Usually, most of the six-year-old kiddos at the present are arguably engrossed in their gadgets, playing their favorite digital games or watching their favorite animated movies and cartoon series.
However, the scenario was entirely different in the previous years for some of the children of the same age as they had to grow mature earlier than they should be and spent most of their youth working in order to help their families, such as multi-awarded veteran actress Maricel Soriano.
In an appearance on Magandang Buhay last year, wherein she celebrated her 54th birthday, she opened up about her unusual yet happy childhood. Unlike most kids today, she was able to experience and enjoy the outdoor and social games hopscotch (or piko), Chinese garter, and touch-the-color. She even recalled hurting one playmate while playing piko and going frantic over playing touch-the-color with the younger Jolina Magdangal and their other colleagues.
WATCH: Maricel Soriano, nakakatawang ikinuwento ang kanyang masayang kabataan
But things suddenly got different for her after the break-up of her parents as their life got extra harder, pushing her to make a tough decision at a very young age – to use her charm and talent to score a job and help their family make both ends meet.
“Gusto kong makatulong sa pamilya ko kasi wala kaming makain. Totoo ‘yon. Hindi ko kinakahiya ‘yon. Kasi wala kaming food on the table. Sabi ko sa ano mang maliit na way na magagawa ko sa edad na sais anyos [gagawin ko]. Nag-aaply talaga ako na mag-aartista ako,” she shared.
WATCH: Maricel Soriano, 6 years old pa lang ay nag-artista na
That’s when the course of Maricel’s life instantly changed after being able to score her first acting role through the 1971 film “My Heart Belongs to Daddy,” in which she played little sister of acclaimed actor Tirso Cruz III and was able to work with Snooky Serna, who was among the most luminous young stars of that time.
It was said to be a cameo role as her screen presence only lasted for only 15 minutes, but it was already enough for her to show everyone her unmistakable prowess in acting, singing, and dancing. This paved her way for her to be included in other movies and television projects, such as “John en Marsha,” wherein she was able to act opposite the Comedy King Dolphy who she referred to as one of her greatest inspirations up to now, and the kiddie TV show “Kaluskos Musmos.”
Since then, she became one of the most sought-after actresses of her generation, not to mention one of the finest after raking in innumerable accolades and nominations from various award-giving bodies, making her among the most awarded and most respected artists in the country. The Diamond Star currently earning raves for her spine-tingling performances on the primetime drama Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin, playing Lucing, mother of Jodi Sta. Maria’s character Marissa.
But apart from being a great actress, Maricel also amazed everyone with her unbelievable dancing and singing skills, which spawned to a number of bop songs being associated with her up to the present, recording two songs, and a sold-out concert in Araneta Coliseum and a series of live shows here and abroad in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Indeed, she wouldn’t be called the Diamond Star for nothing. Not only because of her brilliance and versatility as a multi-faceted performer, but of her inspiring story of fame and success as well, which proves that a genuine diamond is born out of pressure – pressure brought by the challenges and obstacles that came into her life that she was able to overcome in order to attain a magandang buhay!
Catch Maricel on Ang Sa Iyo Ay Aki weeknights after FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano on the Kapamilya Channel and Kapamilya Online Live.