The Diamond Star, Maricel Soriano continues to luster even if she’s already in her 50s.
Last year, she celebrated her 50th anniversary in show business–and what better way to highlight her status as one of the Philippines’ iconic stars is her inclusion in a Hollywood romantic-comedy film, Re-Live: A Tale of an American Island Cheerleader.
In an article from Variety.com, dated Saturday, January 22, Soriano got picked to star in Rain Valdez’s upcoming trans-led flick.
Previously reported, the film co-writers Rachel Leyco and Valdez will star as sisters Rochelle and Rowena, respectively. Soriano, on the other hand, will assume their mother, Thelma.
Soriano, in the early ’90s, was also named as the Drama Anthology Queen because her successful weekly drama show (produced by Regal Films and ABS-CBN) topped the primetime rating game since its airing in October 1986. In July 1988, Freddie M. Garcia acknowledged that she was the number one star of ABS-CBN, of which he was then the general manager back then.
As the Diamond Star, she received a number of awards, most notable of which are the two Asian TV Awards as Best Comedy Actress, three FAP awards, three FAMAS, and five PMPC Star Awards for her drama performances.
Lingua Franca producer Jhett Tolentino will be the executive producer in association with Shant Joshi’s Fae Pictures. Filming is set for November.
The film tells the story of Rowena, a transgender movie star who returns to her home in Guam for her high school reunion’s ‘do-over week.’ Her plan to live out her childhood dream of being a cheerleader falters when her mother’s cancer begins to worsen, and she learns to value the family she left behind.