Remember Alexa Ilacad as the mini comedienne from the iconic kiddie gag show "Goin’ Bulilit"? Turns out those comedy instincts never really left her toolkit. But even Alexa herself didn’t expect that the skill would come in handy in a totally different arena—impersonation—when she transformed into Rufa Mae Quinto on "Your Face Sounds Familiar” Round 13.
The act was so on point that it earned her another win, back-to-back with her previous victory as Mexican singer-actress Thalía.
Alexa is definitely on a roll! When ABS-CBN Studios caught up with the ‘Gen Z Total Performer’ days after her winning Rufa Mae moment, the hype was still written all over her face. But she admitted that the task came with a fair share of nerves too. After all, how do you even begin to imitate someone as iconic and as unapologetically unique as the country’s ‘Comedy Bombshell’?
“At first, I felt pressured,” Alexa admitted. “Kasi sinabi na ng judges noon pa lang na parang hindi talaga magagaya si Rufa Mae. Siya lang talaga ‘yun.” Still, she fought off the pressure by throwing herself into preparation, starting with watching Rufa Mae's most memorable comedy film "Booba," the theme song of which she performed for “YFSF” Round 13. Considering she was only about a year old when the movie first came out, the viewing was necessary research.
Luckily, Alexa didn’t have to familiarize herself with Rufa Mae from scratch, as she'd been a fan since she was little. “Naaalala ko pa, siya ‘yung dahilan kung bakit ako nagpupuyat noon every Friday para mapanood ‘yung show niya sa kabila. ‘Yun lang yung pinapayagan ako ng mother ko na magpuyat kasi favorite na favorite ko talaga siya.”
And this admiration for Rufa Mae, or Peachy to friends in the industry, helped her study the icon's manner of speaking, which many fans have spoofed countless times over the years. Alexa decided to focus on recreating Rufa Mae's talking voice since it's more recognizable than her singing tone.
And the rehearsal period turned out to be entertaining not just for her, but for her family too, who enjoyed her mini comedy shows as she would casually slip into ‘Rufa Mae mode’ at home. "’Pag pina-practice ko siya, may maririnig na lang akong tumatawa sa bahay,” she said, amused. “Pinagtatawanan na lang ako ng parents ko."
The stars seemed to be in Alexa’s favor for this one, as the icon she was tasked to impersonate was also her co-performer on the show, making it easy for her to ask Rufa Mae herself for a few tips. The veteran entertainer advised her to just have fun on stage, which made perfect sense as Rufa Mae has always been known for her carefree energy.
“Oo nga, that’s Ate Peachy,” Alexa mused. “She enjoys life. She’s living in the moment.” With that in mind, she stopped overthinking the impersonation and instead just focused on channeling the award-winning comedienne’s playfully chaotic personality.
“Very spontaneous ‘yung ginawa ko. Kung ano ‘yung unang maisip ko [sa stage], 'yun 'yung gagawin ko. Thankfully, laking 'Goin' Bulilit' naman ako. So, I guess it helped in terms of comedy and in timing. Ang saya-saya. It was so fun. I just had the time of my life."
All her preparation paid off. Not only did the judges love it, but the biggest reward for Alexa was knowing that Rufa Mae herself appreciated the performance. "Nagustuhan naman niya," she recalled when asked what Rufa Mae told her right after the act. “’Yung team niya sinabi rin na kuhang-kuha ko daw. And nag-thank you naman din si Ate Peachy, so na-validate naman ako.”
After spending time studying Rufa Mae more closely for this assignment, Alexa appreciated her even more, especially her authenticity. "'Yung how open she is talaga and how she doesn't care about what other people think of her," she noted.
"Basta wala siyang natatapakan tao, she's going to continue to be herself. Talagang nagpapakatotoo lang si Ate Peachy. She says what's on her mind, how she feels like, and how she lights up every room talaga. 'Yun 'yung something na I really admire about her."
Will Alexa emerge as the season's Grand Winner? Catch “Your Face Sounds Familiar,” Saturdays and Sundays, 7:15PM on Kapamilya Channel sa ALLTV2, A2Z, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), and iWant.