DJ's Philippines A-Z: Sharon Cuneta

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Philippines A-Z: Sharon Cuneta
Posted on March 4, 2009 by DJ

Hi Everyone!

Today, we look at the life of one of the most beloved entertainers in the Philippines: Sharon Cuneta.

Sharon Cuneta-Pangilinan (born Sharon Gamboa Cuneta on January 6, 1966) is a popular Filipina actress, TV host, and singer. She is also known as The Mega Star of Philippine Showbiz having been a grand slam awardee, a box office queen hall of famer and a recipient of several lifetime achievement awards at a relatively young age.

Her mother (Elaine Gamboa-Cuneta) hails from Santa Ana, Pampanga while her father (Pablo Cuneta; 1910-2000) was the mayor of Pasay City for decades. She is half-Tagalog in paternal side and fourth-Kapampangan and fourth-Spanish both in maternal side.

Sharon first appeared on Philippine pop charts in 1978 as a 12 year old, singing the tune “Mr. D.J.” The tune became wildly popular and earned her the title of “D.J.’s Pet” (which was also the name of her first album). Other hit albums followed, and Cuneta was asked to sing many movie soundtracks of the time – becoming the first “movie soundtrack star” in the country.

She was given films from Viva Films. At age 15, she starred in her first feature film, 1981 Dear Heart paired with fellow teeny-bopper Gabby Concepcion. After Dear Heart’s success, she appeared in more than 50 feature films, and earned the title of “Box Office Queen” in the country from 1985 through 1993.

Her early movie roles launched her as a “poor little rich girl”. On the other hand, producers decided to make her roles as a “rags to riches” type. Although raised in an influential rich political family, she appealed to the sosyal (socially rich) and masa (mass) crowd of Philippine society, with her intelligence, humor and down-to-earth personality.

Her musical-variety show, T.S.C.S. (The Sharon Cuneta Show) was one of the longest running television shows in Philippine Showbiz from 1986 through 1997.

She started her hosting abilities with other teenage prodigies with shows like GMA Supershow, later called Germspesyal, with German Moreno and C.U.T.E. (Call Us Two For Entertainment) with her aunt from Pampanga, former actress Helen Gamboa, via GMA 7.

Sharon is the first Filipina artist to sell out at the Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium first in 1988 and her latest June 11th, 2005 concert. Her poster is enshrined in The Shrine’s Hall of Fame next to stars Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand and the Ballet Folklorico de Mexico. She created a traffic jam in the 90′s and puzzled the former Mayor of Los Angeles Tom Bradley. After hearing of her success, the mayor attended the concert and awarded Sharon with an Honorary Key to the City of Los Angeles, California.

She also had a duet in the 2001 with famous Hong Kong star Andy Lau, with whom she sang “In Your Eyes” composed by Jim Brickman.

In 1996, she received her first and only “Grand Slam” award for the movie Madrasta where she played the role of a loving stepmother. Sharon became one of the rare actresses along with Nora Aunor and Vilma Santos to be given a grand slam best actress award in Philippine Cinema.

On April 28, 1996, Sharon Cuneta walked down the aisle for the second time and married Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan. She then gave birth to her second child Simone Francesca Emmanuelle (Frankie) in December 2000 and followed it with a third one, Mariel Daniella Sophia (Miel), in September 2004. Her daughter KC was legally adopted by her husband Senator Pangilinan.

Sharon’s late father, Pablo Cuneta, was mayor of Pasay City for four decades. He died at the age of 90 on September 2000.

In 2004, The Brussels International Film Festival named Sharon Cuneta as Best Actress for her movie Crying Ladies where she played Stella Mate, an ex-convicted-divorced-single mother hustling her way through Manila streets who accepts a job with two other friends to cry professionally at Chinese Funerals in order to provide for her son.

In January, 2005 she returned with a show Wish Upon A Mega, a 39th Birthday Celebration granting 39 well-wishers their dreams come true.

In January 6th 2006, The Megastar returned with a 40th Birthday celebration on ABS-CBN’s entitled Ang Pagbabalik Ng Bituin (roughly translated as “The Return of the Star”). The next month a new gab-fest talk show simply entitled Sharon was aired, which she still currently hosting right now.

She is also presently pursuing an Associate in Arts degree at the University of the Philippines Open University, UP Los Baños, Laguna.

Credit: DJ's World at www.theworldofdj.com