Star-spotting in Canberra can be unrewarding (politicians don’t count) but there’s a bona fide television and movie star living in anonymity in our midst. Filipina actress Rich Asuncion has stepped off the glamorous red carpet in Manila and into the quiet suburbs of Canberra.

To translate her fame – think Days of Our Lives but in the Philippines, airing on television six days a week to millions of adoring fans. True story.

When Rich walks down the street in Manila, a city of about 14.7 million, she is often recognised and asked for a selfie. Even when she worked as a waitress recently in Canberra, she was spotted by some Filipinos and asked for a photo, prompting her boss to ask “who ARE you?”.

So, who is Rich Asuncion? She was runner-up in Miss Philippines Universe, made the top 100 sexiest women in FHM Magazine, runner-up in Star Struck (like Australian Idol), supporting movie actress, and the TV darling of a Filipino soap opera for 12 years.

This biography reads like a Hollywood A-lister, which leads me to my first question – what on Earth are you doing in Canberra?

“We are in Canberra because of Covid,” Rich explains. “My plan was to go back and forth for shows and I had just signed a six-year contract in December 2019 but then Covid happened, so my acting suddenly stopped.”

Rich initially came to Canberra for love, meeting her now husband on a blind date at a red-carpet movie premiere of The Avengers in Manila. As you do.   

“There were a lot of actors invited to the premiere and there was this ambush interview with people asking me about my relationship and I’m like, ‘ I just met him today’,” Rich laughs.  

Two kids later, Rich is living what she says is “an alter ego”.

“It’s really quite different,” she says diplomatically. “In the Philippines it was like, ‘you’re the star, you have your own dressing room, you’re just waiting for your scenes to be shot, it’s a bit glamorous. The Philippines are not as big as Hollywood but people are really into watching TV, everyone’s following shows.”

Rich says her first job in Canberra was “very humbling”, going door-to-door selling solar panels. She also tried out for a local theatre production but couldn’t quite perfect the Australian (Austrayan) accent.

“I’m looking for acting roles here and we’ve done commercials so far, so that’s a start,” Rich says. “We’ve done a family commercial for SES about being storm-ready, and recently we did a Visit Canberra ad.”

Rich recently returned to the Philippines to visit family and is still recognised in the street. While there, she was invited to do guest roles and appear on TV game shows.

“That was good, it was so surreal because I’m back in the studio, seeing all of my colleagues and doing it again. Oh, I miss this.”

Her recent soap opera (loosely translated as Don’t Cheat On Your Spouse) is syndicated in Malaysia and Ecuador with re-runs being aired in the Philippines.

“I play the best friend of the victim and the Filipinos love it,” Rich says. “It’s aired in the afternoon, all the mums at home always watch it. People would always approach me and ask ‘how’s Emma?’ (the lead actress).”

Despite her fame in her home country, Rich doesn’t have a shred of ego about her. In fact, her genuine humility is endearing. This is probably due to her idyllic, simple island-life as a child.

“I was born and raised in a small island (4000-square-kilometre island in the Bohol Province, population 1 million, where the minimum temperature is 26 degrees) and we were so very poor, my mum and dad are fishermen,” Rich says. “I went to the big city to be in Star Struck, like a talent search. That was my ticket to a good life.  I have two sisters, one brother, and as the eldest I have the responsibility to make their lives better.”

From an eye-watering 10,000 contestants, Rich made the final cut of 14 artists (singing/dancing/acting) that were televised. That wide exposure provided the perfect launching pad for her subsequent 12-year television and movie career.

Rich successfully worked in 47 television programs and three movies, enabling her to buy a house for her family and put her siblings through school. “It’s really made a wonderful life for us,” she smiles.

“It’s a rags to riches story,” Rich laughs. “I was only 17 when I went on Star Struck and living in the city was very different from my island life. It was just me in Manila, lots of flashy lights. Show business is a tough business. My only weapon is my talent so I was working continuously. I didn’t win the Star Struck contest but I won because longevity in the business is better than just winning.”

If this story sounds surreal, google Rich Asuncion; her face is everywhere. She’s on Wikipedia and has a cool 112,000 followers on Instagram. In the ACT, however, she is a Canberran.

“I’m not one to be famous, in the Philippines I’m still connected with my high school friends,” Rich admits.

“I like to be in the corner. People are often surprised that I do acting because I’m really shy in real life and then when the camera is turned on, people say I turn into someone else. I was meant to be in front of the camera, it’s in my blood.”

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