Marian Rivera now prefers child-friendly projects

Her first television appearance dates back to 2005, but it was only two years later, when she played the title role in the Philippine remake of the Mexican telenovela “Marimar,” that her career skyrocketed and Marian Rivera became a household name.

Playing the naive yet innately sexy heroine seemed natural to Marian, and led to more memorable roles in a multitude of projects for her network and in movies. She garnered positive reviews for her first lead role on the silver screen opposite Richard Gutierrez in “My Best Friend’s Girlfriend” in 2008. She was declared as FHM Magazine’s sexiest woman on the same year.

The following year, she played the mysterious and sexy Proserfina, a woman who suddenly appears on the bedside of Homer, Dingdong Dantes’ character, in “Ang Babaeng Hinugot sa Aking Tadyang.”

Shortly after, she flaunted more of that sexiness but this time in a superhero costume, in a screen adaptation of Mars Ravelo’s “Darna.” She got even sexier in the 2011 remake of Joey Gosiengfiao’s “Temptation Island.”

Marian continued her reign as the queen of primetime on the Kapuso network, while working on film and product endorsements left and right. Again she was declared as FHM’s sexiest in 2013. In 2014 she married boyfriend and on-screen partner Dingdong Dantes, and gave birth to their daughter, Maria Letizia, the following year.

Now a loving wife and mother, Marian prioritizes her family—particularly her daughter— above everything else. This is a mindset she shares with her husband, which Dingdong also mentioned in a recent interview.

“Talagang ang priority ko talaga anak ko. Sabi ko nga minsan dadating talaga sa punto na yung asawa mo magtatampo sayo. Kasi puro na lang ako anak, anak. Pero sinabi ko nga sa kanya, na lalaki naman si Zia eh. At the end of yung swerte na buhay natin, lalaki siya eh. So tatanda tayo, tayo pa rin ang magkasama. So gusto ko ibigay talaga lahat sa anak ko,” Marian said in an interview during the press event launching her as Snow Crystal White Tomato’s latest celebrity endorser.

Marian still makes it a point to keep everything balanced, and tries her best to make up for lost time with her husband.

“Siyempre bina-balance ko din. Faithful ako kay Dong. Kasi siya mismo, minsan nag-iinvite sa akin na, ‘Are you available tonight? Let’s go out, let’s have dinner, let’s eat outside.’ So may ganito siyang balanse sa amin.”

“So pag hindi naman ako busy, ako naman yung maarte. ‘O pagod ka ba, gusto mo bang masahihin kita? Gusto mo bang kumain sa labas?’ So ganun talaga sa relationship eh. Give and take talaga kayo. Tsaka malinaw sa aming mag-asawa kung anong priority namin sa buhay,” she shared.

Being a mother has definitely shifted Marian’s priorities, as well as her preference when it comes to accepting projects.

She explains: “Siguro dun ako sa pag pinanood ng anak ko, puwede. Tsaka gusto ko din na siyempre hindi naman puwede lahat mapili. Pero gaya ng sinasabi ko, pag bibibigyan ako ng proyekto ng GMA, gusto ko, tapos na ako dun sa pa-sweet, tapos na ako dito sa pa-sexy, kasi ine-embrace ko kasi yung pagiging ina. Gusto ko talagang maging nanay at pangarap ko talagang maging nanay.”

“At yun nga yung sinasabi ko kanina, gusto kong maging magandang ehemplo sa mga taong takot maging isang nanay o hindi pa makapanganak, na hindi totoo. Di ba, parang sayang yung pagkakataon, just in case mabigyan ka ng pagkakataon ng Panginoon na magkaanak, talagang ibang happiness yung ibibigay.”

While family comes first for Marian and she has fully embraced motherhood, this doesn’t mean that she will allow herself to neglect her fine appearance.

“Mas naging maarte ako, mas naging conscious ako sa sarili ko. Kasi nung dalaga ako, parang maarte na ako. Pero siyempre ngayon naging nanay ka maraming nagbago sayo eh. Imagine, nagbuntis ka for nine months tapos after nun, inalagaan mo pa yung anak mo,” she said.— InterAksyon.com