In case you haven’t heard yet, Marian Rivera is venturing into theater this 2021! The actress, best known for her onscreen roles in GMA teleseryes such as Marimar, Darna, and Temptation of Wife, just booked her first-ever play with Tanghalang Ateneo’s Password: 03d1pu5_R3x.
In an interview session with Summit Media, the actress discussed her participation in the project in great detail, but apart from that, she also got candid about her personal life, from her favorite kitchen appliance to how she handles haters.
Want to learn more about GMA’s darling? Below, we round up eight new fun facts we learned about the actress.
1. She never interferes with Dingdong’s hobbies.
Marian’s husband Dingdong isn’t shy about his penchant for motorcycles. Heck, he even rode his bike to church on his wedding day. As thrilling as it is though, it’s no secret that the actor’s hobby isn’t exactly the safest thing in the world. However, when asked if Marian ever restricts her husband from riding, Marian revealed that she never interferes with Dingdong’s activities. “Lahat ng mga bagay na ginagawa niya nung binata siya, never ko yan pinakialaman,” she told media. “Yun lang ang kaibahan ngayon kailangan meron kang ibibigay na reminder: ‘Mag-ingat ka, tatlo na kaming naghihintay sa’yo.’ Kailangan safe yan umuwi ng bahay.’ Hinahayaan ko siya kasi naniniwala ako na kailangan bigyan natin ng ‘me time’ ang mga sarili natin.”
2. Her favorite kitchen appliance is a waffle maker.
With Marian being an ambassador to a home appliance brand, have you ever wondered what her favorite kitchen tool is? Well, apparently the answer is a waffle maker, and it’s all thanks to her daughter Zia, who’s currently obsessed with pancakes. “Si Zia every day yan ang hiling sa’kin. Walang kasawaan ang anak ko sa pagpapaluto ng pancake!”
Has she jumped on the air fryer bandwagon like the rest of us, you might ask? According to Marian, she does have one at home but she only uses it sparingly. “Probinsyana ako. Mas gusto ko pa ‘ring lutong kawali na may mantika,” she admitted.
3. She tries to exercise at least thrice a week.
Don’t expect detailed exercise tips from Marian anytime soon. Apart from her job as an actress, she’s also too preoccupied with being a homemaker to stick to a strict fitness routine. “Ang busy busy ko. Nagluluto pa 'ko. All around!” She also humorously quipped, “Ang sarap kumain”—and we couldn’t agree more! That said, Marian does try to squeeze in a quick exercise at least thrice a week, which includes jogging around their village with Dingdong or running on a treadmill at home.
4. She’s grown a thick skin and has learned to ignore her haters.
Every celebrity unfortunately has their own share of critics with too much to say. During the early days of her career, Marian was admittedly bothered by her haters, but she’s since accepted them as a consequence to her job, and has taught herself to ignore them now that she knows better. “Ang mga tao talaga ganun e. May masasabi at may sasabi sa’yo…Habang nagtatagal ka dito sa show biz, matututo at matututo ka. Hindi pwedeng balat sibuyas ka,” said Marian.
“Hindi lahat ng tao magugustuhan ka. Siguro ang magma-matter na lang sa’yo ay yung mga taong sinusuportahan ka at yung mga taong mahal ka. Doon ako magtutuon ng pansin.” As for her message to her bashers? “Sana po makilala niyo po ako.”
5. She was hesitant to take part in Tanghalang Ateneo's play at first.
Directed by Ron Capinding, TA's Password: 03d1pu5_R3x is a modern adaptation of Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex. It’s also set during the pandemic, hence, the characters will be interacting through online video call. During the early stages of the project, Ron had originally pegged Dingdong Dantes for the role of Kreon, the vice president of the Philippines who goes up against President Edipo's reign. Upon careful deliberation though, he eventually went a different route and concluded that the role of VP should be portrayed by a woman, to keep in line with today’s situation. Hence, instead of inviting Dingdong to the project, Director Ron asked the actor to convince his wife, Marian, to take on the role.
Having never acted in a stage play before, the screen actress had her qualms about the offer, of course. “Ako ay naduwag dahil pakiramdam ko hindi ko to kakayanin,” admitted Marian. “Parang yung salitang teatro pa lang medyo kinakabahan na ‘ko. Parang hindi ko ata kakayanin yan. Hanggang sa sabi sa’kin ng asawa ko ‘bago ka matakot kausapin mo muna si Sir Ron…baka may mga question ka na ‘pag nasagot niya, mapa-oo ka namin.’”
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Thankfully her conversation with Direk Ron went well, and Marian eventually agreed to the part. She shared, “Masarap na china-challenge yung sarili sa mga bagay na hindi mo pa nagagawa at gagawin mo. Sabi ko walang dahilan para tanggihan ko at sabi ko gusto kong subukang pumasok sa teatro.”
6. She didn’t wear any makeup for her role.
Yep, you can expect a barefaced Marian during the play, along with the rest of the cast. “Ni-require nila na no makeup kami so wala akong makeup,” she revealed. With the ongoing pandemic, all of the actors were left to their own devices when it came to their appearance and wardrobe. Luckily, the script itself didn’t ask much from them regarding this aspect. “Yung buhok ko ginawa ko lang disente bilange bise presidente ako…hindi ito naging problema kasi marunong naman ako mag ayos sa sarili ko.”
7. She had a difficult time learning the script.
Marian’s favorite subject in school back in the day may have been Filipino, but even her vocabulary wasn’t a match for the amount of deeply profound words in Ron’s script. “Nahirapan ako mag-memorize ng mga mahahabang lines in Tagalog na malalalim,” said the actress. “Hindi ka pwede magkamali, [at hindi pwedeng] malaktawan mo yung isang salita kasi mag-iiba na yung ibig sabihin. Kailangan consistent ka na memorize mo talaga ang kada-bibigkasin mong salita.”
8. She’s dedicated to always staying honest with her kids.
Marian’s character in the play, Kreon, is a steadfast leader who makes sure to always stand her ground as she fights for justice. When asked how she instills the same ideals and characteristics to her daughter Zia, Marian shared that honesty is the best policy in their house.
“Honest kami sa kanya. Lahat ng pakiramdam niya pwede niyang ibato sa’min. Hindi namin siya huhusgahan,” said the mother of two. “Pero kapag mali ang ginagawa niya kailangan sabihin namin sa kanya at i-explain [kung bakit mali]…Naniniwala ako na kapag honest ka mararamdaman niya yun. Hindi ko sinasabing i-spoil mo siya pero as long as nakikita mong wala naman siyang masamang ginagawa, hayaan mo lang siya at suportahan mo siya. Ang mahalaga maging mabuti siyang tao at maging honest siya sa’min ng tatay niya.”
Well said, Marian!
Show dates for Tanghalang Ateneo’s Password: 03d1pu5_R3x are on February 22, 25, and 27, 2021. Tickets are sold at P150 for general viewing and P250 for general viewing coupled with a souvenir program. Tickets can be purchased through Tanghalang Ateneo’s ticketing partner, Ticket2Me, and these prices are inclusive of the platform’s transaction fee.
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