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Charito Solís
Solis' portrait at theMowelfund Plaza
Born	Rosario Violeta Solís Hernández (1935-10-06)October 6, 1935 Tondo, Manila,Philippine Islands
Died	January 9, 1998(1998-01-09) (aged 62) Calamba, Laguna, Philippines
Resting place	Manila Memorial Park,Parañaque,Metro Manila
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1955–1998

Charito Solís (bornRosario Violeta Hernández Solís; October 6, 1935 – January 9, 1998) was a Filipino actress whose career spanned over four decades. She was a top-billed actress for over two and a half decades, becoming the leading dramatic actress of the 1960s and the 1970s. Her accolades includes an Asian Film Festival Award, sevenFAMAS Awards, threeGawad Urian, aLuna Award, and threeMetro Manila Film Festival Awards.

Rosario Violeta Solís Hernández was born in Manila. At age 19, she was introduced by her uncle, the film director F. H. Constantino toDoña Narcisa de León, the head ofLVN Pictures,^[1] who cast her to star in her initial filmNiña Bonita,^[1] an adaptation ofFrank Capra'sIt Happened One Night. The film was a success, and marked the beginning of Solís' 43-year career in film, lasting until her death. Solís died on January 9, 1998, inCalamba from cardiac arrest. She was buried atManila Memorial Park inParañaque.

Solis first appeared in the romantic comedyNiña Bonita (1955), an adaptation ofFrank Capra'sIt Happened One Night, oppositeJaime de la Rosa.^[2] Shot on location at the campus ofUniversity of the Philippines, she next starred opposite Leroy Salvador in the romantic musicalCharito, I Love You (1956). The following year, Solis starred inKrisalis which became a box-office success.^[3] The same year, she received her firstFAMAS Award for Best Actress nomination for her role in the romantic dramaUlilang Bituin oppositeMario Montenegro.^[4] In 1958, Solis next appeared in the family dramaMalvarosa. The film competed at the Asian Film Festival, earning her international acclaim after receiving a nomination for Best Actress.^[5] She appeared in two more motion pictures later that year,Villa Milagrosa andRose Tattoo ng Buhay Ko.^[6] The next two years were banners ones for Solis, winning the FAMAS Award for Best Actress for her roles inKundiman ng Lahi andEmily.^[7] During this period, she also began appearing in several international productions. Solis starred as the wife ofGautama Buddha in the Japanese historical epic,Buddha (1961).^[8] The following year, she starred in another Japanese filmThe Princess and I oppositeKojiro Hongo.^[9][10]

Following the closure ofLVN Pictures, Solis became a freelancer and starred in numerous films for other major film outfits. In 1962, she next starred oppositePancho Magalona in the period dramaEl Filibusterismo, based on the1891 novel of the same name, byJosé Rizal.^[11] The following year, Solis starred in two major productions. She was handpicked to star as the titular role in the romantic dramaAngustia.^[5][12] Later that year, she played three leading identical characters, each as wife, hostess, and nympho, in the dramaTatlong Mukha ni Pandora.^[13] For her performance, she received two FAMAS Award for Best Actress nominations for her roles in each of the films, winning one forAngustia.^[5]

Solis next starred opposite three leading men,Vic Vargas, Edgar Salcedo, andRamil Rodriguez in the romantic dramaMga Pag-ibig ni Christine.^[14] She also appeared in three more productions later that year,Ang Tao ay Makasalanan,Kapag Langit ang Umusig andClaudia.^[15][16] Also in 1966, Solis ventured television through the self-titled drama anthologyThe Charito Solis Show underABS-CBN.^[17]

Solis reportedly signed a million-peso five year contract with Nepomuceno Productions.^[18] She starred opposite Ric Rodrigo in the romantic dramaDahil sa Isang Bulaklak in 1967 under Nepomuceno Productions. The film was a commercial success and was shown at theManila Grand Opera House for several months, marking the revival of the production company.^[19] The film was reportedly produced for ₱500,000 and has earned Solis critical acclaim, withLos Angeles Times calling her the "number one star of the Philippine cinema".^[20] The film was also selected as the country’s official entry at the40th Academy Awards, but fell short of being nominated.^[21] Despite this, Solis and Luis Nepomuceno were invited at the ceremony, becoming the first Filipino artists to attend the award ceremony.

The following year, Solis starred opposite American actorsJames Shigeta,Alex Nicol, andJohn Ashley in the war filmManila, Open City.^[22] She next starred as an Igorot maiden inIgorota. The film gave Solis her fourth FAMAS Award for Best Actress win.^[14][23] In 1969, she starred in the melodramaAng Pulubi, which was competed at theManila Film Festival, earning her another best actress win.^[24] The following year, Solis played the innocent turned bandit leader in the action dramaThe Hunted.^[25]

Solis returned to television through the weekly drama anthologyObra Maestra.^[26] She worked closely with the director of the series, Nick Lizaso and went through each of the sequence of the script.^[17] She next starred in the drama filmAraw-araw, Gabi-gabi, which was competed at the first everMetro Manila Film Festival, where she won Best Actress.^[27][24] Solis appeared in two drama productions the following year. She starred oppositeChristopher de Leon in the romantic dramaMrs. Teresa Abad Ako Po si Bing, and in the dramaHindi Kami Damong Ligaw.^[28][29] Solis next starred in the romantic dramaWalang Katapusang Tag-araw, alongsideEddie Garcia andMat Ranillo III. Under the direction ofIshmael Bernal, the film was competed at thethird Metro Manila Film Festival.^[30]

In 1979, Lino Brocka cast Solis as Paula in the staging ofLarawan, which was based onNick Joaquin’sA Portrait of the Artist as Filipino. Held at the Dulaang Raha Sulayman,Fort Santiago, she was joined byLolita Rodriguez andPhilip Salvador.^[31] Brocka cast both Solis and Rodriguez later that year in the family dramaIna, Kapatid, Anak. For her performance, Solis won theGawad Urian for Best Actress.^[32] For the first time since she began her acting career, Solis was cast in a secondary role in the psychological horrorKisapmata. For her performance, she won Best Supporting Actress at the Gawad Urian andMetro Manila Film Festival, her second trophies in each of the award-giving bodies.^[33]

Solis played Ina Magenta, the queen of the world of enkantasya, in the fantasy sitcom seriesOkay Ka, Fairy Ko!, which also starsVic Sotto. In 1988, Solis appeared in six film productions. She starred withMat Ranillo III, who plays thetitular role, in the religious biographicalLorenzo Ruiz: The Saint... A Filipino. In the early 1990s, Solis reprised her role as Ina Magenta in the film sequelsOkay Ka, Fairy Ko!:The Movie (1991) andOkay Ka, Fairy Ko! II (1992).^[1][34][35]

Solis has been described by numerous publications as the Philippines' "Empress of Drama".^[36][37][38] She was voted fourth inSMagazine's "15 Best Actresses of All Time" list whileYes! magazine and the Directors’ Guild of the Philippines Inc. included her on their list of "15 Best Filipino Actresses of All Time".^[39][40] Solis also achieved international acclaim for her film work. She was the first Filipino actress to topbill an internationally produced Japanese film with the historical epicBuddha (1961) oppositeKojiro Hongo.^[41]

• List of Filipino actresses
• Cinema of the Philippines
• Television in the Philippines
• Golden Age of Philippine cinema

• Garcia, Jessie B. (December 2004).A Movie Album Quizbook. Iloilo City, Philippines: Erehwon Books & Magazine. pp. 146–147, 149.ISBN 971-93297-0-X.
• Mercado, Monina (1977). Doña Sisang and Filipino Movies. Philippines: Vera-Reyes, Inc.

• Charito Solís atIMDb

• 1935 births
• 1998 deaths
• 20th-century Filipino actresses
• Actresses from Manila
• Burials at the Manila Memorial Park – Sucat
• Filipino film actresses
• Filipino people of Spanish descent
• People from Tondo, Manila
• GMA Network (company) people
• ABS-CBN people
• Radio Philippines Network personalities
• Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation personalities
• People's Television Network people
• University of the East alumni

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