 When she was discovered, this proved to be the one hurdle she had to overcome before becoming a bankable star.Nevertheless, with the help of Rosa Mía and her sacrifices from attending social functions while memorizing her Tagalog lines in between filming sessions, she was able to ace her acting career.Marlene started out doing bit parts until she was cast in heavy supporting roles such as the black sheep sister of Paraluman in "Anino ni Bathala" in 1958, where she won her first the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) Award.