Whenever
people would mention the names or the shows titled Mara Clara and Esperanza,
there’s almost always one other name that automatically comes to mind, Judy Ann
Santos. Judy Ann is a very popular Filipino icon and celebrity whose real name
is Judy Anne Lumagui Santos-Agoncillo. Her fame is primarily due
to the hugely successful afternoon television soap Mara Clara that aired for
over five years and where she played the lead heroine role of Mara. She
followed this up with another hit television soap titled Esperanza that was aired
in the primetime slot. Judy Ann’s appeal to the masses was such that she
instantly became a household name and that henceforth any television drama she
would appear in would also become an instant hit as well.
Judy Ann Santos was born to parents Manuel and Carolina Santos on May 11,
1978. Her parents separated when she was three years old. Judy Ann has two
other siblings older than her, brother Jeffrey and sister Jackie. She began her
career as a child actress at eight years old when she was discovered after
auditioning and passing the Regal Films casting for the GMA 7 television show
Kaming Mga Ulila. She then did Ula, Ang Batang Gubat for IBC 13. It was in 1992
when she did Mara Clara for ABS-CBN 2 and there was no looking back after that.
She went on to appear in over seventy movies and television shows, garnering
awards left and right for her stellar performances each time.
Aside from acting, she has also recorded and released at least two music
albums that were used in her drama shows and movies where she even sang a few
songs herself. Judy Ann is now currently one of the top local political and
product endorsers in the country. She is also actively involved in at least two
foundations, the Touch A Heart Foundation (for indigenous Aetas) and the
Ploning Foundation (for Pinoy filmmakers). Another passion of hers is cooking. She studied
International Cuisine in Chiang Mai,
Thailand,
graduated at the Center for Asian Culinary Arts Studies and is TESDA-certified
for her culinary competency. Kaffe Carabana in Quezon City is owned and operated by Judy
Ann.
