Derek Ramsay wishes for better setup with son

Derek Ramsay

I wish there was a better setup,” said actor Derek Ramsay when asked how he felt about living far away from his 13-year-old son, Austin, who is currently with his mother in Dubai.

Derek said the last time he was allowed to see his son was Christmas of 2015. “For me, family is the most important thing. I always make an effort to communicate with him,” Derek told reporters during the press conference for his latest film, Enzo Williams’ “The Escort,” which will be screened in theaters nationwide starting Nov. 8.

“I was so happy when he decided to extend his stay here in Manila. He seemed to love being with me. He told me he loved me, but he started talking differently when he went back there. I can’t get mad at him for that. It hurts, but it’s what I have to deal with. I just try to be positive,” Derek told the Inquirer.

Derek and Austin’s mom, Mary Christine Jolly, a former commercial model and now a legal assistant in Dubai, got married in 2002, but separated five months later.

The 39-year-old actor, however, said he was being careful with his comments, because Mary Christine “might think I’m attacking her. For my son’s sake, I’ve decided to just be the one to take the blows. I stand strong for my son. If he wants to be with me, then one day he’ll come to me. I’ll be here to support him, to make sure that I’m giving him the best education,” he said.

No jealousy

Derek added that he was thankful to have a very supportive girlfriend in model Joanne Villablanca, who is 17 years younger. “She understands my work as an actor. We’ve never had arguments, because she never got jealous of my leading ladies,” he said. “If I had to do something really sexy, I’d run it by her. If she tells me that she doesn’t feel comfortable, then I’d have to consider that, too. This can’t be a one-way street.”

 ‘Reel’ emotions

Derek said that before Joanne agreed to be his girlfriend, “I had to explain to her that what I feel for my co-actor isn’t real emotion, that we’re just pretending on the set. Honest emotions are those that I want to act upon after the director screams ‘Cut!’”

Derek then clarified that he was not dating his “The Escort” leading lady, Lovi Poe. “We were seen together just one time, at the Red Cross charity ball. We arrived at the event together, but went home separately,” he insisted. “Lovi knows my girlfriend. They were classmates in high school.”

Derek described Lovi as a “fighter” because she was willing to do all the steamy love scenes with him. “I guess it was because I sat her down. I had to guarantee that nothing would happen because I will protect her,” he said, adding that doing love scenes were always challenging. “I can never get used to doing them. Every person I work with is different. I know that I have to be considerate. I have to find out what makes them feel comfortable.”

Derek has also done a couple of steamy scenes with co-star Jean Garcia. “At the end of it, she hugged me and said thank you, because she felt safe with me,” he said. “I’ve been paired with so many actresses, and they all say the same thing—that they feel safe and respected. That’s important to me, because I put a lot of effort into it.”