Gloria Romero (actress)

Gloria Anne Borrego Galla (born December 16, 1933), known professionally as Gloria Romero, is a Filipino actress with a career spanning more than 70 years and over 250 acting credits.

Referred to as the "First Lady of Philippine Cinema", she is noted for her sophisticated and demure image.

Her work was in a range of genres, from romantic comedy to religious-family drama, and earned her various accolades, including two International Film Festival Manhattan Awards, six FAMAS Awards, three Gawad Urian Awards, three Luna Awards and numerous honorary lifetime achievement awards to her credit.

Gloria Romero was born as Gloria Anne Borrego Galla on December 16, 1933, in Denver, Colorado, to Pedro Galla and May Borrego.

Her father was a Filipino who went to the United States to pursue his education.

There he met Romero's mother Mary Borrego of Spanish-American descent.

Romero and her siblings became successful as they reached adulthood; the eldest sibling Louise became a nurse, her late brother Tito Galla (1935–1979) became a popular actor, and the youngest, Gilbert was a US based doctor.

At age 11, Romero started aspiring of becoming an actress.

After graduating from high school at the Riverview High, her family moved to Manila and with her father's consent, she tried her luck in the show business.

In 1937, they went to the Philippines to visit their grandparents in Mabini, Pangasinan.

The family's plan of going back to Denver was always postponed, and the supposed vacation was extended.

When World War II was declared, the Gallas were trapped in the Philippines.

During the war, they were taught how to do farm works.

At age 16, Romero began her career as a background actor in the late 1940s.

In 1943, a troop of Japanese soldiers stood outside their house and was after Romero's mother.

Days before the war ended her mother died, and her father decided that the family will stay in the Philippines for good.

She first appeared as an extra in the 1949 film Ang Bahay sa Lumang Gulod, as well as in two other films under Premiere Productions Prinsipe Don Juan (1951) and Bahay na Tisa (1951).

She was eventually dismissed from the film production company and transferred to Sampaguita Pictures with the help of her distant uncle, Nardo Rosales, who was the studio's chief editor.

She played many characters popularized in comic strips in the early to mid 1950s, then ventured into dramatic roles as well as remakes of pre-war musical movies in the succeeding years.

Following her transfer to Sampaguita Pictures in 1951, she started out playing minor and supporting roles in several films.

She appeared in more films as an extra in Kasintahan sa Pangarap (1951), Bernardo Carpio (1951), Barbaro (1952), Dugong Bughaw (1951) and Prinsesa at Pulubi (1950).

Her breakthrough came in 1952 with the films Madame X and her first lead role in Monghita.

After playing several minor roles, she finally bagged her first supporting role in Madame X (1952) and as leading lady in the film Palasig opposite Cesar Ramirez.

Her breakthrough came with Monghita (1952) opposite Oscar Moreno and started to gain massive following.

Romero achieved stardom for her leading roles in numerous blockbuster films such as Cofradia (1953) and Sino ang May Sala? (1956) among others.

In 1953, she starred in another blockbuster film Cofradia opposite Ramon Revilla.

She received her first major acting award at the FAMAS Award for Best Actress for the film Dalagang Ilocana (1954).

Her films were used as launching vehicles for actors like Lolita Rodriguez, including first-time leading men Ric Rodrigo and Luis Gonzales for the films Pilya (1954) and Despachadora (1955).

She received her first acting award in 1954 at the FAMAS Awards as Best Actress for the film Dalagang Ilocana.

It was the first time an actress from a comedy film won the award.

The same year, she starred in another blockbuster film Kurdapya and won the title Miss Visayas during the Boys Town Carnival and was styled by national artist Ramon Valera.

Romero also became a bankable commercial model and was one of the pioneering endorsers of Coca-Cola in the Philippines.

She was the second personality (next to General Douglas MacArthur) after war to endorse the soft drink brand.

Among the other consumer products she endorsed include Talon zipper for radio, Dari-Crème, instant Sanka coffee, Swans Down cake flour, Calumet baking power, Johnsons Medicated Talcum powder and Camay and Gloco beauty soaps on print ads.

By 1957, she has already starred in twenty-four films which all became box-office successes not just in the Philippines but also across Asia.

According to Graphic Kislap Magazine, three of her movies were among the highest-grossing films of 1957.

She continued to break ground in the 1980s and received FAMAS nominations for her performances in Condemned (1984), Saan Nagtatago ang Pag-ibig? (1987) and Nagbabagang Luha (1988), winning one for the latter.

She also ventured into television in the 1990s and became a notable character in the sitcom Palibhasa Lalake (1987-1998), winning Best Comedy Actress at the Star Awards for TV.

She portrayed matriarch roles in her later years and gained further recognition for her roles in Tanging Yaman (2000), Magnifico (2003) and Rainbow's Sunset (2018).

She later starred as Lola Goreng in the fantasy anthology Daig Kayo ng Lola Ko.