This is an excerpt from the June 2026 Special Issue. Subscribe to MEGA Digital All-Access to read the full story.
For Meryll Soriano, acting has long transcended the notion of work. It lives in every script she dissects, every set she steps into, and every emotion she allows herself to fully inhabit.
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It was in 2010, however, when Soriano realized acting had become something far deeper than a career. “Donor brought me to different places, and it’s what earned me my Best Actress Award in Brussels,” Soriano recalls. “It was a different experience because I was there to represent the country. I was there to represent myself without any other information but my work.”
Still, Soriano credits the roles she has chosen over the years for shaping both the woman and artist she has become. “I’ve been very adamant about what I want to portray as a person and as a woman, so I think it developed a lot of sensibilities for me,” the actress shares. That commitment to portraying nuanced women has remained central to her body of work. “I just love representing different kinds of women.”
Even after years in the industry, Soriano still approaches every set as an opportunity to learn. Acting, in her eyes, remains an evolving craft rather than something one can truly master. “Through the years, I’ve learned to try out different processes. And right now, I’m still learning.”
Over the years, Soriano has navigated nearly every corner of the industry—from television dramas and mainstream cinema to intimate independent films. Film, in particular, has played a significant role in shaping her career.
“When I did my first Cinemalaya, that was the first time I felt at home,” she reminisces, referring to the 2006 films Rotonda and In Da Red Korner. Since then, she has continued to balance television projects with independent films, the latter becoming a space where she feels most creatively at home.
As Filipino cinema continues to gain global recognition, Soriano believes women are helping lead the movement through fearless storytelling. “We have different kinds of stories now, and we have the world stage to show different kinds of Filipino women,” the actress says proudly. “I’ve been blessed with the time now, the era of the global stage.”
Today, Soriano’s legacy extends beyond Philippine cinema into the broader fabric of Filipino culture—a testament to the influence she continues to hold as one of the country’s most respected actresses. Yet despite her accomplishments, her choices remain grounded in conviction and truth. “My beliefs and what I’m convinced of the truth of the roles that I play.”
In many ways, acting shaped the person Soriano is today. More than the accolades and recognition, it is the connection she forms through her work that continues to keep her grounded. “I’m just really happy to be doing this. I love acting, and I love how it helps me connect to people with my work.
Photographed by JERICK SANCHEZ. Creative Direction by PATRICK TY. Art Direction by CLARE MAGNO and BRIE VENTURA. Beauty Direction by AGOO AZCUNA-BENGZON assisted by MARA GO. Sittings Editor PEEWEE REYES-ISIDRO and TREISHA ROVERO. Produced by THESSMAR LECTURA. Image retouching by JONES PALTENG and TROY NONATO. Hair by JOBEN DINGLASAN. Makeup by YRA MANTARING. Nail Grooming by CRISTINE S. CRISTOBAL, ROWENA D. AYALA, RONA T. SALAZAR, and ANGELYN D. ALVERIO of THE GETAWAY BODY & NAILS SPA. Styled by STEVEN CORALDE, LEANNE LEDESMA, NIÑA CUYANA, and CHARLOTTE SOMBILLO of QURATOR INC. Production Design by ARJ MADARANG of JAGGER STUDIOS. Photography Assistants KARL RIMANDO, BUDDY REYES, DAVE ORPILLA, and RYAN ALBANO
Frequently Asked Questions
Her 2010 Best Actress award in Brussels, won for Donor, was a turning point — performing abroad with only her work as context, stripped of industry familiarity, deepened her understanding of acting as a universal craft and her role as a representative of Filipino cinema.
Soriano has consistently prioritized roles that reflect the full range of women’s experiences, a standard she has held throughout her career. She describes her commitment to portraying nuanced female characters as something that actively shaped her own sensibilities as both a woman and an actress.
Soriano’s Cinemalaya debut came in 2006 with Rotonda and In Da Red Korner — projects she credits as the first time she felt creatively at home. Independent film has since remained a consistent and defining thread in her career alongside her television work.
She treats acting as a craft with no fixed endpoint. Despite her extensive body of work, Soriano continues to explore different processes on each project and maintains that she is still learning — framing the discipline as something that evolves rather than something one fully masters.
She sees the current moment as a significant shift — Filipino women, she argues, now have both the stories and the global platform to represent the full diversity of Filipino female experience. She describes the era of international visibility as one she feels fortunate to be working in.
