Mickey happy in her personal life

MANILA, Philippines - Longevity in showbiz is a rarity. Stars come and go and only a few manage to endure in an industry where people pay more premium to looks than talent.

Not Mickey Ferriols who, unknown to many, has been in showbiz since 1995.

Mickey shot into stardom via a PLDT commercial and since then, has done six movies in bit and major roles, appeared in 12 teleseryes and hosted six afternoon variety shows.

From a wide-eyed, pretty starlet in the mid-’90s, Mickey has become one of the respected and fine character actresses today, in the mold of Cherry Pie Picache and Jaclyn Jose.

Lately, Mickey has been garnering attention as Vivian Altamira-Rincon, the rich wife of a gay businessman who has a perennial gambling problem in the hit ABS-CBN crime drama Nasaan Ka, Elisa?

As Vivian, Mickey gives a nuanced performance of an emotionally tortured wife who knows that her husband is gay and is having an affair. She gives out acting that is neither raw nor self-conscious.

In essaying challenging roles, Mickey says she draws from her personal experiences and counts herself a survivor both in her personal and professional career.

Now in her 30s, she lived in with a younger man, actor Archie Alemania and had a baby who is now six-years-old, Brent Marcus.

From her previous interviews, she would describe the relationship stormy and at one point, destructive.

She mentioned before in other interviews that staying at home while she was pregnant was one of the lowest points in her life. Out of job and growing fat, Mickey would always fight with Archie because of jealousy and insecurity. They would bicker over matters large and small. In the end, after five years of being together, they called it quits.

Three years after their separation, Mickey says they’ve now become good friends now that they are well…. just friends.

“We make an effort to be friends, I think our relationship now is better than before. We’re friends now,” she admits.

“It’s good that he’s there for our son, that he takes time to bond with our son. People ask me why we separated, and I always tell them that it’s not because of a third party or even wild rumors that I am being battered, it’s just over personal differences,” Mickey told reporters during a contract-signing with Magic Placenta, a 100-percent Filipino whitening soap company, as its endorser.

“These lessons have taught me how to be strong, how to stand on my own. It made me grow as a person,” Mickey says.

Mickey has been Magic Placenta’s endorser for the last five years. The company has been gaining popularity among Filipinos in the US and is distributed and sold in 40 states in west and east coasts.

“I’ve been using Magic Placenta and it has really made my skin clear and fair,” she says.

Right now, Mickey says her priorities are clear — her son and career.

Career longevity and essaying challenging roles, be it in the movies or television, also remain on top of her goals.

Mickey says she’s fortunate that her home studio ABS-CBN continues to believe in her.

She’s proud that Nasaan Ka, Elisa? is rating and is extended until January.

“We are all very thankful about the high ratings and the continued patronage for our teleserye. This is an amazing drama, it’s one of a kind on Philippine TV,” she says.

Mickey will star again in an upcoming fantasy drama titled Magic Champ with Sen. Lito Lapid, his comeback vehicle. Shooting will start this month and Mickey will essay the role of a Filipino-Chinese owner of a jewelry shop.

Even her personal life is coming up roses and admits to reporters that she’s seeing someone new now.

“He is not from showbiz, well my son knows him and he calls him Tito. Yes, you’re right my Christmas will not be cold and lonely after all,” she says.