Maris Racal shares her experience learning martial arts and foreign languages for “Incognito”

July 7 ------ As "Incognito" nears its final chapter, Maris Racal reflects on the depth of her transformation as Gab Rivera, the multilingual spy in the seven-member private army known as the Kontraks, a role that challenged her to navigate a world dominated by men and break away from familiar archetypes.

“Happy ako na naging Gab Rivera ako,” Maris shared, describing how exhilarating it felt to tap into her masculine energy while working in a male-dominated environment. She and Kaila Estrada, the only two women among the Kontraks, would often check in on each other to make sure they're comfortable.

Maris takes immense pride in portraying a completely different form of a woman on television, one that's out of her comfort zone. “Sanay ‘yung mga tao sa akin na kikay, funny, comedic. Ito, tough. At first time ko magkaroon ng ganitong character,” she said. “I would always describe Gab Rivera as astig, siga, tough.”

Having honed her craft through the years, Maris is no longer the type to accept roles merely for the sake of staying visible. These days, she’s far more discerning and decisive about the characters she chooses to portray. “Chini-check ko kasi kung maganda ba talaga siyang role, ano’ng arc niya, ano’ng pupuntahan niya. Para mahalin ko ‘yung role at ma-excite akong gawin ‘yung role, kailangan kong malaman ‘yung trajectory niya,” she explained in an episode of Kapamilya Chat.

But whatever project she takes on, Maris knits each role into her own flesh. This is no simple feat as it requires meticulous preparation. Even before filming begins, she dives deep into studying the soul of her character so she can bring it to life as genuinely as possible. At the same time, she knows that playing a teleserye character can't be entirely rigid because there must always be room for flexibility to adjust to how the story unfolds or if there are sudden script changes. This was exactly the case in "Incognito." With the scripts coming in last minute, she said she barely had time to prepare, and it would get even more challenging with a scene requiring her to speak in different languages or dialects. Throughout the series, viewers have heard Maris deliver lines in Italian, Nihongo, and Hiligaynon.

Maris believes that actors must take responsibility for their characters, and that includes asking questions. For instance, when given dialogues in a different language, she always takes the initiative to learn the correct diction so her delivery feels real, with facial expressions that match perfectly. She also emphasized how a character’s look helps an actor get into the zone, “’Pag suot ko na ‘yung boots ko at kulot na ‘yung buhok ko, ramdam kong Gab Rivera na ako." When asked the best part of playing Gab, Maris gushed about how much she loved picking up new life skills along the way, "We had tactical trainings. I know how to hold guns now, how to change mags. And these are essential, I would say, personally."

She also trained in Pekiti-Tirsia Kali, a Filipino martial art known for its practical self-defense techniques and emphasis on counter-offense—skills she said would be useful to her even in real life. But Maris joked, “Pero huwag n’yo akong awayin. Hindi pa ako magaling." She's just learned the basics so far but she plans to continue her training even after "Incognito" because her body now keeps craving the adrenaline. "Incognito" is definitely one for the books for Maris. Here, she also got that unique experience of acting alongside professional dog talents, who were cast as Gab's beloved pets. Maris shared that these dogs had to travel four hours to Baguio City for filming and they would arrive with their own glam team and trainers on set. What amazed her most was how well the dogs listen to instructions, plus they became her breather on set. “Hahanapin mo ‘yung fun din. Hindi lang puro bakbakan at serious stuff." Maris shared the fur babies became her source of good vibes on set, which she needed to keep her energy light especially since she and Anthony Jennings were in charge of providing the show’s comic relief.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com