Mark Rivera’s showbiz career seems to have kicked off to an impressive headstart
compared to his contemporaries.
At 25, he has already appeared in more than a dozen TV and projects, including Be My Lady (ABS-CBN), The Good Son (ABS-CBN), Trops (GMA-7), Araw-Gabi (ABS-CBN), Nang Ngumiti Ang Langit (ABS-CBN), Spirits Reawaken (iWant), The Four Bad Boys and Me (Star Cinema), Mga Batang Poz (iWant), Click Like Share (iWant), Without You (Octo Arts Films) and even an Australian TV series, Jack Irish.
At the moment, he’s gearing up for his inclusion as one of the mainstays of the forthcoming ABS-CBN teleserye Unbreak My Heart, where he plays Jacob, an undocumented immigrant trying to find his luck abroad together with his partner (played by Dionne Monsanto).
The Kapamilya drama also stars some of today’s hottest stars, including Joshua Garcia, Jodi Sta. Maria, Richard Yap, Sunshine Cruz, Gabbi Garcia, Eula Valdes and award-winning actress/director Laurice Guillen. A collaborative team-up between ABS-CBN, GMA-7 and VIU, the series is directed by Manny Palo and Dolly Dulu.
Without giving away too much of the teleserye’s riveting plot, he adds, “In the story, we’re living in this apartment of Filipinos and we tried helping Rose, played by Jodi Sta. Maria, in looking for her daughter in Switzerland and Italy.”
It was a classic case of good luck and perfect timing for Mark, who bagged the role during last year’s Christmas season when he was in Milan, Italy spending his holidays with his family.
No stranger to the renowned fashion capital, Mark was actually born and raised in Italy. “My parents are pure Filipino who met in Milan during the ‘80s. My dad is from Pampanga and my mom, from Batangas,” he shares.
Prior to leaving Italy, he took up his architectural course at the Istituto Tecnico di Milano Carlo Cattaneo.
Mark got his big break in showbiz in 2016 when he auditioned for the ABS-CBN teleserye Be My Lady, which starred Erich Gonzales and Daniel Matsunaga. He says, “I was cast as a varsity football player who figured in a love triangle with Loisa Andalio and Yves Flores.”
He was also under Star Magic, ABS-CBN’s talent management arm, from 2016 to September 2022.
After his departure from Star Magic, he joined ALV Talent Circuit, the talent management outfit of renowned star builder and showbiz impresario Arnold Vegafria, where he’s still currently signed up.
It was under Vegafria’s stewardship where he was tapped as Bench brand ambassador, and bagged his roles for the Without You movie and his forthcoming Unbreak My Heart project, which he considers his biggest and most challenging assignment so far.
He says, “The long wait was well worth it. After several years of dabbling in bit roles, I’ve finally leveled up! I really hope that Unbreak My Heart will open more doors for my career.”
Prior to his showbiz stint, he also freelanced as a commercial model, and appeared in ads for Jollibee, BDO, Gatorade, SMART, Skyflakes, Alaska, Tuseran, Mitsubishi, and countless others.
A self-confessed fitness and sports fanatic, Mark embraced his new role as a health coach during the challenging pandemic years.
He admits, “It kept me sane during the pandemic, and I was able to push myself, and help inspire others as well.”
To his credit, he also played professional football in Italy and the Philippines. “I moved here in 2012 to play for the Azkals National Team, but got injured several times,” he laments.
Given his athletic prowess, Mark would very much want to dabble in action-inspired showbiz projects.
“It’s just too bad that action films don’t seem to be too in demand in this country these days. I trained with Star Cinema and CineBro for stunts before the pandemic, and I’m excited to show off what I’ve learned,” he beams excitedly.
Asked to name his favorite local/foreign actors, Mark cites Bela Padilla (Meet Me in St. Gallen), Piolo Pascual (Starting Over Again), Penn Badgley (YOU on Netflix), and Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl).
For all his career triumphs, Mark can only attribute his hard-earned victories to his winning mindset and positive attitude. He says, “This I have to share to aspiring actors: If you want, you can! You just have to be extra patient and unwavering in your belief and trust in yourself.”
