MARIAN RIVERA’s new lantern-jawed, chinky eyed leading man in “Spooky Nights Presents Bampirella” and “Amaya”, Mikael Daez, is a reluctant actor. “Wala kasing actor in our family,” he says. “My manager, Jonas Gaffud of Mercator (who also handles the Brapanese actors in Manila) got me to be a model sa ramp and for TV commercials. When he told me to go to the audition for ‘Amaya’, I agreed kasi it’s something new for me. When I got there, nagulat ako kasi pina-costume change agad ako ng nakabahag, kung babagay raw sa’kin, tapos they gave me the script and made me memorize some lines. Pina-VTR na ako. That was in October. I thought nothing happened but in December, I was called back and was told they liked the audition. It’s good nga na before we start ‘Amaya’, nasama muna ko rito sa ‘
Bampirella’, so parang training ko ito. And now, I’m beginning to enjoy it all as I’m learning a lot.”
Born on January 6, 1988, he’s the second in a brood of 7. “Our youngest is only 11 years old. Our dad died in a car accident 7 years ago and it’s my mom who’s been raising us since then. I finished business management at the Ateneo where I studied since grade school.”
How is it working with Marian? “She’s so nice. At first, I was intimidated kasi sabi mataray raw. But it’s not true. Sa audition pa lang, she was already there and she gave me advice on what to do. Even now, in ‘Bampirella’, she remains very helpful. Pero lahat naman silang kasama ko roon, they know I’m a neophyte and they’re all very supportive. They made me feel comfortable right away.”
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Mikael Daez in Bampirella Pictures
