Diamond Star Maricel Soriano sat down for an entertaining and insightful conversation with comedian Dennis Padilla, revealing numerous behind-the-scenes stories and personal anecdotes.
One highlight of their discussion was Maricel’s love life, with Dennis sharing that he had witnessed her romantic relationships on two notable occasions. He mentioned Edu Manzano as one of Maricel’s former partners, whom he got to know during their time on the sitcom ‘Love Me Doods,’ where Maricel would often visit the set.
Dennis refrained from naming the other individual he had witnessed in Maricel’s love life, but Maricel humorously added, “Gawin nating tatlo! Etchos! Hahahaha!”
The conversation turned into a nostalgic trip down memory lane as Maricel mentioned various actors, prompting Dennis to share his experiences with them. Dennis praised John Lloyd Cruz for his playful and talented demeanor and expressed regret that Maricel hadn’t yet worked with him. He described Sarah Geronimo as cheerful, talented, and very respectful. Dennis also shared a touching story about Piolo Pascual, who comforted him during a difficult time.
He spoke fondly of Daniel Padilla, whom he had known since childhood, and likened him to Julia Barretto. Vice Ganda was commended for his intelligence and sharp wit, while Coco Martin was lauded for his respect toward veteran actors.
Expressing a desire to collaborate on a film, Dennis mentioned his wish to work with Robin Padilla, Bong Revilla Jr., Vhong Navarro, and Janno Gibbs, playfully suggesting Maricel as the leading lady.
A particularly noteworthy revelation was Maricel’s practice on her former show, ‘Maricel Drama Special,’ where she ensured immediate payment for guests and staff. Her goal was to ensure everyone could go home with enough to buy food or milk for their children. Maricel also took it upon herself to advocate for higher talent fees for guest actors, especially veterans. She shared an instance where she learned that a veteran actress was being paid only P4,000 per taping and decided to increase it to P10,000.
Maricel’s initiative to improve the financial well-being of her colleagues highlights her generosity and commitment to fairness in the industry.
