How far (or deep) will Alvin Marquez go?

With a screen name like his, hunky newcomer and Marina leading man Alvin Marquez seems destined to hog headlines–just like his two famous namesakes.

Alvin Fortuna in real life, he got his new surname courtesy of his director Wenn Deramas, who brilliantly thought of combining the names of Alvin Patrimonio and Joey Marquez.

"It’s because I came from Game KNB," Alvin says. "I was one of the original Game Boys, the assistants of Ms. MK (or Kris Aquino)." Needless to say, Alvin feels very much indebted to Ms. MK, not only for his catchy screen name, but also for the kindness she showed him during his three-month stint on the game show.

"She was really nice to all of us," he recalls. "I’m so thankful to her, director Bobet Vidanes, and the rest of the Game KNB staff." The Laguna native’s genial and grateful nature serves him well and will undoubtedly take him places in the biz. Another thing that sets Alvin apart from aspiring young stars is his passion in pursuing his dreams and honing his craft. Unlike other self-satisfied young men of his generation, Alvin is leaving no stone unturned in polishing his gifts. He attended a number of acting workshops under Mowelfund and ABS-CBN 2 even before he clinched his first big break in showbiz.

On his own, he has also enrolled in voice lessons at the Center for Pop Music Philippines. So far, he has mastered such ballads as When You Say Nothing At All and the songs of his singing idol, Piolo Pascual, like Kailangan Kita and Sana Ikaw. That was exactly the advice given to him by his mentors. "They told me that I should be determined to do well," he relates. "That I should be ready. So many people want to become a part of showbiz, but only a few succeed." His pluck and perseverance will certainly help him become one of the chosen few.

Physically, he has even transformed himself by going to the gym religiously and sculpting his former model’s body to suit the requirements of his new ABS-CBN 2 show, Marina. Aside from basketball and badminton, he keeps fit by running on the treadmill for an hour, lifting weights for 40 minutes, and swimming laps for another hour.

Just to show how far (and deep) he would go in order to improve in his work, he recently took scuba-diving lessons in preparation for his biggest role so far, as Randolph the intense deep-sea diver and admirer of Marina the mermaid, played by Claudine Barretto.

"Eight of us Game Boys auditioned for Marina last November," he looks back. "But only two of us, Abel Tolentino and I, made it to the final cast. After the first screening, they asked me if I knew how to dive. I didn’t so I went to Boracay last December and took diving classes."

Amazing, but true. The avid athlete overcame his fear of the deep (and the unknown) and picked up a new sport that taught on him precious lessons. "I really learned a lot," he remarks. "It was my first time and I realized just how beautiful our country’s waters are."

Especially since tapings for Marina take the cast and crew to some of Luzon’s most wondrous beach and dive spots: Calatagan, Batangas; Lingayen Gulf, Pangasinan; and Subic, Zambales. "It’s as if there’s a completely different world underwater," he waxes philosophically. "So peaceful. I saw a lot of colorful fishes. It felt so great. So relaxing."

Moreover, his underwater expedition yielded just as priceless self-discoveries. "I found out I can accomplish something that I thought I can’t do at first," he admits. "I hesitated at first. I thought I didn’t have what it takes to be a good diver."

Now, he is quite literally making a splash and making waves on the set of Marina. "We really enjoy ourselves," he reports. "It’s as if we’re one big happy family. It’s a lot of fun. And they’re all so nice. Especially Ms. Claudine." He has nothing but high praises for his dream leading lady.

"She is so supportive," he points out. "She really takes care of all of us. She guides me in every scene we do. She often asks me if I am feeling okay, if I am at ease in the scene."

The same kind words he says about this two directors on the fantaserye, Wenn Deramas and Andoy Ranay. "I learn a lot from them," he proffers. "Direk Wenn is like a mother hen on the set. Very protective. Direk Andoy is like our favorite aunt naman. I really enjoy our conversations."

From his Marina co-workers he continues to learn more tips to stretch his acting muscles. "It was on this show that I had learned about acting by units," he explains like a veritable pro. "That in a scene, you shouldn’t just show one emotion. You should show different shades of a specific feeling. Like you shouldn’t just be mad. You should show different degrees of anger. There’s anger that is questioning. Anger that is desperate. Anger that is begging. Different kinds of emotions."

Judging from his no-nonsense replies, he has all the makings of a thoroughly serious actor, a consummate professional just like his acting idol Cesar Montano. Come to think of it, not a few showbiz observers have noticed that Alvin looks uncannily like a cross between his two idols, Cesar and Piolo. He hopes to follow in Cesar and Piolo’s award-winning footsteps and become known as an innovative and versatile actor of range and risk.

"You should know what you are doing in each scene," he elaborates on his acting technique. "You should strive to bring life to each scene. It’s all in the details. In each blink of your eyes. In each smile. In your body language. It’s up to you to combine all these elements and make it all seem so real."

Indeed, Alvin Marquez, tomorrow’s brightest and most promising leading man, will someday make a name for himself – beyond and apart from his two controversial namesakes.