ell, why not? In our search for the ibang-klase-ang-ganda-mo Pinay Power 7th Anniversary issue Cosmo cover girl, we kept coming back to Mylene Dizon: From her jaunty whimsical outlook to her newfound love for theater, we think she's just about as Cosmo as Cosmo can be.

Rewind
A quick recap on this 20-something vixen: Mylene Torres Dizon was (and still is) a precocious child, although she claims she was never into acting much until 1994, when she landed a gig in the Channel 5 magazine teen show 'Kada. Mylene says, "I never really imagined myself joining show business, but I had nothing to lose then. Before I knew it, it wasn't just the money anymore-I got the hooked!"

In 1996, she was launched as part of the second batch of Star Circle, which included then-unknowns Rico Yan, Diether Ocampo, Marvin Agustin, Dominic Ochoa, Patrick and Cheska Garcia. Her career was a slow and steady climb, marked with television roles that showcased a natural ability to act. Her first big break came in 2000, when she snagged the lead role in Gil Portes's Gatas…Sa Dibdib ng Kaaway. Situated in World War II, Mylene played a Filipina wife who, through a tumultuous chain of events, is obligated to become a nursemaid for a Japanese officer's son. The buzz that surrounded the movie led to her first telenovela role: the offer to guest in the Claudine Barretto soap Saan Ka Man Naroroon. "Sobrang radical 'yung change in character ko from Gatas, where I played a timid woman, to my character in Saan Ka Man, where I played one of the contrabidas. Even my hair was cut super-short, so it was really radical."

The came the character that everyone loved to hate: sally, the original nakapagasawa-ng-mayamana b-e-e-yatch who made Claudine Barretto's life a living hell in Sa Dulo ng Walang Hanggan.

Let's see that in slo-mo
Yes, she's had her share of angry shrieks, slaps, and hair pulling by anti-Sally fans in malls and other public places. But the best one, Mylene shares with wide-eyed glee, was the time the cast did a motorcade in Bacolod, and a very angry Lola came running out of the house and chased the car Mylene was riding in. "Galing siya sa loob ng bahay, tumatakbo, tapos sumisigaw ng "biiii-gaoooon kaaaaah!' Parang slo-mo!" Mylene recounts with half-awe and half-disbelief!, "Naiyak ako! Not because I got hurt by what she said, but I remember thinking, 'ganito ba kalakas ang impact ni Sally?' sa sobrang galit ng matanda, napatakbo sya, eh din a sya dapat nakakatakbo! Lola-as in kulubot. Tumatakbo. Ang ganda.'

But Mylene is quick to point out that there are more fun moments than sucky ones, working on soap. Sometimes you may feel that it tends to be predictable, like how you say your lines. But there's a certain kind of pleasure in starting the show, where everybody is struggling to create the eight mix and chemistry-and then when you do achieve it, it's like-woohoo! You're riding the wave and enjoying the trip."

Mylene says that working with Eugene Domingo, who played the smart and faithful Simang on Sa Dulo, was a tremendously enjoyable experience-as a matter of fact, she gleefully reveals that probably half of their verbal sparring was improvised. "If we had three lines, it would become six. Ad-lib to death. Hangga't hindi nagsasabi ng 'Cut!' yun director, hindi kami titigil! As in, asaran. Ang saya-saya. And the viewers liked it. Nagkaroon kami ng cult following ni Simang. Eh good friend ko si Eugene. Kapag nagma-malling kami tapos nakikita kami ng tao, tatanunging nila 'magkaibigan kayo?! Eh sa T.V. magkaaway kayo ha!'"

Another offer for a new soap came: GMA's Narito Ang Puso Ko, where Mylene took on the role of Stella-a smart, no-nonsense executive who helps Jolina learn the family business. "Pero mabait ang character ko," she says. "Sobrang bait. As in floral!"

Mylene relishes the passion and enthusiasm that goes along with her craft. "It's really nice to initiate something, to push yourself to the limit, with acting, or whatever it is that you want to do." That passion has worked well for her-it made Mylene Dizon a household name. After several stints with soap operas, the spunky telenovela star decided to try something new.

Pause, Play.
In September of 2002, "I was with my friend Jake Macapagal, who's a stage actor, and I nonchalantly said that I wanted to try theater, only because I'd never done if before," says Mylene.

Jake told theater director Bobby Garcia, who was, at the time, forming the Horror Show. Garcia called up Mylene to ask if she was interested in becoming part of the cast. She was excited, to say the least. "Ihing-ihi ako n'ung bigla siyang tumawag. As in, I really had to go." Mylene chuckles. "I said "Wait! I have to pee!' and Bobby said 'Relax! Said, 'Wala akong pakialam!'"

The musical paved the way for more theatrical opportunities, Melvin Lee, her co-actor in Sa Dulo, invited her to try out for a play that he was directing for the Philippine Educational Theater Association, or PETA. "Sabi ni Melvin, 'O, napanood kita sa Rocky. Mag-straight play ka naman.' Sabi ko, 'Ay. Hindi ko kaya. Gusto ko laro-laro lang.' Then Melvin said, "Ay hindi. Mag-straiht play ka. Ako magdi-direct.'"

After passing the auditions ("In fairness, nag-audition ako," Mylene says with one eyebrow raised), she became a cast member of PETA's Agnoia, 12 interwoven stories told in the manner of a weekly horoscope. As the character patterned after the traits of a Capricorn, burgeoning feelings of tenderness and love for another woman. Doing a straight play was exhilarating and fun," says the young actress. "N'ung opening night, grabe ang jitters ko!" Mylene exclaims. "Hindi ako makahinga, nanghihina yung tuhod ko, tapos hindi ako makakain-putangina!"

She received her fair share of criticism, especially from the director. ("Hindi ako pinalalampasan ng director's notes ni Melvin!") as a matter of fact, it was such a textured, complicated role that she only "got it" during the show's last performance. "My character's conflict was that she could not reconcile the fact that the traits she was looking for in a man, she found in a woman," Mylene explains. "I only understood the role nung last night na. Nagtatalon si Melvin sa tuwa. 'Nakuha mo! Nakuha mo sis!' sabi niya, tapos sabi ko 'Bakit sa huling gabi ko na naintindihan yung role ko?' and Melvin said, 'Okey lang 'yan, at least nakuha mo! Meron nga diyan nagtatapos na hindi nila nape-peg 'yung role.'" Mylene grins. "Ok na ako du'n."

Theater has exposed Mylene to a more honest side of her acting, and this is something she thinks about pursuing further. "Parang gusto ko yatang gumawa ng plays in between my television work. To balance me. Para hindi naman masyadong sell-out," she says thoughtfully, then grins again. "I'm discovering that in theater, there is this other form of acting na napaka-genuine, napaka-busisi, napakapulido, napaka… walang pera!" She bursts out laughing. "But it balances my sense of self. Doing theater, parang nagiging tao ka uli."

Next on her playlist: Playing the irrepressible, incorrigible Puck in the Metropolitan Theater Guild Foundation's staging of A Midsummer Night's Dream. "I've never read Shakespeare. Hindi ako marunong magbasa ng Shakespeare. So hindi ko alam 'yung 'Midsummer Night's Dream'," Mylene dryly says. "Sabihini mo na'ng bobo ako, wala akong paki.

"Then they called me, and we had a meeting, and they told me I was going to be Puck. Sino si Puck? So I read the play and I realized… 'Ay grabe, fun si Puck! Siya yung nanggugulo sa lahat ng kuwento! Ang saya! Go!"

Fast forward
Lately the actress is also merging her artistic sensibilities with business. Together with her good friend, actress Erica Fife, they are creating and selling leather-bound journals. "I love paper. I love writing stuff down," Mylene says. "Erica's the same. Whenever we see nice paper, we go 'oooh! Paper! How smooth!" So they decided to start small with their business, looking into consignments with small boutiques and shops.

As with everything in her life, Mylene dove headlong into this project, calling up suppliers one by one and finding out for herself what it takes to literally make a journal. "Kanina may kausap akong mga suppliers ng leather sa Binondo, at nalaman ko" Mylene shares and mimicks the supplier's gentle Chinese accent. "Sabi niya 'melong akong softie.' I said, "Ano ho 'yung softie?' 'Iyan, malambot yan. Yang ang mukha.' 'Ano'ng mukha? Mukha ng hayop?' 'Oo,'" She chortles while remembering. "Makikita ko pa next week. Ewan ko ba!"

Apart from theater and her tiny business, the entrepreneurial thespian has gone back to her telenovela roots, playing a strong supporting role in Basta't Kasama Kita. She plays Joyce, an OFW nurse and Robin Padilla's past great love.

When it comes to the future, the young actress doesn't really believe in worrying, and as a matter of fact, believe in pushing one's self to the limit. "'Yung wala ka talagang kaalam-alam sa pinasok mo, 'yung itlog mo andito," she says evilly, miming two balls crammed at her throat. Go beyond your personal limits, she says. It's one of her self-labeled 'Mylenisms," an impressively long list of personal mantras which she jots down in her own journal. Such as? "Leave town ever so often. Get lost intentionally. Have lots of friends. Don't rush yourself growing up. And free yourself from unnecessary steps," Mylene grins. "Nakakatanda 'yan!" - -