Talents see Vivamax as ‘stepping stone’ to mainstream

Vincent del Rosario (center) with Vivamax’s 11 new talents —VIVA ENTERTAINMENT

What does it take to be a Vivamax actress?

Good looks and a willingness to show skin are a given. Background in entertainment and modeling are a plus. Of course, the aspirants must be of legal age. But aside from those things, Viva Entertainment also gives weight to the intangibles.

“Outside of those, we also go by the gut feel of our artist management group. Nasanay na sila, more or less, with what we’re looking for … or if they (hopefuls) fit the mold,” Viva president and chief operating officer Vincent del Rosario said at a press conference celebrating Vivamax reaching 11 million subscribers.

The media company also taps various talent agents to help expand the talent pool of Vivamax, which became identified with sexy films and adult content since its launch in 2021.

“We work with a lot of talent managers who bring in a lot of talents on a regular basis. From there, we choose several people who have potential to be developed,” added Valerie del Rosario, Viva senior vice president for content creation and development.

Some girls thrive, attract large followings and become “stars” in their own right within Vivamax’s digital space. Others fade rather quickly. And then there are a few who successfully manage to cross over to mainstream television.

Angeli Khang, the so-called “Vivamax Queen,” and Salome Salvi are part of the GMA 7 primetime series “Black Rider.” Quinn Carillo can be seen in the afternoon soap opera “Asawa ng Asawa Ko,” also on the Kapuso network. Christine Bermas, meanwhile, starred in 10 episodes of ABS-CBN’s “Batang Quiapo.”

“As they start doing films, the ones who actually have talent will shine and last longer. They’re given more opportunities,” Vincent pointed out.

Because Viva is also in the business of talent management, Valerie said they couldn’t be happier that Vivamax artists are starting to get recognized by mainstream producers and networks. “We’re here to push our artists, so they can make it,” she said.

Experience, exposure

As such, Vincent believes that Vivamax can actually serve as a stepping stone for newcomers, who eventually hope to branch out and pursue other show biz fields aside from adult content entertainment. “That’s our promise to them … use Vivamax as a way to get experience and exposure. The end goal is to go beyond the platform and make it into mainstream television,” Vincent said.

Of the platform’s 11 million subscribers, about two million of those, Vincent said, are non-Filipinos from different countries, like Malaysia, Japan, Singapore and India. Considerable traction was observed in Indonesia, prompting Viva to put Bahasa Indonesia subtitles to some of their titles.

“The content is resonating beyond our kababayans,” Vincent said.

To mark Vivamax’s “11-million milestone,” Viva launched 11 new actresses who will headline the streaming platform’s upcoming content: Dyessa Garcia, Rica Gonzales, Christy Imperial, Arah Alonzo, Alessandra Cruz, Jenn Rosa, Mariane Saint, Vern Kaye, Candy Veloso and Athena Red.

Aside from their voluptuous figures and a sense of daring, the girls share a common dream: a viable career in acting. Many of them believe that having Vivamax as a springboard is an opportunity too good to pass up, so much so that some of them decided to put their studies on hold or go against their families’ wishes.

‘Worth it’

“My family wasn’t supportive of my decision but in my desire to pursue a career in acting, I grabbed this opportunity,” Rica said. “I want to prove to them that, just because I’m doing Vivamax doesn’t mean my life is headed nowhere.”

“My relationship with my family [was affected] because they didn’t agree with my decision. But I thought long and hard about it. I’m thankful for the opportunity—minsan lang ‘yan kumatok. That’s why I grabbed it,” Athena said.

Former PPop Generation girl group member Christy Imperial related: “I knew what I was getting myself into. My mom supported me even if other family members didn’t. I’m currently a nursing student. It’s hard juggling career and school, but if you want to do something, you will find a way.”

Jenn and Vern, on the other hand, had to endure hurtful words from people around them. “One of the things I have sacrificed is people’s perception of me. But I want to show them that we love our job and we do it because it’s our passion. What we do can be seen as art, depending on how people view it,” Jenn said.

“I became the subject of unsavory rumors in my hometown until I became depressed,” Vern said.

Candy was “bullied, judged and belittled” for being a sexy actress. But she believes that, in the end, “it will all be worth it.”