Maricel Soriano: 41 Carats

A little after midnight without fail these past few years, Maricel Soriano forwards inspiring text messages to her friends, some of whom text back to say "Amen!" while the rest simply commit those grains of wisdom to memory.

At 41 (last Feb. 25), Maricel has made a 180-degree turn from being Taray Queen to, why not, being Sor Maria. She is at peace with herself and the world around her, thank you.

Some things are amiss in her personal life, all right, but as far as her career is concerned she’s well-rounded. Ask her how many acting awards she has won so far and it takes her two hours to remember all of them. "I’ve lost count," she texted back to Conversations, only to text again with this breakdown: For movies, 11 for Best Actress, one for Best Supporting Actress and two for Best Child Actress ("Not to mention," she added, "those from People’s Choice and from the Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Foundation Awards"); and for television, three for Best Actress (Drama), three for Best Performer (Comedy) and one for Highly-Recommended (Drama).

Reminded that she has just won another Best Actress award for Numbalikdiwa, a digital film shown at the just-concluded Cinemanila, Maricel was surprised. "Did I?" she asked.

Her latest starrer, Unitel Pictures’ Inang Yaya, is touted to be another award-winning performance – "Probably one of Maricel’s best, if not her best," said a critic, wiping a tear during the press preview. Produced by Tony Gloria and directed by new talents Pablo Biglang-Awa Jr. and Veronica Velasco (who also wrote the story/screenplay), Inang Yaya (Mother Nanny) casts Maricel in the title role, torn between her ward and her own daughter (played with heart-wrenching passion by Erika Oreta and Tala Santos, respectively).

"Only the stone-hearted won’t be moved by the movie," said a movie writer not noted for shedding tears over a tearjerker flick.

"Be ready with your hankies," warned STAR columnist, Startalk host and Manunuri officer Butch Francisco.

"How dare you make me cry, Maria!" I teased Maricel.

But before we all troop to the moviehouses (starting on Nov. 29 which Unitel Pictures has declared "Yaya’s Day"), let’s listen to Maricel talk about the 41memorable moments in her life and career.

1. My biggest fear? That my two sons will get married before they finish college and even if they are not yet established. (Note: Marron is in college while Tien-Tien is in Grade 7.)

2. I’m fulfilled as it is but my one frustration is that...you know, a mother’s feeling that her children have a father around. It would have been better.

3. My saddest experience? When my sons "emoted" in front of me. Why? Secret!

4. I feel happiest when I see my sons happy. Marron is a bit moody, very reserved, so when he starts opening up, happy ako. I enjoy it, especially when the three of us engage in a conversation.

5. I’ve done all kinds of roles, most of them memorable. But my friends say, and I agree with them, that one of my very best was (in Ishmael Bernal’s) Hinugot sa Langit (story of a girl pregnant out of wedlock contemplating an abortion).

6. My favorite actress is Jessica Lange. I saw her in the play The Glass Menagerie on Broadway and she’s just terrific!

7. I like white. It looks clean.

8. The best lesson that I’ve learned from life so far is this: Don’t do unto others what you don’t want others to do unto you. The Golden Rule.

9. What’s the best thing about me? What you see is what you get!

10. And the worst, if any? Well, if anybody sees the worst in me, then it’s all up to him.

11. My pet peeve? Liars!

12. I’ve been to several places here and abroad. I want to explore more places. But the one place I love to be is a quiet one where you can commune with nature, or you can watch the sun set with the rising moon not far behind. Wow! It’s nice to pray in a serene place like that and say, "Thank you for keeping me here!" It reminds me of Pagudpod (in Ilocos Norte) where we filmed (Reyna Films’) Ikaw Lang ang Mamahalin. It’s such a heavenly place.

13. At what age did I make my first million? During my Regal days when I was paid in full, in staggered checks nga lang!

14. I’m not choosy with food. Give me rice and one viand, preferably fish or tuyo or galunggong, and I’m happy.

15. The one person I truly admire is Oprah Winfrey. I learn a lot from her, including how she prays. She doesn’t know me but I love her. That’s the only thing I want to tell her, "I love you, Oprah!"

16. If I were an animal, I’d be a bird, so I can fly!

17. A fruit? Yes, pear. I like its pale-yellow skin. And the shape. The flesh is heavenly white. And it’s juicy, too.

18. A flower? Carnation. It looks like the lining of a dress.

19. Yes, I believe in reincarnation. If I were to be reincarnated, I want to be Oprah and experience everything that she does. I want to be a positive influence on other people.

20. I’m insomniac. I usually sleep at 4 a.m. What do I do while the whole world is fast asleep? I watch TV series (on DVDs).

21. I like inspirational books. That’s where I get the inspirational messages that I send to friends every day. I have in my library the Harry Potter novels. I’ve also read Memoirs of a Geisha.

22. One thing I can’t do without is my bag of toiletries. Without it, I’m insecure.

23. What is money to me? A piece of paper.

24. I don’t measure success in material terms. In fact, I don’t measure it at all. But I think that if you have a lot of wisdom then you are successful.

25. As a mother, I’m somewhat controlling, somewhat possessive. But it doesn’t mean that I don’t try to reach out to my sons. I want to learn with my sons and grow with them. That’s why I join them in whatever interests them, like watching movies about car-racing. I treat my sons as my barkada.

26. I worry a lot but I try not to show it.

27. I’m between an introvert and an extrovert. As I grow older, I tend to be more and more of a homebody.

28. No, I don’t store up negative feelings. That’s unhealthy. I hate excess emotional baggage. That’s what I learned from Wyngard (Tracy, my manager).

29. The turning point in my life came when I was 33. That was the time when I asked myself, "Ano ba, Mary? Do you want this kind of life, complicated? You know you can do something about it but you have to make a lot of sacrifices." And I did. No regrets!

30. Marriage? No, I haven’t developed a phobia for marriage (Despite a failed one, to Edu Manzano. – RFL).

31. My pastime is watching DVDs and surfing the Net.

32. Secret of my cool and calm disposition? It’s not a secret. Prayer.

33. Who will be the next Maricel Soriano? I don’t have any idea.

34. I love Tita Susan (Roces, her co-star in the ABS-CBN sitcom John En Shirley). Without her intending to, she shares a lot of wisdom with me. Napakabait niyang tao! She respects other people’s opinion. When she has to say something, she says it. She has a positive outlook in life. Sana maging kagaya ako ni Tita Susan.

35. Daddy Dolphy (another John En Shirley co-star) has been like a second father to me. Hingahan ko ng sama ng loob since our John En Marsha days. All we do is look at each other and we know what we feel. He would ask me, "Happy?" I smile a bit and he gets the message.

36. I feel empty when I think of Mommy Nida (Blanca who played her mom in John En Marsha, the long-running sitcom which started in the early days of martial law). Her murder has remained unsolved. It’s unfair! Walang justice. Until the case is solved, Mommy Nida won’t have any closure.

37. My weakness? The moment somebody makes lambing to me, wala na. I soften up.

38. I cry when I’m given a chance to be by myself, alone with my thoughts, like walking on the beach with only the sound of the waves hitting the shores and the sun slowly sinking into the sea.

39. I get mad when somebody lies to me. But I have mellowed. I seldom get mad now.

40. What do I usually pray for? For forgiveness. I always say "I’m sorry!" when I pray. We are all sinners and we sometimes hurt people without our knowing it.

41. How did I feel when I turned 41?

If life begins at 40, then I’m only one year old. Seriously now, I wasn’t scared when I turned 41. I’m not afraid of growing old. It’s great to grow old with wisdom. If anybody asks me, "What’s your problem?," I can look at him straight in the eye and ask back, "What’s yours?" Because I don’t have any problem.

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