Sharon Gamboa Cuneta-Pangilinan, more popularly known as
Sharon Cuneta, is a famous Filipino actress and singer who is dubbed locally as
the Megastar by the Philippine entertainment industry. She was born to parents
Pablo Cuneta and Elaine Gamboa on January 6, 1966 becoming part of the
influential Cuneta clan, a family deeply rooted in business and politics. She
grew up listening to her dad’s music collection and nurturing a strong
affection for the performance arts through the influence of her aunt, veteran
actress Helen Gamboa. She attended the International School Manila at the Makati
campus, Boston University
in the USA
and the University of the Philippines Open University that is based in Los
Baños, Laguna.
Little Sharon made her first television appearance in the
Kuya Ike Lozada show during her early years where she would often sing her Aunt
Helen’s songs. She was still just as young when she appeared in her first movie
“Lovers for Hire” along eventual best friend and fellow actor Roderick Paulate.
When she was 12 years old, she released and sang the chart-topping song “Mr.
DJ,” which became very popular and was an instant hit on the airwaves. She sang
two other chart-topping songs, “Kahit Maputi Na Ang Buhok Ko” and “High School
Life,” where after she would often be asked to sing the soundtrack songs for
movies during that time period, the veritable Manila Sound era.
Her rise to fame really began when she started appearing in
more television shows as well as in movies with the rags to riches theme,
launching her as a poor little rich girl type of character that appealed to all
the masses. Sharon’s
most notable movies during this time were “Bukas Luluhod Ang Mga Tala” and
“Bituing Walang Ningning.” It was after the phenomenal success of these box
office hits that she was given the title as the Megastar, a superlative plus
the word star, denoting that she has reached show business royalty status
alongside Nora Aunor (Superstar) and Vilma Santos (Star for All Seasons). She
then began appearing in advertisements, commercials and endorsements as well as
hosting her own program, The Sharon Cuneta Show, one of the longest running
entertainment variety shows on Philippine television. She went on to host other
programs, star in other movies and release album compilations of her songs.
