It's been about six years since Mark Rivera started his career in showbiz, and so far, he's enjoying it somuch.
In a pocket press conference prepared for him by ALV Talent Management, the 24-year-old said that joining showbiz was not really on his plan when he decided to leave his family in Milan, Italy, and move to the Philippines.
In fact, according to the Unbreak My Heart actor, “I moved here to play football for the national team.”
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned for Mark. He said, “The two years were very challenging. I was not very lucky, I got several injuries in a span of two years. So, after six months of playing, I got injured. Three months recovery but after three months, injured agad. So, I was really struggling mentally and emotionally.”
This prompted the aspiring Philippine football player to find another career.
“Honestly, it wasn't part of the plan,” Mark said about joining show business. “I just wanted to learn things, experience it, that's why I started in commercials in 2013. After two to three years of commercials, I wasn't able to get more projects because they keep on telling me, 'You're too exposed in advertising.'”
Despite this situation, Mark did not give up. Instead, he said, “I had to find a plan B, and that's showbiz.
“Sobrang swerte ko noong panahon na 'yon that they were looking for a football player sa Be My Lady. I said, 'Okay, I'm gonna audition.' On the spot, I got the role.
“So, sabi ko, 'Lord, you're really guiding me every time.' First audition ko sa commercial, I got a job in advertising. First audition ko sa showbiz, I got a role.
“These are positive sides for me. God is really telling me something. So, I told myself, 'Maybe this is where I belong,' so I stayed here.
“I knew it wasn't easy to be on a journey, especially learning the language, totally different culture sa showbiz. That just happened, it wasn't planned. I really trust the signs that have arrived in my life and here I am.”
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT MARK RIVERA IN THIS GALLERY:
Mark Rivera, whose parents are both Filipino, was born and raised in Italy.
Mark Rivera left his family to pursue his dream of joining the Philippine national football team. “I moved here in 2012 to play for the Azkals National Team, but got injured several times,” he said in a statement.
When his plan to become a professional football player failed, Mark started his career as a commercial model. However, Mark said, “After two to three years of commercials, I wasn't able to get more projects because they keep telling me, 'You're too exposed in advertising.”
Mark immediately thought of plan B by auditioning for a supporting role in a TV series. Luckily, he was accepted on the spot. He said, “Sobrang swerte ko noong panahon na 'yon that they were looking for a football player sa Be My Lady.”
Mark admitted language became a hurdle for him when he started his showbiz career because he was born and raised in Italy. “The only language I knew when I moved here was Italian. So, I need to learn Tagalog and I need to learn English also. After the first project, I really felt bad that they needed to change my script in English.”
To learn the local language, Mark said, “I started to sing in karaoke, videoke, Filipino songs, OPMs. That's how I develop the love and passion for OPM also.”
Even before he moved here, Mark said he already got offers to join local showbiz. Mark was discovered because her parents' love story was used as an inspiration for the hit movie Milan. “My dad is Piolo Pascual and my mom is Claudine [Barretto]. They really met in Milan. Yung year pa lang na 'yan, they were offering me to be an actor. But at that time, it wasn't aligned with my passion, my visions in life. I just really wanted to play football, football, and football.”
Aside from acting, Mark is also now a recording artist. He will soon release songs under Universal Records.
If given an opportunity, Mark wants to do action projects.
Right now, Mark is happy to be part of 'Unbreak My Heart,' the biggest collaboration on TV by GMA Network, ABS-CBN, and Viu. He said, “Unbreak My Heart is really the rainbow of this pandemic because it really gives me joy and hopes about the future, about life. Kaya ayun, very grateful ako with what's happening in my life right now.”