2 Filipina actors make Hollywood debut with ‘Expats’
Female-dominated series ‘Expats’ is now on Prime Video | Photos from Prime Video Philippines/Instagram
As diverse as Philippine cinema may be, there is one recurring theme that often hits close to home for many Filipinos—the situation of Filipino migrant workers and expats, especially those in Hong Kong.
Local films like “Sunday Beauty Queen” and “Hello, Love, Goodbye” have given us a glimpse into the lives of OFWs grappling with the harsh realities of working in a foreign land, all while dealing with homesickness. Rarely do these narratives make it to the international stage, though—until now.
On Jan. 26, Lulu Wang’s (“The Farewell”) debut series “Expats” premiered on Prime Video. It is inspired by Janice Y.K. Lee’s novel “The Expatriates,” and is top-billed by Nicole Kidman, Sarayu Blue, and Yoo Ji-Young.
Photo from Prime Video Philippines/Instagram
While the story largely revolves around the expatriate experiences of these three American women, it promises to shed light on the (often-overlooked) demands—emotional or physical—that come with being a domestic worker.
“Expats” marks Hollywood debut of 2 Filipinas
“Dreams lead to success.” For the longest time, a romanticized notion has always been attached to this saying—one that makes you believe that you can achieve your dream against all odds.
And for Filipina actors Ruby Ruiz (“Iska,” “Linlang”) and Amelyn Pardenilla, their dreams have indeed led them to success—to Hollywood, in particular.
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“[Thank] you for making Ruby a better actor,” wrote Ruiz in a social media post for Wang. “I’ve learned so much throughout this entire journey. [I will] forever be grateful.”
Pardenilla also expressed her gratitude on Instagram: “Words are not enough to express what I’m feeling right now,” the first-time actress wrote in a post. ”[I’m] so grateful to Lulu for the trust, guidance and encouragement on my first acting experience with ‘Expats.’”
Essie and Puri—who are they?
But as much as the saying seems to play out well for Ruiz and Pardenilla in real life, the same can’t be said for their “Expats” characters—or for many domestic workers at that.
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In the series, Ruiz plays Margaret’s (Kidman) nanny Essie, while Pardenilla steps into the shoes of Hilary’s (Blue) helper Puri. These personas navigate the far less dreamy reality in Hong Kong as well as the intersection of their personal and professional lives.
Essie finds herself torn between two scenarios: staying with her employers (who are grieving at that time) or finally retiring and moving back home with her family in the Philippines. Meanwhile, Puri performs emotional labor for her employers amid their crumbling marriage.
One episode focuses exclusively on them
Now, for those who want to zero in on the lives of Essie and Puri, an entire 96-minute episode is dedicated to them and their fellow migrant workers in Hong Kong. (Spoiler alert: It’s episode five.)
Photo from Prime Video Philippines/Instagram
You can watch the episode by itself (some reviews even say that it can be a standalone feature film) but the experience would, for sure, be fuller if you see the entire series. It’s only six episodes anyway.
According to Ruiz, one of the scenes even addresses “the parallelism and disparity of both ‘expat’ women” (pertaining to her character and Kidman’s) who come from “opposite social strata.”
To date, two episodes are already available on Prime Video. There’s a new episode dropping every week, with the finale slated on Feb. 23.
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