Marian ready to fly

Author: Mario E. Bautista
Column: Freehand

Marian Rivera's detractors who claim her heydays are over since she doesn't have a soap now should have been at the Black Magic, the Jag Denim Fashion Show at Mall of Asia last Friday to see how countless fans trooped to watch her sashay on the ramp in their back to school collection with a sophistical tailored feel. Marian was in her element and oozing with confidence as she is no doubt the star of the show, even if there were foreign models around who're taller than her. But her fans who love watching her on TV will see her soon again in "Narda", the new title of "Darna" to differentiate from past Darnas.

"I continue to train for the role," she says. "Sanay na nga akong lumilipad on harness while hanging on the air. Masaya, I'm enjoying it. Tuloy rin ang martial arts training ko. They want my movements to be softer, kasi boyish daw, parang lalake. So gusto nila, maging more feminine ang movements ko, pati paglipad ko. "

Is it true Darna will have a new costume. "I think GMA has designed something na mas bagay sa'kin at magiging comfortable ako. Kasi it's difficult to move in a costume na hindi ka comfortable. "

So who'll be her leading man? "I'm not sure yet. May mga naririnig lang ako. May nagsasabi, si Mark Anthony Fernandez daw, which is fine with me kasi mahusay siyang artista. I'm not in a position naman to choose so I'll just trust the management who they'll pick for me. "

The name of Mark Herras, who was linked to her before, also cropped up. "He's just fine with me. Whatever issues we had then, wala na 'yun. Naayos na. We see each other on 'SOP' at nagkukumustahan kami. "

So it's just fine with her that Dingdong Dantes will also have a new leading lady in "Stairway to Heaven"? "Oo naman. But it's not clear yet also who'll be paired with him. Kung sinuman 'yun, I'm sure GMA will also make the right choice. "

She won't get jealous? "Bakit naman? Trabaho lang naman ang lahat. Walang selosan. "

It's also a big question mark as to who'll play Valentina to her Darna. Is Katrina Halili fine with her? "Oo naman. Walang problemang magkatrabaho kami uli. Nagkaroon kami ng issue noon sa 'Marimar' pero nagkabati kami't naging friends in the course of the show. Right now, being a woman, I really sympathize with her and I want to work with her para makabalik siya sa normal. "

Dingdong is said to have her initials tattooed on his leg. Is it true she also had his name tatttooed somewhere on her body? "Naku, kung anuman 'yung mga tattoo na 'yun on whatever part of our body, sa amin na lang 'yun, please. Basta importante 'yun. "

Her photos for Jag Black Denims with Will Devaughn were shot on location in Australia no less. "I enjoyed working with Will as he's an accomplished model at masayang katrabaho. " Jag reinvented our looks by giving the fotos a dark edge. I'm portrayed here as a sexy temptress. "

After the Jag fashion show, Marian went down the stage and shook the hands of her countless fans to disprove that she is "suplada at mataray. "

WILL'S SEX VIDEO SCANDAL RECALLED

WILL Devaughn is happy to be reunited with Marian in the Jag Black show. They were paired before in "Desperadas 1 and 2". "Working with Marian is always a joy as she's very professional," he says. "Doing the Jag Black pictorial is the most challenging photo shoot I've done as I was literally hung upside down on a harness in the Houdini shot where I'm wearing studded leather and chains. The Jag creative team does not believe in computer and digital shots so they really made me hang nang pabaligtad for five minutes for each take. It took three hours to perfect the pictorial with me also wearing stone washed jeans and horns. "

Will is now doing "Precious Hearts Presents Bud Brothers" with ABS-CBN and he co-stars with controversial doctor-actress Maricar Reyes. "All of us in the cast sympathize with her. She just keeps quiet on the set and we respect her decision to be by herself most of the time. Siyempre, we all want to give her space. Women should be honored and respected, not subjected to such kind of public humiliation. "

Will himself was the object of a cellphone sex video where Palmolive Palma of the Baywalk Bodies was said to be doing oral sex on him. He wasn't in showbiz then yet. He denied it and it died a natural death.

CRISTINE RETURNING TO GMA7?

Cristine Reyes was not visible in "Banana Split" last Saturday. Is it because it's bruited about that she wants to go back to GMA7 and be a Kapuso again? We heard there are now arrangements between GMA and her manager, Veronique del Rosario, for her to play Phaedra, the villain to Carla Abellana in "Rosalinda. " We thought Cristine didn't want to play supporting roles anymore after she was given a starring role by ABS-CBN in "Eva Fonda. " But how come she's now willing to play contravida to a total newcomer?

Looks like GMA really wants their newest bet to stardom to have great support. Jessa Zaragoza has already agreed to play her stepmother, saying she's willing to stay in Manila for good. Is this a confirmation that her marriage to Dingdong Avanzado is really on the rocks? Jessa is said to be not pleased that Dingdong is having another concert with ex-girlfriend Rachel Alejandro when she already showed her displeasure the first time they did a show together.
KATRINA PENNILESS

IT'S good Hayden Kho has Dr. Vicki Belo to help him out financially, paying for his lawyers and PR firm to clean up his image. As for Katrina Halili, we're told she herself is spending for all her legal battles and her savings will soon be depleted because of her financial obligations. A confidante of hers says some interested parties have expressed their desire to help her but she decided not to accept them as she doesn't want to be beholden to anyone while she's waging a personal battle against the man who ruined her reputation. "Baka nga naman malagyan pa ng ibang kulay o magkaroon ng kung anong issue, kaya huwag na lang," says our source.

"There are also offers to do out of town shows but she decided to focus on the case muna and all the hearings, pati sa PDEA kasi pinagbibintangan siya ni Hayden at ina nito na isang addict. Ayun, nagpa-drug test na siya sa kanila. But she has not been given any assignment by GMA for several months now. Her last was as a guest in 'Dear Friend', so wala talaga siyang bagong income. Meron sana siyang two new endorsements but they backed out because of the scandal. Malaki talaga ang nawala sa kanyang income dahil sa kaguluhang ito. "

NO WEDDING FOR CHYNNA AND RAILEY

CHYNNA Ortaleza plays the evil contravida Maya who makes Jennylyn Mercado's life miserable in "Paano Ba Ang Mangarap?" and she says her fans chide her for oppressing their idol when they see her in public. "Even when I do out of town shows, people call me Maya. Merong natutuwa, meron din namang takot sa'kin thinking mataray talaga ako in real life. "

Is she willing to do another villain role? "Oo naman. I'm ready for any kind of role. It's nice to do character roles and I think GMA is really trying to mold me to be a character actress. As long as the role is challenging, I'm willing to do any role dahil I know mas mahahasa roon ang talent ko sa pag-arte. "

"Paano Ba ang Mangarap" is ending this week but she has no new assignment yet. "While I'm in between shows, magre-rest muna ako kasi 'Paano' is really nakakapagod. Noong last two days namin, 30 hours kami ni Jennylyn, dire-diretso. Nakahiga na kami sa sahig sa sobrang pagod. But even if I'm not working, busy pa rin ako sa studies ko sa UP Open University. "

How about her boyfriend, Railey Valeroso? "Okay, kami pa rin. Six years na kami on July 1. "

Will wedding bells ring soon? "Naku, hindi pa. Right now, we're both busy, so sinisingit lang namin 'yung pagkikita namin. No need to rush naman, siguro pag 30 na kami. "

ANOTHER TRIBUTE TO NORA

NORANIANS must be glad that last weekend, the winners in the hit game show, "The Singing Bee," are the team of Nora Aunor impersonators, so they will now be the defending champions this weekend. "Tribute namin kay Ate Guy ang pananalo namin dito at sisikapin naming magtagal as champions," says Lady Gay.

They will be up against the representatives of various bands: Soapdish, Moonstar 88, SinoSikat, Kenyo, and The Bloomfields.

On Sunday, they will be facing various celebrities: gay contestants Ate Glow, Vice Ganda, IC Mendoza, DJ Laila, sexy girls Krista Ranillo, Regine Angeles, Jaymee Joaquin, Aiza Marquez and Jennifer Ilustre, and macho guys Alwyn Uytingco and Ketchup Eusebio. Host Cesar Montano is very happy as their ratings continue to go up and up each weekend.

THE STORIES OF MARA AND NICO

TWO of Star Magic's celebrants are Mara Lopez, daughter of Maria Isabel Lopez, and Nico Antonio, son of celebrity lawyer, Joji Alonso. Mara turned 18 on May 20 and she was at the Cannes Filmfest with her mom, who plays the role of the butchered prostitute in Brilliante Mendoza's award-winning entry, "Kinatay. "

"I'm happy for my mom for her to be part of an internationally acclaimed film," she says. "It's my first time to be in such a prestigious festival and it's a memorable experience for me. " Mara is graduating from her commarts course at La Salle soon. She has finished an indie film by a U. S-based filmmaker, "Sta. Mesa," that won the Special Jury Award at the San Francisco Asian American Filmfest where she played a sampaguita vendor who falls in love with a Fil-Am balikbayan from New Jersey. She is also filming a new film, "Junkshop," with Ronnie Lazaro.

Nico is glad to be a part of Star Magic. The eldest of 4 kids, he was 11 when his parents separated. "Nagrebelde ako't nagluko sa pag-aaral," he says. "But when I turned 16, I realized sarili kong buhay ang sinisira ko at hindi sa kanila so I reformed. I majored in European studies at the Ateneo and I'm now in law proper at San Sebastian. "

His younger siblings, Angela and Rafael, are also taking up law at the Ateneo. Their youngest, Manuel Luis, is a high school sophomore. He loves acting and singing and has done some plays and movies. He has also appeared in ABS shows like "Maalaala Mo Kaya" and now plays a lawyer in the new teleserye of Jericho Rosales and Kristine Hermosa, "Dahil May Isang Ikaw". In "ASAP", he's part Voyzboys with Guji Lorenzana, Ronnie Liang and Jay-R Siaboc. They will have a show at Metrobar on August 8. He also sings the theme song of the directorial debut of Bing Lao, "Biyaheng Lupa. "

Q CHANNEL 11's family cooking show, "Daddylicious" of Chef Nino Logarta, will have the culmination of their Kids Summer Cooking Workshop on Saturday with his young apprentices, Yumi and Miggy, preparing special dishes Squid Escabeche, Bibingka Souffle and Pureed Carrot Soup. Favorite guests Mommy Gidget and her daughter Karel will be the judge. Joining them are the parents of Yumi and Miggy, plus Chef Nino's two daughters, Cy and Tia. There will be a graduation ceremony where a certificate of completion, a kitchen tool box starter kit, and of course, their very own toques will be waiting for both Yumi and Miggy. Will Yumi and Miggy's kitchen masterpieces pass the judges' taste? Find out this Saturday, 10:55a. m. , on Q Channel 11.

Source: People's Journal