2. Angel Aquino
• Angelita Grace Velasquez Aquino (born February 7, 1973) is a
Filipino actress, fashion model, and television personality.
Prominent in independent films, she has also worked on television
shows of varying genres, and is known for her versatility and
adaptability in portraying protagonists and villains. She has
received various accolades, including six Star Awards, two Golden
Screen Awards, and a Gawad Urian.
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3. • A journalism graduate of the University of the Philippines Baguio, Aquino
began her career as a model, before making her film debut with a minor
role in the action drama Mumbaki (1996). She made her first television
appearance as a presenter of the lifestyle show F! (1999). Her
breakthrough came in the erotic drama Laro sa Baga (2000), which
earned her a Star Award for Best Supporting Actress. She gained wider
recognition for starring in Crying Ladies (2003) and Donsol (2006), which
were the Philippine submissions for Best International Feature Film at
the Academy Awards. Aquino established herself as a leading actress
playing villainous parts in the drama series Magkaribal (2010), Maria la
del Barrio (2011), Apoy sa Dagat (2013), And I Love You So (2015), Till I
Met You (2016), and Dirty Linen (2023).
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4. • Aquino received two Gawad Urian nominations in the same year for her
roles as a transgender woman in the drama film Porno (2013) and a
woman desired by a teenage girl in the coming-of-age drama Ang Huling
Cha-Cha ni Anita (2013), winning Best Supporting Actress for the latter.
Among her notable performances are a widowed mother in the horror
drama Amorosa (2012), a military intelligence officer in the action
series Ang Probinsyano (2017), and a middle-aged woman smitten by a
younger man in the erotic comedy Glorious (2018).
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5. • On stage, Aquino has performed in local theater productions
of The Vagina Monologues (2002) and Closer (2013).
Described by various media publications as among the most
beautiful and finest Filipino actresses of her generation,
Aquino has been involved in charitable work and causes,
including education, gender equality, and women's rights.
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6. Early life and background
• Angelita Grace Velasquez Aquino was born on February 7,
1973,[1][2] in Barobo, Surigao del Sur,[3] to parents who
are natives of Pampanga.[4] The eldest of four children, Aquino and her siblings
were raised by their mother in Barangka, Marikina, where she attended
elementary school. Reluctant to disclose aspects of her personal life, Aquino has
stated that she is estranged from her father who physically abused her mother,
his second wife.[5][4] The family had limited financial means; they lived on income
through their mother's home-based food business.[5] As a child, Aquino was
involved in her mother's business to help make ends meet. She has said that her
mother always made them feel cared for and that she was driven and ingenious.
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7. • While attending St. Bridget School in Quezon City,[6] Aquino was a recipient of
the Tulong Dunong scholarship funded by the Philippine Commission on Higher
Education.[4][7] After graduating from high school, she enrolled in the University of
the Philippines Baguio, initially pursuing a bachelor's degree in mathematics.
She struggled academically and decided to switch to the mass
communications program, where she majored in journalism.[4][2] At age nineteen,
she was spotted at a shopping mall by filmmaker Jeffrey Jeturian, who arranged
for her to audition for talent agents.[4] In 1993, she began a modelling career and
worked with designers such as Peter Lim and Jojie Lloren. She was featured in
several television and print advertisements for products, and became the face
of hair care brand Pantene.[8
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8. Career
• 1996–2005: Early roles and breakthrough
• Aquino began her acting career with a minor role in the action drama Mumbaki (1996), where she was cast as the
heiress of a Banaue tribe.[4] She found the experience gratifying and has said that she considered the profession her
"true calling".[8] The following year, she featured alongside Corin Nemec, John Newton, and Alexis Arquette in the
poorly received military action drama Goodbye America (1997).[9] In 1998, Aquino portrayed a woman who has an
affair with a married professor and later develops a relationship with his son in Jeturian's directorial debut, Sana Pag-
ibig Na.[10] She then appeared in supporting roles in small-scale features, including Serafin Geronimo: The Criminal of
Barrio Concepcion (1998), Bata, Bata... Pa'no Ka Ginawa? (1998), and Isusumbong Kita sa Tatay Ko (1999).[11] In her
television debut, Aquino served as one of the presenters for ABS-CBN network's lifestyle magazine show F! (1999),
which aired until 2006.[12] She won Best Lifestyle Show Host at the Star Awards for Television for her work.[13] Aquino
had a more prominent role in Olivia Lamasan's drama Minsan, Minahal Kita (2000) alongside Sharon Cuneta, Richard
Gomez, and Edu Manzano.[14] In the film, she played Gomez's jealous and controlling wife,[14] a role she deemed her
first villainous part.[15] Nestor Torre Jr. of the Philippine Daily Inquirer described her portrayal as "merely serviceable",
but believed the antagonistic character changed people's perception of her, as she had previously played "sweet-and-
lovely roles"
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9. • Chito S. Roño cast Aquino as a woman who begins a sexual relationship with her godson in the
erotic drama Laro sa Baga (2000), the script of which she found risky but necessary for artistic
growth. She considered her part to be challenging and an embodiment of "physical and emotional
transformation".[16] The film required her to perform explicit sex scenes, including one in which she
had to grab the genitals of co-star Carlos Morales.[16] Aquino's performance garnered critical
acclaim; the Philippine Daily Inquirer's Pablo Tariman described her portrayal as "superbly" acted
and one of the "most riveting" in the film.[17] Lito Zulueta, also from the Philippine Daily Inquirer,
praised her "sensitive" delivery.[18] She won Best Supporting Actress at the Star Awards for
Movies.[19] Aquino and Roño reunited in the action drama La Vida Rosa (2001), co-
starring Rosanna Roces, Liza Lorena, and Jiro Manio, in which she played a mother whose
daughter is abducted by her ex-boyfriend (played by Diether Ocampo).[20] The critic Andrew
Paredes of the Manila Standard termed it a "rare local film that stands taller than
a Hollywood release" and commended Aquino's "wonderful, understated performance".[21] That
year, she starred in the daytime drama series Recuerdo de Amor (2001).[22] In February 2002,
Aquino made her stage debut in a Folk Arts Theater production of Eve Ensler's play The Vagina
Monologues, portraying a Bosnian woman subjected to rape.
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10. • Following her theater appearance, Aquino featured in Mark Meily's critically acclaimed
independent comedy-drama Crying Ladies, co-starring Sharon Cuneta and Hilda
Koronel,[24][25] playing a professional mourner who has an affair with her friend's
husband.[26] The film premiered at the 2003 Metro Manila Film Festival, where it
won Best Picture. Crying Ladies was screened internationally, including at
the Montreal International Film Festival, Brussels Independent Film Festival,
and International Film Festival of Kerala. It was submitted for consideration for Best
Foreign Language Film at the 77th Academy Awards.[27][28] Eddie Cockrell
from Variety called the film a "vigorous, ambitious, big-hearted comic meller" and
credited the ensemble for "comfortabl[y] navigating between broad comedy and
legitimate pathos".[29] A. O. Scott of The New York Times, however, thought that
Aquino's part was fleeting and "yield[ed] little emotional payoff".
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11. • Aquino had four releases in 2004. She appeared in supporting parts in the parody fantasy
series Marinara and the drama series Hiram.[31][2] She next starred as the widow of Raymond
Bagatsing's character in Gil Portes's Beauitful Life, a drama about the grief-stricken family
members of casualties from a terrorist attack.[32] Aquino's performance was praised by a
reviewer from the Philippine Daily Inquirer, who considered her as one of the notable aspects
of the production.[33] Her final role of the year was in Evolution of a Filipino Family, a martial
law-era experimental drama from Lav Diaz.[34] With a running time of 643 minutes (11 hours),
it is among the longest films ever made.[35] In ICU Bed Number 7, an adaptation of
the Palanca Award-winning screenplay from writer-director Rica Arevalo, she took on the role
of a daughter conflicted with ending the life of her father (played by Eddie Garcia) with
terminal illness. Production of the film was completed in five days and it premiered at
the 2005 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival.[36] She was a guest performer in
the Encantadia prequel fantasy series Etheria (2005), playing an ancient
goddess.[37][38] Aquino reprised the role in the franchise's final installment Encantadia: Pag-
ibig Hanggang Wakas in 2006
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12. 2006–2012: Critical success
• Set in Sorsogon, the Adolfo Alix-directed independent drama Donsol (2006) featured Aquino
and Sid Lucero. The film tells the story of a woman suffering from breast cancer who returns to her
hometown and finds companionship with a local whale shark spotter (played by Lucero).[40] Aquino
was drawn to her character's subdued and restrained personality, explaining, "It was a role I really
wanted to play since it didn't call for a lot of bravura in acting. It was a quiet role which appealed to
me".[41] In preparation, she spent time with cancer support groups; and to get into her character's
physical and mental space during filming, wore a chest binder and cut her hair short.[41][42] Philip
Cu-Unjieng of The Philippine Star found Aquino to be a "luminous screen presence",[43] while
Butch Francisco thought her portrayal was palpable and convincing.[40] She won a Best Actress
award at the 2006 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival.[44] Donsol received critical acclaim and
accolades from several international film festival critics' organizations.[44][45] It was submitted for
consideration at the 80th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film.
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13. • Aquino next starred alongside Cherry Pie Picache and Juliana Palermo in Brillante Mendoza's
drama Summer Heat (2006), about a dysfunctional family with a controlling patriarch (played
by Johnny Delgado).[47] She received a Gawad Urian nomination for Best Actress.[48] Her other
film appearances in 2006 include Nasaan si Francis?,[49] Ina, Anak, Pamilya,[50] and Ang
Pamana: The Inheritance.[51] With Us Girls, Aquino returned as a television presenter for the
lifestyle magazine show, which ran for six years.[52] In 2007, Aquino portrayed a woman
sending anonymous letters to Christopher de Leon's character in Eddie Romero's final
directorial effort, Faces of Love (2007),[53][54] which premiered at the 2007 Cinemalaya
Independent Film Festival.[55] Her next film part was as the television show producer in
the supernatural horror Siquijor: Mystic Island, which reunited her with Mendoza. It is about a
television crew who visits the island of Siquijor to film a documentary about local
myths.[56] That year, she also appeared in several television projects, including an episode of
the anthology series Maalaala Mo Kaya,[57] a role in the ensemble drama series Maging Sino
Ka Man: Ang Pagbabalik,[2] and as a presenter of the travel and food show Tablescape: Life
On A Plate.[
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14. • In 2008, Aquino starred in the short film God Only Knows directed by Mark Reyes. It was
screened at the Asian American International Film Festival and Tribeca International Film
Festival in New York City.[59] She also featured in the supernatural fantasy series Lobo as
a werewolf's mortal wife.[60] Her next film release came in the Johnson & Johnson-
produced family drama Botelya (2008), playing a single mother abandoned by an
adulterous spouse.[61] The following year, Aquino had a supporting role in All About
Eve (2009), a remake of the eponymous South Korean show, starring Iza
Calzado and Sunshine Dizon.[62] The Ravelo Komiks Universe series Darna saw her
portray the white stone keeper and original titular superhero, which was subsequently
played by Marian Rivera
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15. • To avoid being typecast in roles of martyred wives, Aquino accepted the offer to star as Vera
Cruz, a prominent fashion designer and main antagonist, in the revenge drama
series Magkaribal (2010). Unlike her previous assignments, the role allowed her to display an
intimidating and hysterical personality.[65] Aquino described her interpretation of Cruz as
someone "always upset with everyone, always screaming at the top of her lungs", drawing
inspiration from Agot Isidro's character in the television series Tayong Dalawa (2009). "They've
designed the villainess ... in such a way that they will be sympathetic also, that they will be as
real as possible", she said.[65] She found herself challenged by the role and said that working
on the project was a "daunting task",[66] though she admitted that her personal experience
working in the fashion industry drew her to the part.[65] Her performance received generally
positive reviews,[67] with Ricky Lo of The Philippine Star finding Aquino to have "reaffirmed her
thespian chops": "Watching Vera Cruz is like riding a roller-coaster of powerful emotions. One
minute you hate her, wanting to crush her into pieces ... and the next you sympathize with
her".[68] She received a Star Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series nomination,[69] and was
also nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category at the Asian Television Awards for the
role
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