With a plethora of movies and series under her belt, Ruffa Mae Quinto is a veteran comedienne that rose to the top of the entertainment industry. Who can ever forget her iconic taglines, “Todo na ‘to” and “Let’s go, go, go!”
Her wit, humor, and energy made her a pillar of Philippine entertainment as audiences enjoyed watching her perform on stage or screen.
In 2020, however, she moved to the United States with her husband, Trevor Magallanes, and their young daughter, Athena. Despite her initial excitement about moving overseas, she felt homesick and found herself longing for the Philippines, especially her career.
Now, Ruffa Mae is back in the Philippines and ready to take on another role in showbiz. An opportunity came knocking at her door after she knocked on it. She landed a pivotal role in the GTV’s upcoming first family sitcom Tols.
During the media conference of Tols, Ruffa Mae disclosed that while in America, she believed that there was more to her than washing dishes, serving her husband, and looking after their child. After all, she was an actress before she became a mother and wife. Luckily, her husband isn’t one to hinder her aspirations in life.
“Pangarap din ng asawa ko matuto si Athena magsalita ng Tagalog. Supportive siya sa career ko kasi doon talaga ang strength ko. Kaya ako umuwi rito dahil gusto rin talaga niya mag-showbiz uli ako,” Ruffa Mae said, explaining what also inspired her to return to the Philippines aside from mourning the loss of her brother.
In Tols, Ruffa Mae plays Barbara “Barbie” Magaspac, the mother of handsome triplets played by Kelvin Miranda (Uno), Shaun Salvador (Dos), and Abdul Raman (Third). Together, they will try to keep Tols’ Barbershop and Salon, the business they inherited from their late grandfather, afloat.
Starring alongside Ruffa Mae and the three young actors is Betong Sumaya. He worked with Ruffa Mae before in GMA’s longest-running gag show Bubble Gang, making them comfortable with each other.
Betong considers Ruffa Mae as a good foundation for the sitcom because she gives off good vibes and can drive the story towards a humorous approach that combines both the comedy from early and present generations.
Tols is directed by Monti Parungao. He realized the lack of Filipino sitcoms nowadays and wanted to bring them back for Filipino viewers to enjoy. During the media conference, Parungao shared he drew inspiration from the hit 1980’s Philippine sitcom Palibhasa Lalake.
Parungao also emphasized that there’s a lot to learn from Tols, especially when it comes to family.
Abdul, Shaun, and Kelvin admitted that they also watched the sitcom. It helped them get a better grasp of how they can drive their characters and the story forward. The three young actors also shared that, at times, they pick up some of the mannerisms of the sitcom’s star-studded cast.
Joining the cast of Tols are Olive Mae from the Pinoy girl group CALISTA, Rolando Inocencio, Arkin Del Rosario, and Raymond Mabute.
Tols airs its premiere episode on June 25 at 7:00 p.m. on GMA.