Much ado about Marian’s wig
With their upcoming film “Remember,” director Mae Cruz-Alviar officially welcomes Marian Rivera to the “Star Cinema Wig Universe.” “I’m in!” Rivera says, laughing. This is, of course, a long-running pop culture gag about the unmistakable, sometimes jarring wigs that make it onto the heads of Star Cinema leading ladies, most notably—though not exclusively—in movies by Cathy Garcia-Sampana.
But say what you will about these hairpieces—they do give familiar faces like Rivera’s a different look. Her leading man and husband, Dingdong Dantes, certainly thought so when he saw her in a pixie-cut wig on set.
“Sa scenes namin together, sinasabi niya, ‘Di kita makita.’ Ang nakikita niya ‘yong character. And as an actress, malaking factor ‘yon. Gusto kong makita niya na ‘di ako ang asawa niya,” Rivera tells Lifestyle Inquirer.
No time to blow dry
Shot in Québec City, Canada, “Remember,” which premieres on Nov. 11, follows an estranged married couple who pretend to be together for the sake of their sick daughter, whose memory is fading. Ria (Rivera) raises her child (Zia Grace) alone, so it does make sense why she would wear her hair that way.
“Wala siyang oras na mag-blow-dry kasi siyempre ngarag siyang ina. ‘Di ba kapag gano’n, importante na ang hair mo ‘di mo na kailangang isipin,” Cruz-Alviar points out.
But also, Rivera—after her memorable performances in “Rewind” and “Balota”—simply wanted to try a new look. In fact, she was so hands-on she sourced the wig herself. (The seller couldn’t believe it.) She considered long hair, curls, or maybe a bun. She did her own look tests. Her glam team voted to go short.
True enough, the wig acted like a switch of sorts. “In her costume, in her look, she became the character right away,” Cruz-Alviar says. “Pagtungtong niya sa set, walang bahid ng Marian.”
Heart-to-heart talks
The setting also helped Rivera get into character. Quebec City has a relatively small Filipino population, so barely anyone recognized them while filming—save for a day or two when they happened upon a few Filipino tourists. Add the fact that they worked with a very lean crew, and the sense of isolation came naturally to the actors.
“Para kaming naging isang buong pamilya. Nagkaroon kami ng connection sa bawat isa,” she says. And that’s especially true of child actor Zia Grace, whom Rivera calls a “little Marian” and admires for her dedication to acting.
They bonded over squishies, too. “Umaga pa lang nagchi-chips at ice cream na kami,” she says.
Admittedly, she felt a little sad upon learning they were shooting abroad, because that meant time away from her children Zia and Sixto. But she might as well make the most of the trip, Rivera’s mother told her.
These days, trips typically include all four of them. But in Canada, they got to turn back time, if only for a while, and live like it was only the two of them once again. They didn’t have assistants with them, so they handled the household chores and just about everything else themselves. Rivera did the cooking and the laundry.
“Parang nagbahay-bahayan kami ulit.”
Quebec City is such a beautiful place, Rivera adds. It would be a shame not to go on a date. “Ay, nakatakas kami,” the actress quips, laughing. “May heart-to-heart talks, moments kami together. Para kaming bumalik sa pagkabata.”
Unconditional love
So how do they go from feeling like a new couple to playing an estranged one before the cameras? Needless to say, Rivera and Dantes are both seasoned professionals who don’t need much coaching and can keep reel life separate from real life. They can be playful—“harutan”—during blocking, then quickly feign distance when the director calls action.
“Kapag trabaho kami, trabaho kaming mag-asawa,” says Rivera, who reveals one of Dantes’ habits before a heavy scene. “Lumalayo siya. Nasaan ang asawa ko? ‘Yong asawa ko umalis; iniwan niya ako!”
And while Rivera is no stranger to playing mother roles, this one is particularly challenging because the idea of a child losing her memory at such a young age is something she can’t fathom.
“Mabigat ‘yon bilang nanay kasi lahat gagawin mo para sa anak mo,” she says. “Minsan, kapag binasa mo ang script, alam mo na ang emotion. But when you experience it in real life, mas malalim ang hugot mo.”
She describes her character as resilient. She’s submissive to a degree but also has a voice and takes a stand. That doesn’t mean, however, that she has to endure or be courageous all the time. “May mga pagkakataon din na tumutungo siya, pero may gumagabay sa kanya,” she says.
Ultimately, the film’s story is about unconditional love—or at least, what it means to different people. “Doon papasok ‘yong kung hanggang saan ka magtitiwala sa Taas,” she says. “Kapag may nawala ba sa ‘yo, magtitiwala ka pa rin?”
Aside from the emotional demands of the role, Rivera also had to study some French phrases, which was a challenge all its own. “‘Di ko akalain, pero nagawa ko naman siya,” she says.
“Merci!”
