Pira-Pirasong Paraiso stars feel ‘intimidated’ by Maricel Soriano
MANILA, Philippines — Given her stature in the showbiz industry, the cast members of Pira-Pirasong Paraiso couldn’t help but feel “nervous” and “intimidated” while doing their scenes with Maricel Soriano.
Maricel recently joined the afternoon drama series as Amanda, the guilt-ridden grandmother of the long-lost Paraiso sisters, namely, Hilary (played by Elisse Joson), Baby (Loisa Andalio), Alexa Ilacad (Beth), and Diana (Charlie Dizon).
The four actresses made a surprise appearance during the press conference for the Diamond Star and shared their experiences working with her.
Charlie, who has long been a fan of her “idol” Maricel, said that after she filmed her first scene with the latter, she went to the bathroom and cried because she was “overwhelmed.”
She recalled, “I told her, ‘Nay, sobrang hindi ko po mailabas yung acting.’ Then Inay said, ‘Anak, sabayan mo lang ako.’”
Charline admitted feeling “scared,” adding that “as in feeling ko, bawal magkamali (that you’re not allowed to make a mistake) when you do a scene with her. There’s a certain kind of pressure, really.”
She continued, “I also told her while doing the scene, ‘Nay, I’m really nervous. Hindi umabot yung luha ko. I’m sorry.’”
But Maricel would just give the young actress a hug and tell her not to be nervous. “She would always say to me, ‘It’s just me. Kumbaga sabay lang tayong nag-e-eksena,’” shared Charlie.
Elisse chimed in and said she had cold hands during the first day of filming because she was “star-struck” with Maricel.
Prior to their first scene together, Elisse had asked around how Maricel was as a co-actor. The staff would tell her that Maricel is kind but that she needs to be prepared because she will be collaborating with a veteran actress.
“When I entered the room, (Maricel) had this aura na ang ganda po niyang dalhin ang sarili niya yung sobrang mata-tameme ka and then, ang powerful,” Elisse recalled and confessed how “intimidated” she was.
But after they met and talked, she got to discover how “sweet” Maricel is. “Yung pagka-powerful niya pag na-meet niyo siya or when you see her from afar, that’s the exact opposite (impression) when you get to know her. She is very sweet and caring. She is really like a mother (to us). So I said, someday, I wanna be like that. Yung powerful ka but when (people) get to know you more, (they will say) you are very warm and inviting.”
Loisa, on the other hand, recounted how she would come to the set “prepared.” “But ang ending pagdating sa set, natigalgal ako. Parang nawala lahat ng inaral ko. As in, I experienced a mental block.”
During the first day of taping, Maricel would crack jokes while delivering their lines. “I was really laughing. I didn’t expect (that). I didn’t know if I should exchange jokes with her because (she might react), ‘Huh? Close ba tayo (para) makiki-banter?’”
Later on, as they got to collaborate on more scenes, Loisa also grew more comfortable with her veteran co-star. “I was really impressed na ‘pag sinabing, ‘Action! Huh, ang galing niya.’ Wait lang, dapat makapasok na rin ako sa character ko. Kasi siya ambilis po talaga. That’s one of the things I really admire in Inay.”
Loisa further described Maricel as “really caring” as the latter would often offer them advice.
“All of us experienced that different level of nervousness like (experiencing) sweaty and cold hands,” admitted Alexa. She herself would mentally prepare and get a good sleep before coming to the set but would still feel nervous.
“But when I arrived on set, the staff would tell her (Maricel), ‘Inay, Alexa is feeling nervous.’ Tapos binasag po niya agad yung kaba ko. She turned it into something very light actually. She told me not to get intimidated by anyone. ‘We are all equal here. Don’t let your fear get ahead of you, otherwise you wouldn’t be able to give your best.”
“She is really caring and she would hug me. We also both like aromatherapy and diamonds,” furthered Alexa.
When asked about her experiences with her four co-actors, Maricel said they were “shy.” “I’d say to them, ‘‘Wag nga kayong ganyan. Hindi naman ako nangangagat’ para matawa sila. I don’t know why they are like that.”
To make her co-actors feel comfortable, Maricel would tell them not to get intimidated because that would affect their acting.
“Always think that you are always ready,” she advised them. “Whoever that is, kahit ano pa yan, do what you are ought to do. I would also hold Loisa’s hand and tell her to relax.”
Nevertheless, the award-winning actress praised Elisse, Charlie, Loisa and Alexa, saying, “They are great actresses and I’m proud of them.”
For her part, Maricel disclosed that she doesn’t really get intimidated by anyone. “That’s the problem, I don’t get intimidated. Because I am a happy person. I know who I am (and) I know what I am. I know that I belong to Papa God.”
Comparing her younger self to the new breed of actors she has worked with, she pointed out how different it was back in the day.
Maricel began her career in showbiz at the tender age of six via the 1971 film My Heart Belongs to Daddy with Tirso Cruz III and Snooky Serna.
“Siyempre ako nagpaalam ako na kailangan kong magtrabaho so that I can put food on the table for my family,” she recalled. “You know, when I was younger, I was in a rush to mature so that I could understand everything that was happening in my life.”
“I was just six years old and they called me ‘lola.’ Kasi masyadong advanced yung utak ko sa liit kong yun. I understood then that I was part of a broken family. I understood that even at a young age. Of course, you want(ed) your family to be whole but it didn’t work that way,” she went on.
“I also thought about my siblings and their education. So natupad naman lahat yun,” she added.
Moreover, Maricel is very thankful for all the blessings that have continuously flowed into her showbiz career since her stint in the series The General’s Daughter (2019).
“Hindi na ‘ko nawawala ngayon kasi alam ko na ang daan,” she stated.
All the projects she is involved in right now (a series, a comedy show and a vlog) are an “answered prayer” for her.
“I really prayed for it. I said, ‘Lord, I want to be responsible again kaya dapat meron akong ginagawa, meron akong napapatawa, marami akong napapaiyak and maraming nakakaintindi. Yumuyugyog pa. And I really want that. (Those are) answered prayers,” she said.
Given the chance, she would love to essay a bida-kontrabida role just like what she did in Kaya Kong Abutin Ang Langit (1984).
On why she was called “Taray Queen,” she explained, “Nung araw kasi diretso ako kausap. Kung anong tanong, yun ang sagot. That’s why they say, ‘Ay mataray pala ‘tong babae na ‘to.’ I asked, why did they call me mataray when I was just saying the truth?”
Reminiscing more about her early days in showbiz, she recalled an experience with the late director Ishmael Bernal while filming Galawgaw (1982). “With Ishmael Bernal, (he wanted things to be) perfect. Hindi pwede sa kanya yung good lang. You have to hear him say, ‘Cut, perfect, very good, (and) thank you.’”
Maricel was running a fever at the time of filming Galawgaw. “I had 40 degrees Celsius fever but I still went to the set. I was 10 minutes late and he got mad, ‘We cannot be late.’ But he explained and I understood. ‘Kasi mga tao na yan, they had to go home. Kayo sasakay na lang kayo sa kotse ninyo. The crew still had to do a lot of things’ (direk Ishmael said to her).”
“But it was true. That’s why we cannot be late. Mabuti nga hindi ako nabato ng magic flying chair. Yung iba nabato,” she quipped.
She also mentioned Dolphy as the mentor who had a great impact on her life. The late Comedy King would always remind her to be “humble.” “’Wag masyadong matayog ang lipad ng saranggola ni Pepe. Kailangan ko daw maintindihan na kung minsan hindi tatayo yung isang tao kasi nahihiya. He said, ‘You have to give way, anak.’”
“Then, I told him, ‘Dad, what you want me to do is difficult.’ ‘Bruha ka,’ he said to me. But when he passed on, that was the time I realized (the importance of) what he said,” she added.
(Pira-Pirasong Paraiso airs Mondays to Fridays at 3 p.m. and on Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. on Kapamilya Channel, A2Z, TV5, Kapamilya Online Live, iWantTFC, and TFC.)
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