Rabin Angeles Wants To Be One Of The Greats

Rabin Angeles walked into the studio in a crisp white tee and gray shades, flashing a smile and greeting everyone on set before the cameras even started rolling. It was quite a gloomy Thursday at the Cosmo HQ, but excitement filled the air when Rabin arrived. Like with many celebs, we were all excited to get to know him a little better.

After all, we just know him as one of the rising stars of VIVA Artists Agency, plus, he plays Yuri Hanamitchi in the viral show, Ang Mutya ng Section E. Yup, we watched it—of course we did. As Yuri, he gave major book boyfriend energy: chinito looks, red hair, and an effortlessly cool vibe. 

He may look like your typical book boyfriend, but Rabin isn't just playing roles.

And that's not a bad thing. He wants to cement his name along with everyone else that he looks up to, all while knowing that he's got a lot to take in before getting to where greatness lies for him.

The 20-year-old actor knows how to persevere more than anyone else. It's what fuels him to keep going, and it's definitely also what contributes to the list of opportunities he's reaping today. “Hindi po ako pumipili eh,” he tells Cosmopolitan Philippines, when we asked him how he chooses his next project. “Kung ano yung meron, tatanggapin mo po. Hindi po ako magre-reklamo kahit anong bigyan nila sa akin na role.”

And so when Rabin's first lead role was given to him (he had been auditioning for every role so far), he was more than ecstatic. “Unang-una po, siyempre nagulat ako kasi ang laking role, di ba? Parang kailan lang before ang mga roles ko, supporting lang. Masaya na ako niyan kahit supporting roles,” he said.

Looking back, he would do anything just to land an acting gig—or simply to be on set, filming whatever came his way. He strongly remembered, “Sinasabi ko nga dati magta-talent ako kahit kulang bayad. Sige, kasi gusto ko yung ginagawa ko, masaya yan. Yan yung gusto kong gawin—mag-taping.”

Now, Rabin has a packed schedule. Before our interviews started, he went on to discuss some scheduling matters with his handler, not to decline or back down, but to fit everything into his plate. That's on top of filming and promoting Seducing Drake Palma, where he plays a completely different character from Yuri Hanamichi.

"Nung binigay sa'kin yung Drake Palma, tuwang-tuwa ako siyempre," he shared, before noting how he would sometimes find it hard to channel Drake Palma. By drawing comparisons between the two characters, he stated, “Si Drake Palma, hindi ka talaga nakikibuan eh. Si Yuri [Hanamichi], sungit lang siya pero pag kinausap mo, kakausapin na naman. Si Drake, hindi talaga. Sobrang sungit. [...] Nahahawa ako kay Drake minsan.”

Seducing Drake Palma tells the story of Alys Perez (Angela Muji), who sets out to seduce the aloof and unfriendly Drake as part of a plan to avenge her best friend’s love life—only to find herself genuinely falling for him. This is the basic premise of the original Wattpad story, which served as the foundation for Rabin’s own take on the character of Drake Palma.

“Sabi sa'kin, ‘Dapat malayo siya kay Yuri. Dapat ibang-ibang siya kay Yuri.' Kaya sabi ko, 'Sige po, i-guide niyo po ako kung ano pong kailangan kong gawin, gagawin ko po,'" he tells Cosmo.

His declarations weren't empty words. He immediately had his hair dyed back to black to become Drake Palma, and requested workshops right away. Detailing his preparation for the role, he said, “Workshops talaga. Yun talaga lagi ko nire-request. Bago po ako mag-start kahit ano mang series, kahit ano mang pelikula, dapat palagi ako may bago natututunan. Hindi ako sasalang sa isang series na hindi ako nagwo-workshop.”

Rabin emphasized, “Gusto ko lagi po may bago sakin. May bago ko mapapakita na atake. Ayoko yung ulit-ulit po yung atake ko sa yung ginagawa ko.”

Rabin's been to countless tapings in his life, but Seducing Drake Palma would hold a special place in his heart, as it's first show he’s cast as the lead star. More than that, Rabin’s more at ease now, going into filming. Admittedly, he's learned a lot after Ang Mutya ng Section E, and he’s changed a lot as well.

“Dati parang pag nasa taping ako, nahihiya ako eh. Nandun lang ako sa sulok. Ako lang mag-isa. Tapos pag salang na, ta-take na ako. Wala akong masyadong nakakausap sa set. Kasi nakakahiya parang sila lahat sanay na doon, ako baguhan lang," he recalled without mentioning any particular project in the past.

He furthered, “Pero sa Ang Mutya ng Section E, ang gaan. Ang gaan ng vibes doon. Parang lahat nagiging kaibigan mo. Yan yung natutunan ko talaga doon,” noting how he continues to spread that feeling of friendship, even into the set of Seducing Drake Palma.

Now that we've officially entered the Seducing Drake Palma era, the Internet is giving RabGel the moment it deserves. Rabin's newest love team—with his co-star Angela—is all about serving kilig, both on-cam and off. Some may call it fan service, others think it's something more. For Rabin, though, it's simply them enjoying their work as celebrities. “Alam niyo po kung paano kami nakikita ni Angela sa personal, kung paano kami sa sa series—ano lang po eh, natural lang,” he said.

Aside from his striking visuals, it's Rabin's love team journey that's become noteworthy. But he knows there’s so much more than being in a love team all while acknowledging the beauty in it. “[Sa] love team, tulungan talaga kayo. So, mas mabilis yung pag-angat nyo. Mas kakagatin kayo ng masa pag love team. Mahirap lang siguro sa love team, yung mata-typecast kayo—na kayong dalawa na lang lagi. Pero ang daming pros,” he explained.

His take on the industry made us throw in the big question: does he see love teams as a must for reaching A-list status? Rabin responded without missing a beat. He's not opposed to the idea—in fact, he embraces it. For him, being part of a love team isn't just about chemistry or hype; it's another skill to refine, another layer to grow as an actor.

Rabin tells Cosmo, “Opo, kailangan talaga [ang love team]. Stepping stone ang love team. Okay lang ako kahit sino yung mga love team ko. [...] Marami akong matutunan sa acting. Yung pagla-love team, isa yan sa makakatulong sa'yo.”

There's no perfect formula for success. But with Rabin's perseverance, compelling characters, and the added spark of his love teams, he's become impossible to ignore. Now, with over six million followers on social media, Rabin's momentum shows no signs of slowing down. And that momentum comes with the good kind of pressure for the young actor.

“Siyempre po may pressure. Pero, iniisip ko lang lagi na masaya ako na nandito na ako. And yung mga kasabayan ko pong artista, marami rin po ako natutunan sa kanila din. Madami din po ang taong tumutulong sa akin,” Rabin said.

In our interview, he'd tell me over and over again that he still has a long way to go in terms of his dreams. There are still a lot of things to learn and to tackle, and of course, he's not one to back down that easily—a personality he attributes to his beloved mom.

Rabin has never shied away from expressing his deep love for his family. Born in Pampanga, he was raised by his mother, who single-handedly cared for him and his siblings after being widowed. Theirs was a simple life—marked by shared struggles and dreams built together.

“Yun yung pinaka-natutunan ko sa nanay ko na hindi ako susuko kahit anong mangyari. Hindi ako susuko hanggang hindi ko naaabot kung ano yung gusto ko,” he said.

This fire in him doesn't make him immune to negative comments or bashing. When asked how he handles criticism, he affirms, “Okay lang. Wala lang po sa akin yun. Alam ko naman po sa sarili ko kung ano yung mga dapat kong gawin at hindi ko dapat gawin.”

His words came from a place of deep understanding—not just of his craft, but of the realities of being a public figure, where comparisons and imagined rivalries against other actors often make for good headlines. “Ang dami ko po nakikitang ganung comments. Pero hindi naman totoo kasi mag-tropa-tropa po kami,” he assured.

He knows people tend to misunderstand a lot about him. Still, he takes it all in and uses it as fuel to grow, to get better, and to keep showing up as his best self. Rabin clearly puts it out there, “Yung ibang comments naman nila, hindi naman totoo. Wala lang din sa akin. Hindi ko na lang iniisip. Iniisip ko kung paano pa ako mas mag-i-improve para may bago pa ako magpakita sa mga tao.”

Rabin's fame didn't happen overnight. He's already basking in the glow of his career, but the truth is, there are still a lot of lessons to learn and a lot of dreams to pursue.

“Malayo pa ako. Madami pa po akong kakainin bago ako makarating dun sa gusto ko marating,” Rabin expressed. Even though he's not rushing the opportunities that come his way, he's clear on his goals.

At the top of Rabin's priorities? His mom. One of his biggest dreams is to give her the life she deserves, starting with building their own home. They've been living in his grandfather's house, but he's determined to change that. “Gusto ko nang mapa-stop ang mommy ko sa work. Nag-iipon po ako para mapatayuan ko ng business ang mama ko at para makabili ako ng bahay para sa kanya,” he stated.

“Sana after two years, meron tayong movie sa MMFF (Metro Manila Film Festival)—or this year! Depende sa plano ni Lord,” Rabin also told Cosmo with the utmost optimism. After all, Rabin is certain about where he's headed—his roadmap points to a future filled with more films than he once thought possible.

At just 20, he looks up to a range of actors, from local celebs like Joshua Garcia and Piolo Pascual to international greats like Leonardo DiCaprio, who stands out as a major source of inspiration when he envisions the roles he dreams of taking on someday.

“Yung talagang role ni Leonardo DiCaprio sa The Basketball Diaries. Nakita ko kasi dun yung emotions niya ang dami. Gusto kong magka-ganon na role,” he candidly said. “After ng [Seducing] Drake Palma, films na talaga goal ko. Pag Rabin Angeles, dapat lahat ng role nai-imagine nila. Gusto ko parang Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt. Lahat ng pelikula ko dapat blockbuster. Sana. Darating din tayo. Malayo pa,” Rabin confidently said.

The path ahead is long and full of uncertainty, but Rabin is ready to keep moving forward, just as he always has. In hopes of inspiring others chasing their own dreams, he shares, “Ang ginagawa ko lang po palagi, nagpapakahirap lang ako sa trabaho ko. Bibigay ko lagi yung best ko. Lagi ka dapat nag-aaral nang nag-aaral. Wag kang magrereklamo. Lagi ka lang thankful. Tapos lagi ka lang magdadasal. Magpapasalamat ka lang.”

There's no perfect combination when it comes to stardom. Some actors find the spotlight early; others wait patiently for their moment. As for Rabin Angeles, he's right in the thick of it. He's charting his own story, one role, one challenge, one day at a time. “Hindi ko titigilan 'to. Masaya ako sa ginagawa ko,” he says, his voice steady with conviction. He's trusting the process, embracing the grind—and he's in it for the long run.

Photographer: Lem Atienza, assisted by Raenan Isabel, Yuan David, Nicole Evans