|
TV personality Ruth Frendo went from a hold-up to having a minor part in the Hollywood blockbuster Gladiator. Besides acting from time to time she presents Mona Lisa, with Toni Abela, whom she greatly admires. Mona Lisa is screened on Fridays at 8.40 on Super One. 
What encouraged you to take up a public career doing TV and acting, any family influence?
It was during summer and I was working in an office with an import/export company and I remember that I had a very important report I had to print. Unfortunately, my printer was giving me problems so I decided to print the report using a printer downstairs in the shop. It was during those couple of minutes whilst I was in the shop that masked men came in and I was held at gun-point during the hold-up… That experience obviously changed my life and gave me a different perspective of what life is all about. I decided to try something ‘different’ so I chose to enroll in drama school; and I have been hooked ever since.
Tell us something about your part in 'Gladiator'?
I had just finished drama school and was wondering whether I would manage to ‘break in’ on the entertainment industry when I heard that the movie ‘Gladiator’ was being shot in Malta. I applied for a role; and after a photoshoot, an audition and an interview – together with several prayers from my part – I received the phone-call that changed my life. I was chosen for a small role and ended up on the set of ‘Gladiator’ acting alongside Russell Crowe. I was also lucky enough that the editing department left two memorable scenes including one in which I am kissing Russell on his cheek.
My husband Charlo and I also hanged out with the cast and crew and among the people I met and whom I will never forget, I have to mention Ridley Scott, Terry Needham, Billy Dowd, Nick Nolte and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
What have been your most memorable acting experiences and why?
For me every part is a memorable experience as I always ‘give’ a little of myself in each part I act. I also feel extremely privileged to have been able to work with Jacques Deray, who sadly passed away last year, in the movie ‘Fuga D’Amore’.
What do you think makes good television when it comes to current affairs programmes?
I think that for a current affairs programme to be good it has to present the whole and true picture of what’s really going on.
If you could produce anything you wanted - money no problem - what would you do?
Although obviously the budget of a production is always crucial, I really believe that a good programme can be easily produced if it has original ideas and a willing team to work with and on those ideas.
What have been the high and low points of Mona Lisa?
I must admit that I am very proud to be part of Mona Lisa. First of all I enjoy working with the rest of the team, consisting mainly of Dr Toni Abela and Charlo C Bonnici as well as Manuel who is the guard of our ‘museum’; and the whole crew of Super 1 Television who are all really professional and very helpful. I am very proud that Mona Lisa has managed to attract a big portion of the audience in spite of the competition. Although I believe in constructive criticism, we have also managed to draw critical approval from various quarters of the media as well as a lot of media coverage. I consider Mona Lisa to be a programme which manages to successfully combine educational elements, sound morale aspects and has a good dose of entertainment.
Toni Abela is a very colourful character how has it been working with him?
Both Charlo and I consider Toni to be more than just a work colleague – we consider him as a close friend. We have spent a considerable amount of time with him and I can easily say that he is an honest, intelligent, kind, down-to-earth and outspoken family-man; and he is exactly the type of person Charlo and I like hanging out with and working with. Toni is a person whom you can’t help but admire and respect.
What do you think could improve Maltese TV stations' offering?
I believe that I can say that today’s Maltese television has improved enormously. However, I still feel that some programmes need a lot of ‘polishing up’ and need to be more professional from both the presentation aspect as well as from the production aspect.
Any future plans?
Yes plenty! But they are top secret at the moment…
If you could change three things in Malta what would they be?
a) I would create a bigger awareness and introduce laws regarding the safeguarding of animal’s rights.
b) I would implement some sort of financial help in all the artistic and cultural fields; something that exists only in a few fields at the moment.
c) Since it has been quite some time that a big-budget movie was filmed in Malta, I feel that it would be wise to increase the incentives to boost our movie industry so as to become as competitive as other competing countries like Morocco and Mexico.
|
