Films are exclusively Star Cinema, with 4-5 projects in line this year alone. Marvin's typical week is a virtual tug-of-war between Star and ABS CBN TV, as schedules are juggled for shoots and shows.
Marvin is Blowing Bubbles exclusive image model, where Marvin has a direct hand in the clothes he will wear. He dons prototypes not yet released in the stores, and based on the audience response, Blowing Bubbles churns out the T-shirts en masse. "Basically, I ask my sister to cut out clothes from Details and GQ, then I shuffle the collars and colors, and send them to Blowing Bubbles, and the guys there make sense out of them!" laughs Marvin.
Marvin and Jolina even have a "sideline". They voiced for the Prince and Adarna respectively in the animated FLT "Ibong Adarna", practically providing all the publicity a pioneering independent project like Adarna can get. Although Pinoys have yet to warm up on local animation, FLT producer Rose Flaminiano swears she will do "Florante at Laura" only for the pair. Tentative plans for a Pinoy Cinderella are also afoot with the Marvin and Jolina in the drawing boards.
Offscreen, Marvin barely has time to sleep, but around once a fortnight, he gets lucky when a booking gets canceled, and he catches up on friends.
Marvin's major tropa is Esperanza cum Onli-Judy Ann, Spencer, and the Streetboys. Sometimes, the Esperanza boys would congregate---the new bratpack of Marvin, Wowie, Spencer and Jericho---dreaming of a groupie movie and talking about the girls. On Sundays, Marvin gets his fatherly slap-in-the-back from Martin Nievera who gives him pointers on handling audiences. Marvin does Por Da Boys nightouts with Leo Martinez, Jon Estrada and Bert de Leon after the tapings of Onli in Da Pilipins.
Despite a truly fasttrack success path, and prime stardom just a project away, Marvin's dreams remain humble and oh-so idol-next-door: finish the payments to his small townhouse and car, save enough to take fewer projects so he can go to business school, and much much later, learn directing.
It did not take long for Filipino teens to see themselves in the deep youth angst and light-hearted but serious struggle that Marvin carried into his various roles. Marvin is like them; behind every chuckle is a pained realization, behind every childish onscreen prank is an early maturity experienced by nearly everyone in his generation.
When you finally meet him, you will realize that Marvin is not just an Asian Leonardo or a Pinoy Michael J. Fox or the new William or the teen Christopher. Marvin is the first Marvin Agustin.