What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Wilbert Ross? Fans may have known him as one of Hashtags’ hunky dancers, but after he left the group, Wilbert Ross unleashed his other talents. After all, he is a gifted singer-composer and actor as well.
OF DREAMS AND CHALLENGES
Wilbert Ross first made a dent as a contestant on the “Tawag ng Tanghalan” segment of “It’s Showtime.” From the get go, he showed off his impressive pipes with a moving rendition of Lionel Richie’s classic song, “Hello”. Riding on the momentum, Wilbert Ross pursued his passion for performance, later joining “Pinoy Boyband Superstar” where he snagged a whopping 95 percent vote of confidence from the all-female audience. Despite the enthusiastic support of the crowd, however, a realistic Wilbert foresaw more challenges down the road and dealt with these as they came.
In an interview with the Philippine Star, Wilbert recalled the turning point when he and his mother opted to chase after his showbiz aspirations in Metro Manila.
“Nag-decide kami ng Mama ko na makipagsapalaran sa Manila kahit maituturing na sumugal kami kasi wala naman kaming koneksyon dito,” he related. Their move was not without its trade-off. “Malaking sacrifice sa akin na ipagpaliban ang full academic scholarship ko sa probinsya namin para ako ay maging isang engineer,” Wilbert disclosed. “Pero pakiramdam ko ito na ang opportunity for a career na gusto ko talaga.”
MOXIE DID IT
In 2017, Wilbert got his initial break in the popular noontime variety program, “It’s Showtime,” where he became a member of the dance group Hashtags. However, he admits that getting into Hashtags was no walk in the park. In a Facebook post, Wilbert related the serendipitous circumstances surrounding this part of his journey. “Alam nyo ba na natanggal ako sa second round palang ng audition ng Hashtags? Pero dahil sa wala akong na-receive na text na ‘wag na ako bumalik, syempre bumalik ako kasi sabi bumalik daw lahat bukas eh.”
The “mix-up” helped Wilbert reclaim his slot in the next round of the audition. Although his number was not called, Wilbert’s moxie moved Bing Ramos of the selection panel to give him another chance and the rest, as they say, was history.
REINVENTING HIMSELF AS RECORDING ARTIST AND ACTOR
In the ensuing years, Wilbert continued to reinvent his showbiz image by further expanding his skill sets. For one, he professionally released his music with both Star Music and Viva Records. A quick check of his Spotify profile will reveal the depth of his abilities as a singer and songwriter. This is evident in his songs such as “Langga” and “Maaari Ba,” both of which have been streaming numbers well into the millions.
Wilbert dazzled on both the big and small screens, with roles in feature films like “Hello, Love, Goodbye.” It was through his acting where he drew the attention of the production team behind the Puregold Channel for his next big opportunity.
MATINEE IDOL IN THE MAKING
Wilbert’s latest venture is his lead role in the Puregold Channel digital series, “Ang Lalaki sa Likod ng Profile,” where he stars as Bryce, a young man who’s hooked on video games. As he tries to get his start in the complex world of dating, he joins a dating app through which he meets Angge, played by TikTok sensation Yukii Takahashi.
“Sobrang thankful ako sa mga naging opportunities ko in the past,” Wilbert enthused. “Pero ngayon, iba naman ang gagawin ko for this romantic comedy series na good for the whole family.” Wilbert is quite expectedly thrilled about his role in the digital series because for the first time, “pwedeng ma-enjoy ng buong pamilya ang isang starring role ko.”
Grateful to Puregold Channel for such an opportunity, Wilbert is determined to put his manifold talents to good use for the production. For one, he wrote and sang the show’s official theme song, “Sasabihin Ko Na”.
To see Wilbert in action in his latest project, watch “Ang Lalaki sa Likod ng Profile” starting April 22 on the Puregold Channel on YouTube. Subscribe to the channel to catch a new episode dropping weekly on Saturday nights.
