Ariella is latest beauty queen to turn bonafide drama actress

Gone are the days when beauty queens are cast as the leading lady in a sitcom or the damsel in distress. Now, we see them in groundbreaking roles such as how Cindy Miranda handled Maria, Adan and House Tour, and Kylie Verzosa in The Housemaid, among many others.

Now, it’s Ariella Arida’s moment. She has been cast in the Philippine adaptation of More Than Blue, a South Korean drama classic released in 2009 and adapted in Taiwan in 2018. It was highly received, becoming the Taiwanese domestic highest-grossing film that year, with over $300M gross.

The remake also received a warm response during the 23rd Busan International Film Festival. It became a worldwide phenomenon with blockbuster screenings in East Asian countries including China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore, and recorded as the highest-grossing Taiwanese film in those countries.

Ariella will play Cindy, who will give away the love of her life to Yassi Pressman’s character Cream. This is the second project that Viva has trusted her with after Sarap Mong Patayin.

“Grabe na realize ko na may kyeme pa pala ako parang noong nag-umpisa ako sa pageantry,” said she, “parang ganito rin ang feeling, pero buti na lang palaban ako. I got it out of the way and nabigay ko naman yung kailangan.”

It has been eight years since her Bb. Pilipinas-Universe stint. Ariella is ready to take on a new chapter but even though she has been in the industry for some years now, she feels like she is just starting again with the amazing characters she is basking in.

“I am discovering a different part of myself and I am so happy nakikita ko rin iyong ibang mga nag-beauty queen na binibigyan ng chance,” shared she. “I think it’s time din na we show what we’ve got at kaya namin. Nakaka-excite din iyong idea na makasama si Kylie and Cindy since nasa Viva kami lahat.”

Ariella is now doing her quarantine for an upcoming project in GMA 7.

“Sanay na rin ako sa quarantine and minsan nga sinasabi ko sa sarili ko, ‘Wow! Umaarte na talaga ako!’ Sunod-sunod ang blessings!” she said.

Despite her very busy schedule though, Ariella hopes to catch up with the current Miss Universe Philippines Bea Luigi Gomez before she embarks on her journey in Israel for the Miss Universe 2021.

“Sana maabutan ko siya, isa rin talaga sa mga gusto (ko) is talking to the girls before they leave. I love mentoring,” said she.

If in case she won’t get to talk to Bea before she leaves, Ariella said, “Just enjoy the moment and the journey because that’s what happened for me. Talagang nakatulong siya sa akin to be who I am now. Iyon din dapat malaman niya.”

Ariella’s film, More Than Blue, will stream on Vivamax on Nov. 19, a day before her birthday.