Currently busy promoting her new film, the sexy romance comedy Flower Girl where she plays the role of a model who one day wakes up without her private part, actress Sue Ramirez shared that because she grew up with strong parental figures, she does not feel uncomfortable when it comes to talking about private parts. A big part of this was also because her dad James Peter Dodd, a retired senior officer of the US state department, was bedridden for most of her life.
“The film is actually more about desexualizing the human body parts. I grew up in a household where my dad was a patient. So growing up, ang titi, titi lang yan sa akin. Kasi sometimes I would take care of my dad. Umiihi siya sa bote, tapos itatapon ko sa banyo, tapos ibabalik ko ulit dun sa kanya,” Sue told PUSH ABS-CBN in an exclusive interview..
“So desexualized talaga ang katawan ng tao sa akin. Hindi ko talaga siya nakikitaang bastos, hindi ko siya nilalagyan ng malisya. So growing up din, ang ganda siguro na ganun ‘yung upbringing sa akin na habang lumalaki ako, hindi ako bastos. Kumbaga, hindi ko nakikitang bastos ang katawan ng tao,” she explained.
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Even if her father was not able to communicate through words, Sue said she appreciated his presence just the same.
“Grabe, I just realized just now na all the time, I always talk about how strong my mom was, na itinaguyod niya kami. ’Yung dad ko was just always there,” she said.
Sue looked back at her dad’s own struggles brought about by a stroke.
“He was sick, he was paralyzed when I was six years old. He had a stroke. So the whole right side was paralyzed. His speech was affected also. Imagine, as a six-year-old kid, I didn’t know how to react to a father na kahapon lang nag-si-swimming tayo tapos pag-uwi mo, wala na, baldado na siya. Hindi na siya nakakapagsalita, hindi ko na siya makausap, hindi na kami makapag-drawing,” she recalled. “So it was such a big flip talaga that happened not only to me, but for my whole family.”
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Sue also shared what important life lesson being with her dad taught her through the years.
“What did I learn from my dad? Really, it’s patience and resilience and the willingness to get better. My dad was sick for 11 years. 17 years old na ako nung namatay yung dad ko, and sa 11 years na yun, he really kept fighting talaga. Because my mom kept telling him na, ‘Dad, maliit pa si Sue Anna, bata pa, so don’t go, don’t leave us yet. We still need you.’ My mom also was very hopeful na gagaling pa si Daddy. So ‘yun ‘yung nakita ko sa both parents ko: that they were both hopeful for something na kahit na mukhang imposibleng maabot,” she explained.
READ: Sue Ramirez remembers her father on his death anniversary: ‘I still miss you every day’
Before he passed in 2013, Sue also shared her father’s last act of love for her mom and their family.
“The only time that my dad let go was when my mom said na, ‘Dad, okay na. We’re okay. We’ll be fine. Go rest.’ Pagkatapos nun, dun ko natutunan sa daddy ko ‘yung totoong ibig sabihin ng love. My dad’s plug was scheduled to be pulled out the next day. My mom signed the waiver na and everything. So the next day came, hindi na pinaabot ng daddy ko na bunutin ng mommy ko yung mga wire ng respiratory machine niya. Nag-let go na siya kahit nakakabit pa lahat sa machine. Grabe, sabi ng mommy ko, hanggang sa huling hinga ng dada niyo, hindi niya talaga ako papahirapan,” shared Sue.
“Sobrang memorize ko ‘yung itsura ng pagmamahal dahil sa parents ko. And kahit ganun ‘yung situation namin sa bahay, kakaiba ‘yung itsura ng pagmamahal para sa akin, pero sobrang totoo. Parang alam na alam ko, memorize ko na,” she stated.