Vivian Velez: Ageless and loving her job

MANILA, Philippines – Like most actors, Vivian Velez gets a kick doing kontrabida roles – such as her character Malvina del Olmo in the new ABS-CBN teleserye “Maria Mercedes.”

A remake of the Mexican hit telenovela starring Thalia, the Philippine version features Kapamilya’s new star Jessy Mendiola in the title role.

“It’s fun to do kontrobida roles because I get to experiment with my portrayal,” said Vivian – Miss Body Beautiful of the Seventies who has aged gracefully.

Purple

It was her long-time friend Chito Roño who offered Vivian the Malvina del Olmo role. Direk Chito also brainstormed with Vivian about developing the character, down to her sartorial style – wearing wide-brimmed hats and purple clothes.

“Even Malvina’s office is colored purple,” said Vivian. “It was Direk Chito who pegged my character as such. Since I wear wide-brimmed hats, I had to tilt my chin so my face could be seen. It’s kind of difficult but I’m getting the hang of it.”

For Vivian, portraying a kontrabida is a creative process.

“I have to make it different,” she said. “I have to make [Malvina] endearing. Kailangan matuwa pa rin sa akin ang mga tao. [The viewers should still have some sympathy for my character.] When Malvina throws a tantrum, she should be child-like. That’s the kind of attack I did for my role and I think the network bosses liked it.

“I have to own the role, I have to make my own characterization, but it’s the director who makes it more interesting by polishing it. It’s a difficult role because I’m not like Malvina at all. But I have to put my own mark.”

Her thoughts on Jessy?

“I’m not saying this just because she’s a co-star, but she really has it,” said Vivian. “When you act, you can feel if your co-actor is doing her share to make the scene work. I can sense it, because I am a veteran actress and I am more confident when it comes to acting. You just have to feel the scene and wait for your co-actor to react. Jessy has it. She has good facial expressions and I can say that she’s perfect for the role.”

Sensuality

Jessy, said Vivian, also has that sensuality inherent to her character – a compliment coming from an iconic sex symbol in Philippine cinema, noted for such performances as in Celso Ad. Castillo’s “Paradise Inn.”

But Jessy has yet to make her sensuality come out.

“I want to teach her how to [unleash] her sensuality, [pero] nahihiya pa siya [but she’s still quite timid],” Vivian said. “She is [just] starting out in her role as Maria Mercedes, but, eventually, I believe, she can release the kind of sensuality needed for the role.”

Vivian looks forward to doing more scenes with Jessy. Her last soap for ABS-CBN was “Imortal,” aired two years ago. She didn’t like the other projects being offered her so she stayed out of the limelight for a while.

When she was offered Maria Mercedes and she learned that Chito Roño, her director in “Imortal,” would take the helm, Vivian didn’t think twice and said yes. But she had to finish her stint at TV 5’s serye, “Misibis Bay,” a soap opera so flamboyant it already qualified as high art (think Douglas Sirk, or Ishmael Bernal). 

Jologs

Vivian also made a striking cameo in Erik Matti’s “OTJ.”

“Direk Erik Matti said he wanted me for the [part]. Even if I’m just seated in the car and only my voice will be heard, my role is really important. When I read the script of ‘OTJ,’ parang wala lang, just a simple role. ‘I need your presence and your voice for the impact,’ [Direk Erik said].”

Vivian is also finishing her first indie, titled “Vendor,” and directed by Ralston Jover (the award-winning screenwriter of Jeffrey Jeturian’s “Kubrador”).

“I love my role in ‘Vendor’ because it’s something out of the box,” she said. “I play the role of a vendor in Quiapo. Even my dialogue is jologs na jologs and I’m deglamorized in the film. We’re almost through filming. If you see it, you’d think it’s a French film. It will be shown in Cinema One Originals in November.” – Rappler.com

 

‘Maria Mercedes’ premieres on October 7.