MAUI Taylor was only 14 years old when she joined showbiz as part Viva’s stable of teen stars in such youth oriented shows as “TGIS” and “Anna Karenina”. She also became part of the hit sitcom “Kool Ka Lang”.

In 2001, she played a supporting role in “Tatarin” where she went sexy and became a member of the Viva Hot Babes. The following year, she was launched solo in “Gamitan”, directed by Quark Henares.

It was a big hit so it was followed by more sexy flicks like “Hibla”, “Sex Drive”, “Huling Birhen sa Lupa”, “Masamang Ugat”, “Bugbog Sarado” and “Torotot”. She even got to do a Korean movie, “The Taste of Money”.

After this, she got married and said goodbye to showbiz.

She had two sons, Antoine and Matteo, now 10 and 8 years old. Her marriage to her non-showbiz partner lasted for seven years, but they are now co-parenting in raising their two boys.

In 2020, Viva revived her acting career in the comedy “Pakboys: Takusa”. “After that, tuluy-tuloy na uli,” she says. “I did ‘Gusto Kong Maging Porn Star’1 and 2. Then I did ‘69+1’ with Janno Gibbs, ‘Kaka’, ‘Crush Kong Curly’, ‘My Husband, My Lover’, ‘Deception’, ‘Pantaxa: Laiya’ and I was also part of the TV series ‘Lolong’. Hindi ako pinabayaan ng Viva at tuluy-tuloy talaga ang projects ko sa kanila.”

She now stars in the new Vivamax movie, “Haliparot”, that will start streaming on October 20. She plays the role of the mother of Aiko Garcia, who is being launched in this erotic drama. She is a pottery maker who raised her daughter all by herself.

They have a very loving relationship but a big conflict ensues when they both fall for the same man, the hunky newcomer Matthew Francisco, who gets to do hot love scenes with both the mom and the daughter. Didn’t she have a second thought playing a mother role?

“No, not at all,” she says. “In real life, mother na naman talaga ako. I turned 40 last June and my daughter’s age here is 17, so puede na talaga akong nanay niya. And maganda ‘yung role ko, hindi basta support lang. Magkasinghaba ang exposure namin at pati ang magagandang eksena namin sa pelikula. We have a very dramatic confrontation scene her when I found out na ang anak kong pinakakaingatan, buntis na pala.”

She has a sizzling bed scene in the movie where she is shown topless. Doesn’t she worry that her sons might get to see it?

“Naisip ko rin ‘yun, but at this age of the internet, hindi mo naman na maitatago ‘yun. Feeling ko naman, I can handle it kasi matatalino na ang mga bata ngayon and I think maiintindihan ng mga anak ko na part ito ng trabaho ng mom nila. I am just playing a role, a character. Ang importante, hindi nila nakikitang nagwawala ang mommy nila sa labas with other men. They know how much I love them.”

Going sexy and playing more mature roles is also just a career move for her. “Sa career naman, we have to move forward. We cannot stagnate. Part din ito ng pagma-mature ng roles na tinatanggap ko, which is just fine with me. Ang maganda, challenging pa rin ‘yung role for you as an actress, like my role here in ‘Haliparot’.”

She says the sexy stars of today are definitely more daring than the Viva Hot Babes. “Mas matapang sila at mas wild ang ginagawa nila sa harap ng kamera. Very tame ‘yung ginagawa namin noong araw kaysa sa pagka-daring nila ngayon.”