Marian Rivera’s heavenly return to prime time
AFTER a five-year acting hiatus, Kapuso Primetime Queen Marian Rivera is set to make her highly anticipated return to GMA Network’s primetime block.
Rivera’s last TV appearance was in 2018 when she starred in the action-fantasy series “Super Ma’am.” While she continued to host the weekly drama anthology “Tadhana” during this period, she nonetheless revealed the challenges of resuming acting for television in the show’s grand media conference.
“At first, I really struggled because after five years, I’ve returned to doing a soap opera, and I didn’t know my angles or where the lighting was. So I went through some adjustments, for sure,” Rivera candidly shared during the show’s press conference.
“Memorizing lines and everything became tough to do, but with the help of the people around me, my work became easier.”
Rivera is most grateful to her director, Zig Dulay, for returning her to the saddle.
“Direk didn’t hold back in guiding me on what kind of acting I should do in this soap opera. Especially
in many scenes where I have to deliver the emotions without any lines since I’m an alien here,” she added laughingly.
The irreplaceable Prime Time Queen nonetheless revealed how she requested GMA for a less demanding role for her comeback but was still drawn to the more challenging “My Guardian Alien” project. Her reasons for doing so? Her children, Zia and Sixto.
“When GMA presented [the project] to me, I really liked it and said it would be wonderful to do. It’s new to me and a series that my children can watch,” Rivera enthused.
“You know, this is a time in my life when I want my children to be proud of me every time I do something — and this is it: ‘My
Guardian Alien.’ The last five years of waiting to return to TV are worth it because of this.”
A family drama with a touch of sci-fi and fantasy, Rivera plays the role of Katherine Soriano in “My Guardian Alien. Katherine is a doting wife and mother to a happy and ideal family whose peaceful life is shattered when a shooting incident kills her.
The plot thickens even more when a mysterious pod containing an alien that takes Katherine’s form falls on Earth on the night of her funeral.
“My Guardian Alien” showcases Rivera’s long-awaited tandem with one of the country’s most beloved leading men, Gabby Concepcion, in the role of Katherine’s husband, Carlos.
“Working with Kuya Gabby is really easy. There isn’t anything you won’t like about him. He’s such a kind partner and loves to joke around, so he really lightens the atmosphere on the set. There are also times when we talk about our lives, and I really appreciate him for that,” expressed Marian, who also revealed how the network tried to bring them together on a series four times before it finally happened.
For his part, Concepcion said, “I’ve been very supportive of the whole cast. Whatever they ask me to do, I do it. I’m just here to support Marian in her comeback and to learn from the excellence of the director and the cast. It’s really great to be paired with Marian.”Raphael Landicho as Doy, Kathering and Carlos’ son, and Max Collins as Venus, a business partner of the Soriano family and Katherine’s mortal enemy, complete the lead cast, which the seasoned actor is all praises for. Meanwhile, the supporting actors comprise Gabby Eigenmann, Marissa Delgado, Kiray Celis, Josh Ford, Caitlyn Stave and Christian Antolin.
“My Guardian Alien” premieres April 1 and will air weeknights at 8:50 p.m. on GMA Prime. The program also has a delayed telecast on GTV at 10:50 p.m.