Sharon Cuneta
Sharon Cuneta | |
|---|---|
| Born | Sharon Gamboa Cuneta |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, Actress, Host |
| Years active | 1978-present |
| Height | 5'5 1/2" |
Sharon Cuneta-Pangilinan (born Sharon Gamboa Cuneta on January 6, 1966) is a popular Filipina singer,actress and tv host dubbed as the Megastar of Philippine Entertainment.
Early life
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.
Rise to Fame
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). [1] 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. In 1988, Sharon did a lux soap commercial, where she took a bubble bath and said before they touch her skin, her skin belongs to Lux. She earned money for that commercial.
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.
International Success
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.
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.
Second Marriage and continuous success
On April 28, 1996, Sharon Cuneta walked down the aisle for the second time and married Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan. She used to be married to popular actor Gabby Concepcion. 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.[1]
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.
Filmography
Television
| Year | Title | Notes |
| 1978-1985 | Germside / Germspecial / GMA Supershow | Musical Variety Show with German Moreno (GMA Network) |
| 1979-1980 | C.U.T.E. Call Us Two for Entertainment | Musical Variety Show with Helen Gamboa (IBC) |
| 1982-1983 | Okay, Sha! | Musical / Sitcom (BBC) |
| 1986-1997 | The Sharon Cuneta Show | Musical Variety Show (IBC and ABS-CBN) |
| December 21, 1997 | The Sharon Cuneta Christmas Special: I'll Be Home For Christmas | Christmas Special(ABS-CBN) |
| July 5, 1998 | A Place Called Home | Documentary (ABS-CBN) |
| August 1998-May 2004 | Sharon | Talk Show(ABS-CBN) |
| February 2006 - Present | Sharon | Talk Show(ABS-CBN) |
| September 21, 2008 | Mega Tatlong Dekada | Documentary (ABS-CBN)[2] |
| September 28, 2008 | Mega 30 Concert | Special Show (ABS-CBN)[2] |
Movies
Awards & Special Citations
- Best Actress Awards
- 1984. Sa Hirap at Ginhawa. FAP
- 1984. Dapat Ka Bang Mahalin. FAMAS.
- 1997. Madrasta. PMPC Star Awards for Movies.
- 1997. Madrasta. FAP.
- 1997. Madrasta. People’s Choice Awards
- 1997. Madrasta. FAMAS.
- 1997. Madrasta. Gawad Urian.
- 2002. Magkapatid. MFF Manila Film Festival.
- 2003. Crying Ladies. People’s Choice Awards. Metro Manila Film Festival. Via Text Messages
- 2004. Crying Ladies. Pasado Awards.
- 2004. Crying Ladies. Brussels International Independent Film Festival.
- 2004. DEKADA Best Actress Honoree . PMPC Star Awards for Movies
- 2008. Caregiver. 40th Box Office Entertainment Awards.
- 2008. Caregiver. Pasado Awards
- 2008. Caregiver. PMPC Star Awards for Movies.
- Box-office Awards
- 1981-1982. Popular Teenage Queen of RP Movies. Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Scholarship Foundation, Inc. (GMMSF)
- 1982-1983. Miss RP Movies. GMMSF.
- 1983-1984. Miss RP Movies. GMMSF.
- 1984. Box. Office Queen of RP Movies. GMMSF.
- 1985. Box. Office Queen of RP Movies. GMMSF.
- 1986. Top Female Box Office Star of 1985. "Bida sa Takilya" given during the FAMAS Awards
- 1986. Box. Office Queen of RP Movies. GMMSF.
- 1987. Box. Office Queen of RP Movies. GMMSF.
- 1989. Box. Office Queen of RP Movies. GMMSF.
- 1990. Elevated to the Box Office Hall of Fame. GMMSF.
- 1991. Kahit Konting Pagtingin. Box Office Queen of RP Movies. GMMSF.
- 1992. Maging Sino Ka Man. Box. Office Queen of RP Movies. GMMSF.
- 1992 Box Office Record Award for "Maging Sino Ka Man" (with Robin Padilla as co-awardee) given by the Greater Metro Manila Theater Association.
- 1993. Pangako Sa ‘Yo. Box. Office Queen of RP Movies. GMMSF.
- 1994. Kung kailangan Mo ako. Box Office Queen of RP Movies. GMMSF.
- 1996. Madrasta. Box. Office Queen of RP Movies. GMMSF.
- Concert/music awards
- 1980. Jukebox Princess. BAMCI Promotions Awards, 1981.
- 1985. Most Outstanding Female Concert Hall Act for “Sharon Solo With The Boys 1984 Concert. Aliw Awards
- 1991. One of 10 Most Outstanding Recording Artists. 7th Annual Tinig Awards. (NPCP)
- 1991. Best Female Vocal Performance (Kung Tayo’y Magkakalayo). DZMB
- 1992. Best Performance by a Female Recording Artist (Ngayon at Kailanman)
- 1998. Gintong Tinig Awardee. Metro Star Search.
- 2002. Dangal ng Musikang Plilipino Award (Lifetime Achievement Award). Board of Directors of the Phil. Association of Recording Industry. November 2002.
- 2006 . Lifetime Achievement Awardee . MYX
- 2006 . Elite Platinum Circle Awardee . ASAP 06
- Hosting awards
- 1990 . Best Female TV Host. The Sharon Cuneta Show, PMPC Star Awards for Television
- 1993 . Best Female TV Host. The Sharon Cuneta Show, PMPC Star Awards for Television
- 1994 . Best Female TV Host. The Sharon Cuneta Show, PMPC Star Awards for Television
- 1995 . Best Female TV Host. The Sharon Cuneta Show, PMPC Star Awards for Television
- 1996 . Best Female TV Host. The Sharon Cuneta Show, PMPC Star Awards for Television
- 2000 . Best Talk Show Host. Sharon, KBP Golden Dove Awards
- 2006 . Sharon, Highly Commended Best Entertainment Presenter, 2006 Asian Television Awards.
- Magazine awards
- 2001 . One of the 10 Most Beautiful Women of Mega Magazine. 2001
- 2004 . No.20 in BizNewsAsia’s list of Top 100 Most Powerful Filipinos for 2003.
- 2003 . No.31 in BizNewsAsia's list of Top 100 Most Powerful Filipinos for 2002.
- 2004 . One of Asia’s (Under-50) Movers and Shakers. (One of four Filipinos listed) Asia Inc. Magazine. February 2004.
- 1998 . One of Istudyante’s (the first national newspaper for students) “ Idols of our Time”. With Robert Jaworski & Lean Alejandro. 1988.
- 2001 . Reader’s Choice Awards- Female Star Quality. YES! Magazine
- 2002 . Reader’s Choice Awards- Female Star Quality. YES! Magazine
References
- Celebrity endorsers in the Philippines
- 1966 births
- Filipino actors
- Filipino film actors
- Filipino television actors
- Filipino television personalities
- Filipino child actors
- Filipino child singers
- Filipino female singers
- Filipino pop singers
- Filipino Protestants
- Living people
- People from Pasay City
- People of Kapampangan descent
- Filipinos of Spanish descent