Rafael Rossel is half-Filipino, half-Norwegian. His smiling face and sculpted body was initially be seen in ”Bikini Open”, a sex comedy starring Diana Zubiri.

“I arrived in 2001 and spoke no Tagalog. I’m proud to say I speak it fluently in my upcoming movie,” says Rafael.

“My first big break was a Close-Up toothpaste commercial,” he recalled. “Then I joined ABS-CBN’s Star Circle Batch 9 with Michelle Bayle and Luis Alandy. My first movie was ’Kung Ikaw ay Isang Panaginip’ with Jolina Magdangal for Star Cinema.”

He is the eldest in a brood of three, all boys. His family lives in Abu Dhabi but visits Rafael often in his rented studio near the ABS-CBN compound. He says they are all very supportive of his career.

“My best experience in acting was the teleserye ‘Marina,’ where I played the mortal boyfriend of Gretchen Baretto. I came in on Week 8, and I initially felt like an outsider,” he recounts.

“My father taught us to follow our dreams. I guess I am living that dream right now, ” says Rafael. What would he like to do next? “I would love to host a beauty pageant and have a talk show,” he says.

To stay in shape, and because he loves sisig and adobo, Rafael says he has to work out four times a week.

Outside of show biz, he manages a jewelry line called Glisk. “It’s made of silver, Murano glass and pearls,” he says. “Sales are really brisk. Snooky and Agot Isidro were my first customers. We sell in Rajo’s House of Laurel, Sonare Club Spa and Cladd on Morato.”

He likes being in business. “Math was my favorite subject in college,” he explains. “I love numbers.”