Another Wattpad sensation makes its transition to streaming with “My Husband Is a Mafia Boss,” led by Joseph Marco and Rhen Escaño, who say their on-screen partnership and mutual trust became central to bringing the story’s mix of romance, humor and action to life.
The series, based on the novel by the late Diana Marie Serrato Maranan, follows the unlikely marriage between Ezekiel “Zeke” Roswell, a billionaire engineer secretly leading a powerful crime syndicate, and Aemie Romero, a bright but unconventional college student. The story built a massive following online, amassing hundreds of millions of reads before its screen adaptation.
For Marco, who takes on the role of Zeke, that scale comes with responsibility, but he said it was his working relationship with Escaño that grounded his performance throughout production.
“I don’t think I would be able to do the things that I do here if she wasn’t my partner. Our relationship is very healthy, and every time we have taping, I’m always excited to work with her.”
Marco added that the sense of trust between them became especially important during more demanding scenes, where both emotional intensity and physical coordination were required.
“I feel so safe that she’s my partner, and she’s so supportive in all of our scenes,” he said.
Escaño, who plays Aemie, said stepping into a character known for her humor and unpredictability proved to be one of the biggest challenges of the project, particularly in finding the right balance between exaggeration and authenticity.
“She has to be funny, and you can’t force her to be funny, so that was really hard for me at first. There were moments in the workshop where I felt like it wasn’t coming out naturally,” Escaño added.
She credited director Fifth Solomon for helping shape her performance during early workshops, allowing the character’s humor to come through more organically.
Beyond the romantic and comedic elements, both actors also faced physically demanding action sequences, which required training and adjustment to make scenes feel believable on screen.
“I remember I was so excited at first [to use firearms] because it feels different when you’re holding a heavy gun, you can really feel the power of it. But when it actually fired, I was overwhelmed because the recoil was so strong that I didn’t expect it. It’s something you can’t fake, and at the same time, it gives you that adrenaline,” Marco said.
Escaño said the experience pushed her out of her comfort zone, but ultimately helped her grow more confident in handling action scenes. “When I tried it for the first time, I couldn’t even breathe, but eventually I got used to it, and it became something I actually enjoyed doing.”
Still, both leads emphasized that the heart of the adaptation lies in delivering the same emotional connection that made the original story resonate with readers.
“I fell in love with the project while we were doing it, and I got more and more excited as we went along. As a fan of the book, I really hope we can give viewers the same feeling they had while reading it,” Escaño said.
The series also features a wide ensemble cast, including Ara Mina, Priscilla Meirelles, Frost Sandoval, Sara Joe, Kyosu Guinto and R-Ji Lim.
“My Husband Is a Mafia Boss” premieres April 11 on Viva One, with new episodes released weekly.
