Even before the 50th MMFF Gabi ng Parangal event started last December 27, actor Ruru Madrid was looking visibly excited as he walked the red carpet with longtime girlfriend, actress Bianca Umali.

"Bukod sa first time kong a-attend ng Gabi ng Parangal, kasama ko pa yung pinakamamahal ko. My biggest inspiration. Isang karangalan para sa akin yun dahil first MMFF ko ito tapos napabilang pa sa mga nominado. Isa itong malaking karangalan pero more than anything else, I would say panalong panalo na. Sa suporta pa lang po ng bawat Pilipino sa lahat ng entry sa MMFF sa kanilang 50th anniversary, isang malaking karangalan na yun,” he shared. 

Apart from being one of the top winners at the awards night, Green Bones also took home most coveted awards like Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Child Performer, Best Screenplay, and Best Cinematography. Ruru also ended up taking home the Best Supporting Actor award for his impressive portrayal of corrections officer Xavier Gonzaga.

“Grabe, sa totoo lang sa ngayon wala akong masyadong tulog kasi sa kaka-check ng social media. Hindi lang yun, nag dam pang tumatawag sa akin, magulang ko, pamilya ko, grabe. Hanggang ngayon parang punong puno yung puso ko at siguro yung mga bagay na lalong magpapa-humble at lalong magbibigay ng inspirasyon sa akin to work hard,” he admitted. 

Proud of his work in BrightBurn Entertainment’s first film offering, Ruru said his MMFF film involved a lot of sacrifices that paid off for them in the end.

“Grabe, sobrang grateful ako na marami yung makakapanuod ng pelikula na Green Bones. Sabi ko nga, this film, hindi naman siya basta basta project lang na ginawa namin. Talagang binigyan namin ito ng puso, pagmamahal, dugo at pawis. I’m just very grateful na napapansin at nagustuhan ito ng ng sambayanang Pilipino,” he added. 

Looking back on the year, Ruru said he has nothing but positivity to look back and look forward to.

“Our 2024 I would say it’s beautiful, wow it’s perfect. Parang itong huling bahagi ng taon na ito, ito yung parang magbibigay ng icing dun sa cake. Sa 2025 gusto ko maging masagana at mabiyaya para sa ating lahat. Yung makagawa pa kami ng marami pang mga proyekto kung saan makakapagbigay tayo ng inspirasyon and maging healthy, hindi lang yung ating mga katawan kundi yung relationship naming dalawa. Because sabi ko nga, sa aming dalawa, wala namang bilang lahat ng tagumpay kung hindi siya yung kasama ko,” he said. 

Watch Green Bones now showing in theaters nationwide. The film also stars Dennis Trillo, Ronnie Lazaro, Iza Calzado, Alessandra de Rossi, Wendell Ramos, Michael de Mesa, and Victor Neri. Directed by Zig Dulay.