MOST OF THE TIME, the ?traffic? of actors between mainstream and independent movie productions is a one-way street, with many stars ?going indie? in quest of more challenging roles, and only a few indie actors ?going mainstream.?

hus, the popular likes of Sharon Cuneta, Robin Padilla and Piolo Pascual have occasionally acted in relatively small-budget films, with fewer indie actors stepping up to the plate to return the favor.

What seems to be the problem? Basically, mainstream stardom has a different set of requirements than standout indie performances.

The key difference is, mainstream stars ?sell? themselves, so their image is paramount in their onscreen projection. In contrast, indie actors pride themselves in their ability to ?disappear? into the characters they play, so ?image? has little relevance to their career considerations.

Is there any way for this contradiction to be resolved? Yes, when stars like Sharon forego the trappings of stardom and consciously act against type.

That?s a difficult feat to pull off, but it?s even tougher for indie actors to make it as mainstream performers, because they don?t have the popular clout to pull in viewers. That?s why indie actors who want to go mainstream have to do it gradually, winning viewers over with their edgy and felt performances.

At the moment, only a few actors are slowly making the shift, with Coco Martin making the most noticeable headway with his current inclusion in the stellar cast of the new afternoon soap, ?Nagsimula sa Puso,? opposite Maja Salvador. Coco?s shift has been particularly controversial because some of his indie starrers were ?daring.?

To his credit, Coco has been able to get past the controversy, and has reinvented himself as a mainstream TV lead in the new soap. Interestingly, in the show?s first telecast last Oct. 12, he made an even stronger impression than Maja, the lead star.

He was able to do this by playing yet another edgy and gritty role, that of a poor working student whose inborn smarts enable him to rise above his ?low? social status.

As a result, many viewers were able to empathize with both his problem and ambition more persuasively than Maja?s other, less dynamic and more standard screen consort in the show, Jason Abalos.

If he keeps it up, Coco could come into his own as a mainstream talent, potentially encouraging other indie actors to similarly make the difficult translation to mainstream acting. If more of them make the grade, stereotypical mainstream acting could experience a welcome revitalization.