Sam Milby is just one of the many celebrities who have a Twitter account as a means of connecting with friends and fans all over the world. But what most of his followers find odd is that the Fil-American hunky actor-model writes his Tweets in Tagalog. Sam explained, “I tweet in Tagalog kasi kailangang mag-practice nang todo. Kaya ‘yung ibang fans nagtataka kung ako ba talaga ‘yung nasa Twitter kasi Tagalog. Yes, ako po talaga ang sumusulat dun. Naging addict ako sa Twitter dahil kay Anne (Curtis).”
After doing print and TV ads, Sam ventured into acting in 2007 in the teleserye Maging Sino Ka Man. However, having been used into speaking in English most of his growing years in the US, he found it a challenge to deliver his lines in fluent Tagalog. Not wanting to be typecasted in doing ‘balikbayan’ roles, he promised to himself that he will speak in Tagalog more often to improve. “Lagi na akong nagta-Tagalog ngayon para matuto pa ako so I can do more different roles. Ayoko naman na pare-pareho ang roles ko na, laging guy na galing ng States at bumalik dito. Gusto ko naman na in my roles I get to speak Tagalog na dire-diretso.”
Three years into the business, Sam had made remarkable improvement, as seen by his former girlfriend Anne Curtis. The young actress shared, “May accent pa rin si Sam pero ang laki na ng na-improve niya since Maging Sino Ka Man. Based on my own experience (Anne grew up in Australia and once struggled with her Tagalog) the best way na matututo kang mag-Tagalog is sanayin mong magsalita. Kahit mali-mali okay lang. Nung baguhan ako sinabak ako agad ng Viva na ang role ko, anak ni Ronnie Lazaro na mahirap at nagtitinda ng flowers. Sa mga dialogues ko nun may accent ako, pero mahirap ako, ha ha ha!”
Sam and Anne will pair up for the first time on the big screen in Babe, I Love You premiering this April. “Wala namang masyadong major adjustments. Kami ni Anne we’ve done three teleseryes together. But this is our first movie. Also ang director namin dito is Mae Cruz, ‘yung director namin sa Maging Sino Ka Man. Si Direk Mae kilalang kilala na niya kami ni Anne. Alam niya ‘yung mga nuances namin na nakita na sa TV. This time she wants us to be different para dito sa movie, ” Sam shared about the movie.
He further talked about the new things that fans can expect from him in Babe, I Love You. “I play an architecture professor. Kakaiba ‘yung role ko dito. Matalino na mayabang na. He kind of looks down on people na hindi matalino.May rebel past siya nung bata siya. Black belter siya sa taekwondo so may makikita kayong mga fight scenes ko. Hindi ko pa nagagawa ‘yun dati sa TV.”
by Napoleon Quintos