spoiler ALERT: This interview contains spoilers ,Central,, fifth episode of ,Migrant,Now streaming on Prime Video,
Lulu Wang’s “Expats” steps into feature-length territory for this week’s episode, which focuses on working-class women by diving into the lives of assistants, Essie (Ruby Ruiz) and Puri (Emeline Pardenilla). The story moves away from the affluent world of Margaret (Nicole Kidman) and Hilary (Saryu Blue), instead following Essie and Puri as they take a break from their busy work weeks.
Poor Essie spends much of the series filled with guilt over the disappearance of Margaret’s son Gus, and blames herself for not being there the night the young boy disappeared at the night market. At the beginning of this week’s episode, Nani is FaceTiming with her son, who is in the Philippines, hoping that he will be back “soon.” Essie believes that Margaret will move back to America with her husband and family and destroy her in the process.
Instead, he gets the biggest shock of his life when Margaret sits down with him and confesses her suffering. Her jealousy over Gus’s closeness to Essie leads her to ask Mercy (Ji-Young Yoo) for help that night. In an emotional moment, Margaret makes a proposal that is too good to be true – inviting him to work for the family in America. Essie then faces her own new conflict: does she return home as expected or does she go to America?
Ruiz reflects on that episode, crying as she recalls being sent a video of Wang during a quiz, in which the show’s creator and director praised her: “Ruby is the heart and soul of the whole show. ”
“I can’t explain how happy I am,” Ruiz says. Diversity. “Playing Essie was not my intention. I am doing my work. To hear this from a director I really admire is like receiving an award. It validated everything I did.”
Read on for the full conversation with Ruiz.
This episode is a change of pace as we look at the lives of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). What was it like reading the script and seeing what Wang and team did to tell their story?
I was really surprised. I couldn’t resist calling Lulu and telling her it was incredible. I was reading something that really tells about the lives of Filipino workers. When I got to the scene between Essie and Margaret, I had to pause because I could see her dilemma. I could feel how hurt she was by what happened to Gus and how she blamed herself for everything. She couldn’t understand why she was not in the night market. And for the first time, she understands Margaret because she is opening up to her.
Well, reading it was one thing. What was it like acting in that scene with Nicole Kidman and putting everything together?
Right before the take, Lulu asked me if I was nervous. I wasn’t like that because I was completely cast as Essie. As for Essie, she is going through those emotions thinking that she is going to be fired. Instead, we hear how Margaret hurts, but also how important Essie is to the family and how much she wants to bring her to the United States. Nicole Kidman had a long monologue, and I just had to look at her and listen to her carefully because I had never heard these lines before. I did nothing but listen and respond to him. As soon as she told me how much Essie meant to the family, I started crying. It wasn’t in the script, but I couldn’t help but feel those words. I could not stop those tears from flowing. Nicole was as convinced as Margaret. It reminded me of the time I had to say goodbye to my employer as a nanny in Toronto. Although it was a different situation, there was still this similarity. I felt that Nicole and I were connected in that special moment.
The episode features incredible nuances that are specific to Filipino culture, such as standing in line at Western Union to send money home on Sunday, sitting at McDonald’s, and gathering with friends and other housekeepers. What did it mean to see those cultural touchpoints?
The scene at Western Union when they were standing in the rain was surreal. When we shot that, a storm came. This is one of my most memorable scenes in the entire series. When I saw the setup and all the OFWs, it was very overwhelming to be in the middle of it.
Going back to the confrontation scene, it was an emotional rollercoaster to watch because you feel like she’s going to be fired and you feel a moment of fear for Essie. How is she feeling at the end of the conversation?
He is confused because he already feels like going back home. It always happens that your contract ends when the employer goes back to his country. Correct? But in that scene I felt as if Margaret was talking to her mother. She’s very unapologetic and very raw and honest. At last, Essie feels appreciated. Leaving Essie behind (at the end of the series), I realized how important it is for helpers, nannies, and OFWs to hear compliments. It is very natural for Essie to consider her family as her own. So when Margaret explains everything, it’s very emotional for her.
When you’re spending six episodes with a character, do you develop a backstory and work with Lulu? What was your process?
I read the script three times. I found this during quarantine and was so lost in the story. I didn’t do anything because all the little things about the character were there.
In terms of representation, Essie symbolizes an overseas Filipino worker. What does it mean to play Essie and bring forth this authentic character?
I felt it was my responsibility to be able to portray him realistically and truthfully. I had the responsibility of portraying our unsung heroes. My aim as an actor was to play that role with dignity. I want OFWs to say, “Yes, that’s us.” In one scene, I had to speak English, but it sounded like “Carabao English” (poorly written English), and I brought it to Lulu’s attention. I said, “I can’t deliver lines because we don’t speak the way you do. Many OFWs are well educated and many of them are university graduates or professors. “I wouldn’t want any OFW to be portrayed or portrayed that way.” I thought that after six years, Essie would assimilate and be able to speak and communicate with correct grammar and she understood it.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
