MANILA, Philippines?Contrary to media reports, ?Endless Love? lead actress Marian Rivera never threw tantrums on the set?according to the drama series? director Mac Alejandre.

?I?ve worked with her before, during, and after ?MariMar.? She?s the same girl I?ve known her to be,? Alejandre told Inquirer Entertainment on Sunday. ?She has now become prettier, richer and more famous, but her heart is still the same.?

Missed US flight

Rivera?s TV debut was on the afternoon drama ?Kung Mamahalin Mo Lang Ako? in 2005. She became a full-fledged star when she was cast in the title role of GMA 7?s adaptation of ?MariMar? in 2007. A year later, she played the role of the well-loved mermaid ?Dyesebel.?

Rumors of the actress behaving like a brat began circulating in 2008. There were times when she would reportedly be late or absent in TV tapings. There was also an incident when she missed her scheduled US flight to promote ?Dyesebel? because she woke up late. When not in the mood, the actress was known to refuse to be photographed with fans.

As Rivera?s director in ?Endless Love,? Alejandre said he is conscious not to give special treatment to his lead star. ?I handle her the way I handle all my actors?management by objective, with understanding and honesty,? he stressed.

Pitted against ?Magkaribal?

The teleserye, which also features Marian?s real-life boyfriend Dingdong Dantes, revolves around the characters Johnny and Jenny who grow up thinking they are siblings. Their lives are disrupted when they find out that there was a case of baby-switching in the hospital on the day Jenny was born.

The program is the local adaptation of the Korean drama ?Autumn in My Heart,? produced by KBS in South Korea. It premiered on June 28, coinciding with the pilot airing of ABS-CBN?S fashion teleserye ?Magkaribal? starring Gretchen Barretto and Derek Ramsay.

Does he think ?Endless Love? would do well against a show with a very controversial cast? ?I am hoping it will,? said Alejandre. ?I believe in the strength of our cast. I have faith in the story.? The show also features award-winning actor Dennis Trillo, as well as Kuh Ledesma, Janice de Belen, Nadine Samonte and Bela Padilla.

Alejandre last worked with Rivera and Dantes in the 2008 romantic film ?One True Love.? The director said that since publicly admitting their personal relationship, Rivera and Dantes ?are now more comfortable doing romantic scenes. I guess their experiences have made a difference in how they define love. And it shows in their performance.?

Big budget

Alejandre added that making a big-budgeted drama series like ?Endless Love? is extremely difficult. ?High-quality entertainment requires creative and technical excellence,? he said. ?Given that, nothing comes easy. But that is not to say our taping days are not fun and enjoyable?they are.?

?Endless Love,? which also stars Tirso Cruz III, Bernard Palanca, Sandy Andolong and Marco Alcaraz, airs on the Telebabad time slot.

E-mail mcruz@inquirer.com.ph