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Marian Rivera now swims to greater depths as Mars Ravelo's Dyesebel. But it's no easy feat to give life to a mermaid. Here's the story of her transformation.
Marian Rivera now swims to greater depths as Mars Ravelo's "Dyesebel," leaving us wanting more of that charisma and magnetism that she effortlessly conveys onscreen. But it's no easy feat to give life to a mermaid. Here's the story of her transformation. Text by Jillian Q. Gatcheco. Photos by Mitch S. Mauricio and GMA Network. First dive Shortly after the finale of her hit show MariMar, Marian spent Holy Week training in a pool with other cast members. "Halos one week din kaming nag-training na araw-araw," she shares. But moving in a controlled environment is worlds apart from the uncertain waters of Coron Island, Palawan, where they taped the actual scenes. "Nakakatawa nga e, ang yabang ko pa sa pool! Umiikot-ikot at nagsa-side-side pa ako! Aba, pagdating ko sa dagat, sabi ko, 'Direk, sandali lang po ha! Parang hindi ko po yata kaya ito!' Tawa sila nang tawa sa akin!" She felt more at ease when the certified divers who were with them familiarized her with the beauty of the ocean floor. "Pumunta kami sa 40 feet, doon yung mga mga corals,” narrates Marian. "Tapos doon ko na-appreciate yung mga jelly fish [at] mga flowers sa dagat…So naaliw [naman] ako…Nakatulong…sa akin na ginala niya ako sa dagat." The deepest they went for a scene was the same depth of 40 feet. Although Marian already knew how to swim, it was still quite a nerve-wracking experience, especially since she had a problem with her eyesight. "Sobrang labo ng [mata ko] kaya [humihiram] ako ng mask [sa divers before a scene]. Titingnan ko muna sa ilalim ng dagat, ime-memorize ko kung ano yung nasa ilalim, tapos pagtanggal ko, nagpapanggap na lang akong may nakikita!" This is also the reason why she got minor injuries from accidentally scraping her feet and legs on sharp corals and rocks. Mars Ravelo’s Dyesebel has already brought Marian and the rest of the cast and crew to Palawan, Bataan, and Bulacan. Inevitably, the fair-skinned Marian gradually developed a tan. "Umitim ako nang sobrang itim!" she shares, pointing to her arm. "Pero okay naman [kasi] nakakatuwa ‘yung ibang tao pag nakikita nila ako, [ang sabi nila]: 'Ay ang cute, nagka-tan ka!'" Despite everything she went through, Marian says proudly, "Lumalangoy [ako noon] pero hindi ako ganoon kagaling. Pero ngayon siguro masasabi ko na mayabang na ako. Kaya ko na!" Keeping it real To wear her mermaid's tail, which is made of rubber and weighs more than 10 kilos, Marian has to be half-immersed in water in her cycling shorts and eased into the costume by an assistant. While inside the tail, her feet are bound together by the material, which allows minimal movement. But the question is: what does she wear beneath her long black hair? "Ay, basta sinabi na kailangan sabihin lang well protected ako!" she remarks with a laugh, hinting at first that she really has nothing underneath her mane. "[Pero] hindi naman porque't ganoon e [hindi na] wholesome. [Kasi] kung papasukin nila yung character ni Dyesebel, sobrang nakakatuwa siya kasi kalog siya at napakapilya talaga!" Marian admits that Dyesebel's personality is similar to her own -- "kalog at masayahing tao." As if having a tail and baring skin aren't enough, Marian also has weights bound to her to keep her underwater. "Yun yung mahirap, kasi may buntot na akong mabigat, nilalagayan pa ako ng weights na apat na kilo. So kahit gustuhin kong umangat, kung wala ring tutulong sa 'kin, hindi ako aangat." The weights are strategically placed on her butt area for both convenience and aesthetics. Imbibing the role In becoming Dyesebel, Marian has to relearn everything, from the intonation of her voice to the way she moves. "Kasi sa MariMar, hindi pwedeng kalog. Dito, may nakakatuwa na mga punch line lang na light." Marian admits she hasn't watched all the Dyesebel movies in the past, but she did see the Alice Dixson version. "Ang masasabi ko sa kanya, napakaganda niyang sirena!" she says. "Sobrang ganda niya at napakagaling niyang lumangoy." People are starting to compare Marian to the actresses who have portrayed the mythical mermaid on film, but she takes everything in stride. "Hindi namin iniisip na 'Ay, iko-compare ito sa ganito.' Ayos lang yun basta ang importante sa amin, habang nanonood ang mga tao at natutuwa sila sa amin." Will there be loads of kilig scenes involving Dyesebel and Fredo (played by Dingdong Dantes)? "Nakakakilig kasi bata ‘yung lambingan namin dito! So iba naman yung atake," she mischievously imparts. Can’t wait for Mars Ravelo's Dyesebel? Catch it starting tonight, April 28, only on GMA Telebabad! Text MARIAN or DINGDONG and send to 4627 to Feel the Fun with Fanatxt! To receive picture messages from their phones, text GOMMS MARIAN ON or GOMMS DINGDONG ON and send to 4627. (Each SMS costs P2.50 for GLOBE, SMART, TM, and TALK N TEXT, while it costs P2.00 for SUN subscribers. Each MMS costs P5.00 for ALL networks. This service is exclusively available in the Philippines.) More about the show: Clean slates for Marian and Dingdong Ready to make a splash Dyesebel iGMA Forum thread