Marian makes no apologies

Without a doubt, Marian Rivera has one of the most beautiful faces in showbiz. She is also one of the most genuine persons in the industry, which — unfortunately — sometimes also makes her the most controversial. Not everyone can handle how real she is, but she makes no apologies for this.

In fact, when it comes to beauty, Marian says she feels the most beautiful when she wakes up in the morning because that’s when she is in her most natural state. In the morning, when her face is still devoid of makeup, is when you see the real her — and that is her definition of beauty.“Kapag bagong gising ako, that’s when I feel beautiful,” she says. “Kasi kapag bagong gising ang isang tao, that’s when you’ll see the real him or her, yung purity niya, and the type of person that he or she is. Ako kasi mas gusto ko ‘yung totoo ang nakikita ko.”

And yet, believe it or not, there was a time when she didn’t feel too confident about her looks, herself or her body. That’s why in the past, she turned down offers, projects and endorsements where she was required to show skin or even be a bit daring. In fact, when she agreed to be the calendar girl of Ginebra San Miguel (GSM) back in 2009 — her first time to pose for the brand — she was, in her own words, conservative. “More on shorts and shawl (balabal) at that time,” she says. But as her career progressed, and as she became older, she learned how to let some of her inhibitions go. Slowly, her public image evolved and became more daring. It became noticeable in her magazine pictorials as well as in the characters she portrayed onscreen. So when she was offered a second time by GSM to be its calendar girl for 2014, Marian was more easily convinced to adopt a more daring persona for the camera. The campaign was shot by celebrity photographer Mark Nicdao in three different locations: Batangas, Boracay and Palawan.

It was much easier for Marian now than it was in 2009, because she feels more confident about her body these days. “Sa mga napagdaanan ko, mga magazines na nagawa ko, I have become more confident,” she says. “Before, I was not used to showing skin and wearing two-piece. I wasn’t into going to the gym and dieting, at di pa ako concerned sa mga ganyan. Now, I’m into Muay Thai, Zumba, and proper diet, kaya nagkaroon ako ng kumpiyansa sa sarili ko na mag-pose ng ganito. Ngayon, basta sa tingin ko kaya kong dalhin at may tiwala ako sa mga kasama ko, gagawin ko.”

According to her, this more daring image is not really part of her career plan. “Nagkataon lang,” she says. “Truth is, we didn’t plan it. It just so happened na mga ganito ang ginagawa ko, pero meron pa next year, abangan na lang nila.”

There is really a lot to look forward to for Marian’s fans. Soon, she begins taping her new soap, which will be her heaviest drama yet. She was also supposed to start a new sitcom, but begged off so she could focus all her attention on the soap, which is very demanding. And for fans who have been hoping to see her in a project with real-life boyfriend Dingdong Dantes, well, that will have to wait since they are both busy with their individual commitments. But she’s not closing her doors. “Even before, he has been very vocal about the idea of me and him working together,” says Marian. “Siguro depende sa konsepto, pero siyempre willing ako kasi ang tagal na namin di nagsasama.”

Right now, with all the blessings she’s receiving, she cannot be happier — and there is nothing else she could ask for. Every time she is interviewed, she is always asked if there is anything else she wants or dreams of achieving. But Marian doesn’t want to ask for anything. It’s not right, she says, to always be asking for things, especially when she’s already been blessed with so much.

“There are times in life when you don’t need to ask for something. There are times when you need to keep quiet, pray and give thanks. Now, I just want to say thank you, dahil ang saya saya ko talaga.”