This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Celia Rodriguez" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(April 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Cecilia Obsum Rodriguez (born March 17, 1938) is a Filipino actress. She has been referred to as "The Original Glamorous Movie Star" for her acting prowess and longevity.^[1]

She has appeared in more than 130 movies and television shows. She won fourFAMAS Awards in the filmsKulay Dugo ang Gabi,The Passionate Strangers,Lilet andMagnifico. She also received an award for Best Supporting Actress in theMetro Manila Film Festival for the movieBulaklak sa City Jail. She is referred to as the industry's "fashion maverick."^[2]

Cecilia "Celia" Rodriguez was born inBulan, Sorsogon to aSpanish-Filipino father, Angel Rodriguez, who had roots inBarcelona and amestiza mother, Perla Obsum. She was raised in theirhacienda as the youngest among eight daughters. The sisters attended Colegio de la Milagrosa, a local convent school. After high school, her father sold hisabaca andcopra business and the family relocated toLegazpi, Albay. Rodriguez graduated atCentro Escolar University inManila with a secretarial degree. During this time, she resided in theSanta Mesa district.^[3]

Rodriguez's acting skills were discovered by Adela Santiago, the head ofPremiere Productions.^[1] She subsequently joined the movie industry in the late 1950s, appearing inSa Ngalan ng Espada (1958) andShirley, My Darling (1958). She performed in movies such asLilet, released in 1971,Super Gee (1973),Kampanerang Kuba (1974) andMrs. Eva Fonda, 16 (1976). Other film credits includeZoom, Zoom Superman (1973),Ang Boyfriend Kong Baduy (1975),Elektrika, Kasi Eh (1976),Star (1979),Katorse (1980),Anak (1981),Angkinin Mo Ako (1983),Ang Boyfriend Kong Kano (1983),Dapat Ka Bang Mahalin (1984),Room 69 (1984) andBulaklak ng City Jail (1984). She was known as the antagonist Valentina inDarna movies.

Rodriguez went on an acting hiatus twice, first in the 1960s, when she worked as a fashion model in Europe,^[4] and in the 1980s and 1990s, when she resettled in the United States and at one point, took on two jobs simultaneously.^[5]

In 1999-2001 she starred in an afternoon drama calledMay Bukas Pa which aired on RPN 9 and IBC-13 and 2002-2003 played Cherie Gil's mother again inBituin as Dona Virginia Gaston. Since 2004, she has starred in numerous television shows for GMA-7's and in two more incarnations of Darnas as the main villain. She was included in theGMA Network TV sitcomWho's Your Daddy Now? (2007) and the romantic-comedy seriesI Heart You, Pare! (2011) starringDingdong Dantes andRegine Velasquez. In 2013, she returned to afternoon television in the highly acclaimedMagkano Ba ang Pag-ibig? withMaryo J. de los Reyes at the helm.

Rodriguez is unmarried but has three children from previous relationships, one of whom, Jackie, was her daughter with a doctor and died from an aneurysm in 1995. She describes herself as aborn-again Christian since 1995.^[1][5]

• Celia Rodriguez atIMDb

• 1938 births
• Living people
• People from Sorsogon
• GMA Network (company) people
• Radio Philippines Network personalities
• Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation personalities
• Filipino film actresses
• Bicolano people
• 20th-century Filipino actresses
• 21st-century Filipino actresses
• Filipino television actresses
• Filipino television presenters
• Filipino women television presenters

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Articles needing additional references from April 2024
• All articles needing additional references
• Use Philippine English from June 2023
• All Wikipedia articles written in Philippine English
• Use mdy dates from June 2023
• Articles with hCards