is going to be a big success. I’m working with brilliant actors, actresses and a brilliant director,” he said in response to a STAR question.
“I’m praying for a very peaceful year. I’m very, very positive for this year.”