Marian needs no superpowers when defending loved ones

CEBU, Philippines - If currently dubbed “Queen of Primetime” Marian Rivera would have one of Darna’s superheroine powers, she would love to be able to fly.

“Gusto ko yung makalipad. Kasi yung pagiging malakas at matapang, kaya yan ng ordinaryong tao eh. Kung sakali man magkaroon ako ng ganoong kapangyarihan, makakapunta ako kahit saan. Kung pagod ako, lilipad lang ako sa ere mag-isa, hihiga ako sa mga ulap, magre-relax,” she says. The first place she’d fly off to would be Spain, to see her Spanish father, Francisco Javier Garcia Alonzo, whom she hasn’t seen in a long time.

Wearing a pink robe to cover up her two-piece Darna costume, Marian was the last to arrive in a presscon with her co-stars at the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu. Her iconic character proves to be a real hit to children. After their presscon, a little girl was reduced to tears when GMA staff had to explain to her gently that a picture with Marian in her Darna costume wasn’t allowed, only with the actress’ robe on.

“Darna” is soaring high in the ratings game and is said to be the one responsible for the improved showing of the other GMA 7 primetime shows “Rosalinda” and “Adik Sa‘Yo”. Youtube clips and online discussions are declaring Marian as the better Darna than Angel Locsin’s version. What does she think makes her portrayal better?

“Ang hirap mag-compare dahil naniniwala ako na lahat na naging Darna, naghirap. Unique ang bawat tao, may kanya-kanya kaming personality kaya nagampanan namin in a certain way. Naniniwala din ako na bilang artista, kailangan wala kang ginagaya, dapat i-develop mo ang sarili mong identity. At palagi kong sinasabi, sa lahat ng mga naging Darna, bilib at saludo ako kasi hindi siya biro lalo na kapag naka-harness ka na,” she answers safely. 

Although she is petite, soft, and fragile-looking up close, plus her evident loss of a few pounds, Marian does not have a problem playing a tough savior of the oppressed in her many fight scenes. “Pag naka-Narda ako, automatic na mabait, simpleng babae, mapagmahal na tao. Pero pag nakasuot na ako ng helmet at ng buong costume ko, nagta-transform din ako, parang, go, fight! Nakaka-motivate siya if suot ko na ang buong costume ko.”

Past incidents have shown Marian’s personality of simply not taking it sitting down when she feels she is being wronged, which she likens to Darna’s courageous persona. “Si Narda simple lang, mapagmahal. Sa personal na buhay ko, siguro maraming hindi nakakaalam, ang mga kaibigan ko alam nila na simpleng tao lang talaga ako. Bilang Darna, kapag may mga taong naaapi, lalo na kapag mahal ko sa buhay, lalaban talaga ako. Si Darna matapang, sumusulpot siya kapag may mga taong inaapi o binabastos, ako matapang din ako eh.”

She adds: “Ang lagi kong point lalo na sa mga artistang tulad namin, walang sino man ang pwedeng manghusga sa amin. Kami artista lamang na umaarte, sa likod ng camera kami po’y mga normal na tao lang din. Kaya sa mga co-stars ko din, sa pagmamahal ko din sa kanila, kung meron akong nakikita, sinasabi ko, kung may nambabastos sa kanila, ako mismo ang lalaban para sa kanila.”

Iwa Moto, who was seated beside her, then piped in: “Oo nga, noong nasa Davao kami…”

But before she could finish her sentence, Marian clamped Iwa’s mouth with her hand, and it looked like she was preventing her co-star from narrating an incident in the Davao leg of their “Darna” promotional tour where Marian might have shown the extent she would go in defending the people she works with. “O, huwag ka na diyan. Huwag na. Okey na yun, na explain ko na…”, she told Iwa.

She continued: “Basta masaya lang ako na kaming mga magkatrabaho, magkasundo kaming lahat, yan ang pinagmamalaki ko sa set ng Darna. So ano pang hahanapin ko di ba, at walang rason para hindi magsalita at magsabi ng nararamdaman. Yun ang importante, maging totoo sa sarili. At palagi kong sinasabi sa kanila, walang masama sa pagiging totoo, mas masarap yun kesa may tinatago…”

Then why when it comes to query with her love life she goes mum?

“Hindi naman. Siguro mas pinili kong maging tahimik at maging akin na lang yun kasi bilang artista lahat na yata ng ginagawa at kilos namin nakikita na ng lahat.. Kaya yung mga personal na buhay namin, pamilya, mga minamahal namin, siguro mas maganda itago na lang namin yun para mas magtagal, di ba?”

Aside from Darna, Marian also stars in the comedy show “Show Me The Manny” with Manny Pacquiao.