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      <liveTestFlag>LIVE</liveTestFlag>
      <filer>
        <issuerCredentials>
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          <ccc>XXXXXXXX</ccc>
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      <flags>
        <returnCopyFlag>true</returnCopyFlag>
        <overrideInternetFlag>false</overrideInternetFlag>
        <confirmingCopyFlag>false</confirmingCopyFlag>
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      <investmentCompanyType>N-6</investmentCompanyType>
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      <reportClass>
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    <generalInfo reportEndingPeriod="2018-12-31" isReportPeriodLt12="N"/>
    <registrantInfo>
      <registrantFullName>MERRILL LYNCH VARIABLE LIFE SEPARATE ACCOUNT</registrantFullName>
      <investmentCompFileNo>811-06225</investmentCompFileNo>
      <registrantCik>0000869799</registrantCik>
      <registrantLei>549300OBIN8MX7VADY54</registrantLei>
      <registrantstreet1>4333 Edgewood Road NE</registrantstreet1>
      <registrantcity>Cedar Rapids</registrantcity>
      <registrantzipCode>52499</registrantzipCode>
      <registrantstate>US-IA</registrantstate>
      <registrantcountry>US</registrantcountry>
      <registrantphoneNumber>8003463677</registrantphoneNumber>
      <websites>
        <website webpage="N/A"/>
      </websites>
      <locationBooksRecords>
        <locationBooksRecord>
          <officeName>Transamerica Advisors Life Insurance Company</officeName>
          <officeAddress1>4333 Edgewood Road NE</officeAddress1>
          <officeCity>Cedar Rapids</officeCity>
          <officeStateCountry officeState="US-IA" officeCountry="US"/>
          <officeRecordsZipCode>52499</officeRecordsZipCode>
          <officePhone>8003463677</officePhone>
          <booksRecordsDesc>Records required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investments Company Act of 1940 and Rules 31a-1 to 31a-3 promulgated thereunder</booksRecordsDesc>
        </locationBooksRecord>
      </locationBooksRecords>
      <isRegistrantFirstFiling>Y</isRegistrantFirstFiling>
      <isRegistrantLastFiling>N</isRegistrantLastFiling>
      <registrantFamilyInvComp isRegistrantFamilyInvComp="Y" familyInvCompFullName="Transamerica Life Insurance Company"/>
      <registrantClassificationType>N-6</registrantClassificationType>
      <isSecuritiesActRegistration>Y</isSecuritiesActRegistration>
      <chiefComplianceOfficers>
        <chiefComplianceOfficer>
          <ccoName>Michael Gordon Rae</ccoName>
          <crdNumber>004850279</crdNumber>
          <ccoStreet1>1801 California Street</ccoStreet1>
          <ccoCity>Denver</ccoCity>
          <ccoStateCountry ccoState="US-CO" ccoCountry="US"/>
          <ccoZipCode>80202</ccoZipCode>
          <ccoPhone>XXXXXX</ccoPhone>
          <isCcoChangedSinceLastFiling>N</isCcoChangedSinceLastFiling>
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            <ccoEmployer ccoEmployerName="N/A" ccoEmployerId="N/A"/>
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        </chiefComplianceOfficer>
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      <isRegistrantSubmittedMatter>N</isRegistrantSubmittedMatter>
      <isPreviousLegalProceeding>N</isPreviousLegalProceeding>
      <isPreviousProceedingTerminated>N</isPreviousProceedingTerminated>
      <isFinancialSupportDuringPeriod>N</isFinancialSupportDuringPeriod>
      <isExemptionFromAct>N</isExemptionFromAct>
      <principalUnderwriters>
        <principalUnderwriter>
          <principalUnderwriterName>Transamerica Capital, Inc.</principalUnderwriterName>
          <principalUnderwriterFileNumber>8-24829</principalUnderwriterFileNumber>
          <principalUnderwriterCrdNumber>000008217</principalUnderwriterCrdNumber>
          <principalUnderwriterLei>N/A</principalUnderwriterLei>
          <principalUnderWriterStateCountry principalUnderWriterState="US-CA" principalUnderWriterCountry="US"/>
          <isPrincipalUnderwriterAffiliatedWithRegistrant>Y</isPrincipalUnderwriterAffiliatedWithRegistrant>
        </principalUnderwriter>
      </principalUnderwriters>
      <isUnderwriterHiredOrTerminated>N</isUnderwriterHiredOrTerminated>
      <publicAccountants>
        <publicAccountant>
          <publicAccountantName>PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP</publicAccountantName>
          <pcaobNumber>00238</pcaobNumber>
          <publicAccountantLei>N/A</publicAccountantLei>
          <publicAccountantStateCountry publicAccountantState="US-NY" publicAccountantCountry="US"/>
        </publicAccountant>
      </publicAccountants>
      <isPublicAccountantChanged>N</isPublicAccountantChanged>
      <isOpinionOffered>N</isOpinionOffered>
      <isMaterialChange>N</isMaterialChange>
      <isAccountingPrincipleChange>N</isAccountingPrincipleChange>
    </registrantInfo>
    <unitInvestmentTrust>
      <depositors>
        <depositor>
          <depositorName>Transamerica Advisors Life Insurance Company</depositorName>
          <depositorCrdNo>N/A</depositorCrdNo>
          <depositorLei>F1PLTWZ8OU4HQGZQAP31</depositorLei>
          <depositorStateCountry depositorState="US-IA" depositorCountry="US"/>
          <depositorUltimateParentname>Aegon N.V.</depositorUltimateParentname>
        </depositor>
      </depositors>
      <uitAdmins>
        <uitAdmin>
          <uitAdminName>Transamerica Advisors Life Insurance Company</uitAdminName>
          <uitAdminLei>F1PLTWZ8OU4HQGZQAP31</uitAdminLei>
          <uitAdminStateCountry uitAdminState="US-IA" uitAdminCountry="US"/>
          <isUitAdminAffiliated>Y</isUitAdminAffiliated>
          <isUitAdminSubAdmin>N</isUitAdminSubAdmin>
        </uitAdmin>
      </uitAdmins>
      <isUitAdminHiredTerminated>N</isUitAdminHiredTerminated>
      <registrantSeparateInsuranceAccount isRegistrantSeparateInsuranceAccount="Y" separateAccountSeriesId="S000011547"/>
      <numOfContracts>2220</numOfContracts>
      <contractSecurities>
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        <contractSecurity separateAccountSecurityName="MLLIC Investor Life Plus" separateAccountContractId="C000031813" separateAccountTotalAsset="40642874.630000000000" numContractsSold="0" grossPremiumReceived="31699.580000000000" grossPremiumReceivedSection1035="0.000000000000" numContractsAffected="0" contractValueRedeemed="1461271.470000000000" contractValueRedeemedSection1035="624200.920000000000" numContractsAffectedRedeemed="7"/>
        <contractSecurity separateAccountSecurityName="MLLIC Estate Investor I" separateAccountContractId="C000031814" separateAccountTotalAsset="25982580.980000000000" numContractsSold="0" grossPremiumReceived="2408902.220000000000" grossPremiumReceivedSection1035="0.000000000000" numContractsAffected="0" contractValueRedeemed="3671992.080000000000" contractValueRedeemedSection1035="118385.930000000000" numContractsAffectedRedeemed="1"/>
        <contractSecurity separateAccountSecurityName="MLLIC Estate Investor II" separateAccountContractId="C000031815" separateAccountTotalAsset="83141198.280000000000" numContractsSold="0" grossPremiumReceived="5016342.920000000000" grossPremiumReceivedSection1035="0.000000000000" numContractsAffected="0" contractValueRedeemed="24438997.080000000000" contractValueRedeemedSection1035="939942.920000000000" numContractsAffectedRedeemed="3"/>
        <contractSecurity separateAccountSecurityName="MLLIC Legacy Power" separateAccountContractId="C000031816" separateAccountTotalAsset="4661462.230000000000" numContractsSold="0" grossPremiumReceived="0.000000000000" grossPremiumReceivedSection1035="0.000000000000" numContractsAffected="0" contractValueRedeemed="145393.000000000000" contractValueRedeemedSection1035="0.000000000000" numContractsAffectedRedeemed="0"/>
      </contractSecurities>
      <isRule6C7Reliance>Y</isRule6C7Reliance>
      <isRule11A2Reliance>N</isRule11A2Reliance>
    </unitInvestmentTrust>
    <signature registrantSignedName="MERRILL LYNCH VARIABLE LIFE SEPARATE ACCOUNT" signedDate="2019-03-12" signature="/s/ Eric J. Martin" title="Controller, Senior Vice President and Assistant Treasurer"/>
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