Marian Rivera Gràcia-Dantes (Tagalog: [ˈmaɾ.jɐn ɾɪ ˈbɛ.ɾɐ ˈdan.tɛs]; born 12 August 1984)[1][2][3] is a Filipino actress, television host, model and entrepreneur.
She gained wider recognition for her leading roles in television shows such as Dyesebel (2008), Darna (2009), Endless Love (2010), Amaya (2011) and Temptation of Wife (2012).
She also top-billed the remake of Super Inday and the Golden Bibe, earning her a nomination for Best Actress at the Metro Manila Film Festival.
Her most successful films at the box-office include Shake, Rattle & Roll X (2008), My Best Friend's Girlfriend (2008), Ang Panday 2 (2011), You to Me Are Everything (2010), One True Love (2008), and Rewind (2023).
Rivera pursued her elementary and high school education at Saint Francis of Assisi College, and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology degree from the De La Salle University – Dasmariñas.
[21][22] She was acknowledged as a Phenomenal TV Star in the 38th Box-Office Entertainment Awards by the Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Scholarship Foundation, Inc. in 2008.
[38] Later that year, she was paired with Dennis Trillo in an adaptation of the famous historical fiction heroine created by Mars Ravelo, Darna.
Nestor Torre of Philippine Daily Inquirer described the series as "loud and livid", praising Rivera's acting.
She reprised the role of Cristina G., a beauty queen aspirant who has been trapped on an island together with contenders acted by Heart Evangelista, Solenn Heussaff, Lovi Poe, and Ruffa Mae Quinto.
[57] In 2012, Rivera headlined on different programs of GMA Network such as My Beloved, a Filipino romance drama-suspense-thriller series created and written by RJ Nuevas, under the helm of Dominic Zapata and Lore Reyes.
[63] In the latter part of 2012, Rivera gained another fame through the Philippine adaptation of a popular Korean series, Temptation of Wife, which aired on the same network.
[74] Rivera made an appearance for Ekstra: The Bit Player, an official entry to the 2013 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.
[84] Rivera returned to prime time with a heavy-drama project temporarily entitled as Carmela (formerly "Catarina")[85] broadcast by GMA Network on 27 January 2014, wherein she was occasionally paired with Alden Richards.
In 2015, Rivera was supposed to appear in her comeback television program entitled The Rich Man's Daughter, but due to her pregnancy, she was then replaced by fellow Kapuso celebrity Rhian Ramos respectively.
In the cover of UNO Magazine, Rivera was quoted as saying "Pregnancy is a beautiful thing", describing her present condition in her Instagram account.
[90] Rivera was selected as USTv's Student Leaders Choice for Female Social Media Personality[91] Gawad Sulo ng Bayan Natatanging Pilipinang Aktres sa Pelikula at Telebisyon on Golden Torch CCA, Inc., and the 2nd PEPList Choice Awards for its Newsmaker of the Year category, with Dingdong Dantes, was accepted by ABS-CBN newscaster Korina Sanchez on behalf of the couple.
[93] In 2016, Rivera marked her comeback in television as part of the remake of GMA Network's fantasy TV show, Encantadia.
[94] Rivera made her surprise cameo appearance in romantic-comedy film, Imagine You and Me which stars the love team of Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza.
She appeared in Super Ma'am since September.In 2021, Rivera was a member of the selection committee for Miss Universe 2021 held at Eilat, Israel.
[102][103] Rivera was awarded by TikTok Philippines as the country's "Breakthrough Creator of the Year" for garnering massive amount of views in her dance covers and other video contents.
[112][113][114] In August 2012, Rivera joined the Philippine Red Cross team during their mission in Quezon City to help out the victims of the flooding.
[115] Rivera, together with former senator Dick Gordon, waded through floodwaters to get to an area where some 500 families sought refuge from the floods caused by the non-stop rains.
[123][124] In addition to that, she launched Oplan: Bangka, a livelihood project in which Rivera will shoulder the expenses for the construction of fishing boats that will be given for Cebu's fishermen.
On the latter part of the year, Rivera adds another advocacy to her list as she actively supports "Smile Train", an international children's charity with a sustainable approach to a single, solvable problem: cleft lip and palate.
[137] Christine Marie Leido of AB Communications, Inc. stated, "In our choice, for instance, of Marian Rivera[...]she provided the excitement, fresh look and instant recognition the brand needed.
The market understood the product and was able to relate to it because she embodied the values the brand stood for ... As could be expected, she motivated purchase because of her appeal across all classes and gender.
[143] She featured on the cover for the first time on FHM through its January 2013 issue, which made her one of the biggest contenders for the title Sexiest Woman of the World for 2013.
[155][156][157] In August 2014, during a live airing of Rivera's dance program, Dantes, her longtime boyfriend, made a special guest appearance.
The wedding was held at Cubao Cathedral in Quezon City, while the reception took place at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay, and was televised on GMA Network.
[163] In April 2015, the couple announced that they were expecting their first child;[164] Rivera gave birth to a daughter on November 23 of the same year at the Makati Medical Center named Maria Letizia (nicknamed Zia).