Santos began her career as a child with supporting roles in film. At the age of ten, her first leading role was the title character in the children's television seriesUla, Ang Batang Gubat (1988). Santos became more recognized when she andGladys Reyes starred in thesoap operaMara Clara (1992). Her starring roles in the drama seriesEsperanza (1998),Sa Puso Ko Iingatan Ka (2001), andBasta't Kasama Kita (2003) established her as a leading actress on primetime television. She received critical acclaim for her role as a woman withdissociative identity disorder in the psychological dramaSabel (2004), for which she won a Gawad Urian andGolden Screen Award for Best Actress.
Judy Anne Lumagui Santos was born on May 11, 1978, inManila, Philippines, to Carolina Lumagui (née Fontanela), a bank officer, and Manuel Dayrit Santos, a businessman and proprietor of the now defunct Victoria Supermart inTanay, Rizal.[1][2][3] She has two older siblings: Jeffrey and Jacqueline.[3] The family soon moved toAntipolo, Rizal, where Santos's father worked.[4] In 1986, her parents separated and the children lived with their mother.[3] Three years later, Santos's mother left forToronto, Ontario, to work as apersonal care assistant to provide for her children's needs.[1][3] Santos and her siblings remained in the Philippines and lived with their nanny, Sabina "Binay" Quinatana, with whom she was close growing up,[5][1][6] and moved toQuezon City where she attended elementary and high school.[6]
At the age of eight, Santos began her professional acting career when she made her debut by portraying a minor role in the television seriesKaming Mga Ulila (1986).[7][8] She then unsuccessfully auditioned for the lead role in the soap operaAnna Luna (1989).[7] Her career prospects improved when she was cast by director Argel Joseph, with whom she worked with inKaming Mga Ulila, to play theeponymous character in the children's television seriesUla, Ang Batang Gubat (1988).[7][9] She later appeared in several supporting roles in films, includingImpaktita (1989),Regal Shocker: The Movie (1989), andDyesebel (1990).[10]
Santos began her career performing as a child on film and television. Her first screen appearance was in a supporting role in the drama seriesKaming Mga Ulila (1986) and she made her film debut with a minor role inSana Mahalin Mo Rin Ako (1988), appearing alongsideNora Aunor andTirso Cruz III.[11] At age ten, Santos had her first leading role as the eponymous character in the children's television seriesUla, Ang Batang Gubat (1988).[12]
Santos's breakthrough came when she starred oppositeGladys Reyes inMara Clara (1992),[13] a show that aired until 1997, and is one of the longest-running Filipino television series.[14] Santos reprised her role in the1996 film adaptation and won the German Moreno Youth Achievement Award and Best New Movie Actress at theFAMAS Awards for her performance.[15] That year, she starred in the teen seriesGimik (1996) as part of an ensemble cast that includedMarvin Agustin,Mylene Dizon,Diether Ocampo, andG. Toengi.[16] After beingtypecast for previously playing impoverished roles, Santos struggled portraying the role of a socialite in the show.[16] "It's totally out of my comfort zone. Everything about Dianne inGimik is not me," she said.[16] The following year, Santos left the series and had a reduced role in its1999 film adaptation.[16]
In 2000, Santos was cast alongsideLeandro Muñoz andPiolo Pascual in the romantic dramaKahit Isang Saglit (2000).[25] Pascual was in three releases with Santos from 2001 to 2003. In the first, she played the wife of Pascual's character in the television drama seriesSa Puso Ko Iingatan Ka (2001).[26] Santos trained in boxing for her role in theBoots Plata-directed romantic comedyBakit 'Di Totohanin (2001).[27][28] She then starred inJoyce Bernal's comedyTill There Was You (2003) as a woman hired by a single father to pose as his wife.[29][30] That same year, she appeared in the police procedural seriesBasta't Kasama Kita oppositeRobin Padilla as a lawyer who gives up on her career to enlist as aNational Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agent,[31] which she found a "welcome change" from soap operas.[32]
2004–2007: Transition into adult roles and critical success
"As she continued to immerse in the difficult metamorphoses of her character, I realized how hard-working this young talent was, and how much justifiable pride she manifested in a job well done ... If ever, and if only, unapologetically transgressive women characters become a staple in local fiction, Santos' performance will serve as yardstick not because she was first, but because she made it memorable."
Joel Lamangan cast Santos as a woman withdissociative identity disorder in the psychological dramaSabel (2004),[34][35] whose script she found risky but necessary for artistic growth.[36] The film required her to perform explicit sex scenes with co-starsWendell Ramos andSunshine Dizon.[36][35] Santos's performance garnered critical acclaim;The Philippine Star described her portrayal as "multi-layered" and "one of the most complex female characters ever created for a Philippine film".[37] Johven Velasco fromThe Manila Times praised Santos for challenging traditional gender roles of women and called the film the "turning point of her career".[38] She won Best Actress at theGawad Urian andGolden Screen Awards for the film.[39] Santos next starred as the title character in the superhero seriesKrystala (2004). She considered the role to be a "childhood dream fulfilled",[40] and trained inwushu andMuay Thai to prepare.[41] Santos earned aStar Award for Best Actress for the series.[42] Santos and Lamangan reunited in the period dramaAishite Imasu 1941: Mahal Kita playing a widow who becomes aguerilla leader.[43][44] Santos said in regards to her decision to take up adult roles, "It was part of [my] desire to mature as an actor, to grow, and to establish my identity and versatility in the public's mind."[44] Reviews of the film were mixed: Gibbs Cadiz from thePhilippine Daily Inquirer criticized its "narrative incoherence and shockingly flippant grasp of history",[45] butRina Jimenez-David commended Santos for leaving her comfort zone with her role inSabel.[44] Santos received a Metro Manila Film Festival nomination for the film.[46][19]
After a one-year absence on screen, Santos appeared in three productions in 2006. Her first release wasDon't Give Up on Us, a romantic drama set inBaguio andSagada that reunited her with Bernal and Pascual.[47] Rito Asilo of thePhilippine Daily Inquirer lauded Santos's growth in acting versatility and comedy,[47] while Butch Francisco fromThe Philippine Star asserted that "more than the romance and this wonderful lecture on life... it is her [Santos] acting discipline that helps make this film succeed as a light romantic drama."[48] She returned to television in the drama seriesSa Piling Mo.[49] Santos's final release,Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo, ranks among the most acclaimed of her career.[50][51][52] InJose Javier Reyes's comedy drama, she starred oppositeRyan Agoncillo as the outspoken wife of Agoncillo's character, and the problems that arise as she interacts with her family and in-laws.[50] CriticNestor Torre Jr. wrote that Santos gave a "gutsy and felt performance",[50] while Asilo praised her "honest-to-goodness portrayal", and said the film "strikes the appropriate emotional tone even as they juggle comedy and light drama".[51] The film became her biggest commercial success to date, earning₱140million (US$2.6million) at the box office.[53][52] Santos was awarded the FAMAS,Golden Screen,Luna,Metro Manila Film Festival, andStar Award for Best Actress.[54]
To prepare for her role as a vindictive chef inYsabella (2007),[16] Santos took a four-month culinary course at theCenter for Asian Culinary Studies.[55] Santos said working on the show helped "hone her skills in these two fields" and proved that she "can also do something aside from acting".[55] She was later cast inTopel Lee's horror thrillerOuija (2007) alongsideJolina Magdangal,Iza Calzado, andRhian Ramos.[56] The film was met with mixed reviews; Philip Cu-Unjieng ofThe Philippine Star wrote, "There is nothing earth-shaking in the treatment of the material or the performances he [Lee] elicits from the ensemble."[57] Jocelyn Dimaculangan, however, noted Santos's "restrained performance".[56] Her final appearance that year was in the comedy dramaSakal, Sakali, Saklolo, the sequel toKasal, Kasali, Kasalo. The response from critics was overwhelmingly negative; thePhilippine Daily Inquirer's Nestor Torre Jr. dismissed the film for its "thrice-told plots and exhausted stellar performances",[58] while Asilo stated that it "meanders into a list of issues that eventually clutter up its exposition and focus".[59] Despite poor critical reception, the film grossed₱122million (US$2.3million) at the box office.[53][60]
Santos co-produced and starred in the independent dramaPloning (2008), which wasthe Philippine submission forBest Foreign Language Film at the81st Academy Awards.[61][62] Jimenez-David wrote that her performance showed "maturity and ripeness, a depth of character that hints at a life lived fully and well", and described the film as "moving, dazzling, and yet intimate and comforting".[63] Santos said she considered taking the part as a "start of a new chapter" in her career.[64] The film was screened at thePalm Springs International Film Festival,[65]Newport Beach Film Festival,[66] andChristopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center in the United States.[67] Santos's next role in 2008 was inJun Lana's psychological horror thrillerMag-ingat Ka Sa... Kulam as a woman who questions her own sanity after a car accident leaves her with amnesia.[68] Critic Karen Caliwara commended Santos's "versatility" and considered her to be the film's prime asset.[69] In 2009, Santos worked with Agoncillo and Javier Reyes for the third time in the sitcomGeorge and Cecil,[70] which explored a reversal of gender roles as Santos played a police officer married to a stay-at-home husband.[70] Her only film appearance that year was inOMG (Oh, My Girl!).[71]
Santos starred as nurse Jane Alcantara inHabang May Buhay, which premiered in February 2010.[16] The role won her aKBP Golden Dove Award for Best Actress.[72] She next appeared in the comedyHating Kapatid.[73] Leah Salterio ofThe Philippine Star wrote, "Judy Ann, of course, is better known for her dramatic prowess. Of late, however, it is her comic starrers that delivered the dough."[73] In 2011, Santos served as a presenter in the reality television seriesJunior MasterChef Pinoy Edition.[74] Her first venture outside of acting, Santos said: "I'm the one to balance [the chefs'] emotions. We don't want to hurt their feelings but we also need to be honest when it comes to the taste of their dishes. When they're about to cry, I have to be strong and raise their spirits. You have to be ready with words of encouragement for them."[74][75] That same year, she starred inMy House Husband: Ikaw Na!.[76]
In 2012, Santos collaborated with Javier Reyes inMga Mumunting Lihim with Iza Calzado,Janice de Belen, andAgot Isidro.[77] She summarized her experience doing the film as "very liberating":[78] "Making an indie film gives you some sort of freedom... you can just let it all out... all of a sudden you have the permission to do anything you want."[78] The film premiered at the8th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival and she was jointly awarded Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress with Calzado, de Belen, and Isidro.[79] Santos then returned as a presenter on the first season ofMasterChef Pinoy Edition, which premiered in November 2012.[80] The following month, she co-starred withVic Sotto andBong Revilla Jr. inSi Agimat, si Enteng Kabisote at si Ako.[81] Santos began 2013 with the drama seriesHuwag Ka Lang Mawawala playing an abused wife seeking revenge.[82][83] Nestor Torre Jr. from thePhilippine Daily Inquirer dismissed her performance as "too melodramatically achieved, and at times [Santos's] assumption of vengeful power... was too easily pulled off", concluding that the "key thematic intention of female empowerment wasn't sufficiently earned on a realistic level".[83] In October 2013, Santos hostedBet on Your Baby, based on the original American show of the same name.[84]
In 2014, Santos was cast in the supernatural horrorT'yanak, an abridged retelling of Lore Reyes andPeque Gallaga's1988 film of the same name, in which she played an adoptive mother to ademonic infant.[85] An admirer of the directors' work, she considered the film "a dream come true".[86] Production of the film was completed in eight days and it premiered at the Sineng Pambansa Horror Plus Film Festival.[87][88] Gallaga said, "Every time she went before the camera, she surprised me. I am amazed by her ability to easily cry."[89] That year, she returned to television as a presenter inI Do.[90]
Santos did not make any screen appearances in 2015, but returned inKusina, an independent film directed by David Corpuz and Cenon Palomares in 2016.[91] It was adapted from Palomares'sPalanca Award-winning script, and premiered at the12th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival.[91] The film and Santos's performance garnered critical acclaim; Ricky Calderon fromThe Philippine Star wrote, "Santos delivers a knockout performance... we can't think of any other actress to play the role", and praised the film for its "use of daring dramatic license and minimalist theatrical devices".[91] Film critic Mari-An Santos lauded the "gentle storytelling approach associated with theater", and asserted that "this is not soap opera television acting, it is convincing method acting".[92] Two years later, Santos starred inAng Dalawang Mrs. Reyes (2018), which grossed₱120million (US$2.2million) at the box office.[93]
The novelty of playing a villainous part drew Santos to play Teresa Dichaves inStarla (2019).[94][95][96] Despite her character's actions, Santos played the part to make Teresa seem "sympathetic" and "selfless".[97] The series aired from October 7, 2019, to January 10, 2020.[98][96] Santos's second role in 2019 was inBrillante Mendoza's war dramaMindanao. The film premiered at the24th Busan International Film Festival.[99] Although the response to the film was mixed, critics were highly appreciative of Santos's performance; theScreen International wrote, "This is not a film which leaves any emotional button unpushed... [but] throughout all this, Santos retains grace and dignity with a performance which is a class apart from the rest of the picture."[100]SunStar Davao felt that the film lacked "depth and cultural nuance" and criticized Mendoza's misrepresentation and unfamiliarity of the region's ethnic groups.[101] In contrast, Jessica Kiang fromVariety highlighted Santos's "de-glammed, gently anguished, remarkably sympathetic performance", and called the film "well acted but clumsy".[102]Mindanao was submitted for consideration at the91st Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film.[103] The role won Santos the Best Actress award from theCairo International Film Festival,[104]Metro Manila Film Festival,[105] andLuna Awards.[106] In 2020, Santos hostedPaano Kita Mapasasalamatan.[107]
Santos will collaborate withErik Matti on two projects. These will be a biopic ofRegal Entertainment founderLily Monteverde, and a remake of the French comedy seriesCall My Agent!, which co-starsEdu Manzano,Gina Alajar, andRK Bagatsing.[108][109] She will feature alongsideSam Milby in Rayhan Carlos's horror filmThe Diary of Mrs. Winters, about a trauma cleaner who is troubled by unexplained events after finding a suicide victim's diary.[110] Santos is also attached to star as a fictionalPhilippine President who is the target of an assassination plot in the upcoming eight-part crime thriller miniseriesThe Bagman.[111][112]
Santos has been regarded as one of the most talented and accomplished Filipino actresses of her generation.[113][114] Having appeared in more than 50 films and numerous television series since her career began as a child actress, a journalist fromThe Philippine Star believes that Santos "can lay claim to one of the most successful entertainment careers in local tinsel town".[115] She is noted for playing in a range of material,[116] including indie films,[117] and Brillante Mendoza, who directed Santos inMindanao, praised her versatility.[118] The stardom she achieved in the early 1990s intensified her image as a teen idol,[119] from which she sought to dissociate herself.[35] Santos took risks by starring in unconventional projects likeSabel.[35] Lamangan called her performance one of her "finest and most accomplished", whileThe Philippine Star wrote of her transition to adult roles, "[Santos] can bid those light-as-froth, boring-to-death roles good riddance".[35]
Early in her career, Santos was particularly known for playing oppressed and impoverished women, and specialized in "martyred characters".[16][115] She is also noted for her ability to "cry on cue",[120][121] often asking directors how they want her to specifically cry.[2] Journalist Rose Fausto wrote that she "possesses an advanced skill in crying and acting out emotions effectively in dramatic scenes because she has a wealth of experience to draw from".[2] Gallaga described Santos's vulnerability saying, "It's easy for [her] to cry... sometimes, even before the camera starts rolling... so what she does is blank out her mind and wait for the take."[89] Journalist Chez Ganal wrote that "[w]ithout benefit of a scene partner, [she] had to expose a variety of emotions... she also didn't have help from dramatic monologues and confrontation scenes."[116] He described Santos's ability to subtly "blend into the scene and not stand out" a test of her "range and control".[116] Commenting on her comedic performances, Asilo praised her ability to "get off the beaten track", and called it a "brave and bold decision that evinces growth and maturity".[122] "Making people laugh is a special skill that requires an idiosyncratic combination of innate talent and time-honed experience", he says, "but [Santos's] spot-on characterization and lived-in earnestness manage to see her through".[122] Nestor Torre Jr., also of thePhilippine Daily Inquirer, described her foray into comedy as "gutsy".[50]
As a frequent collaborator, Piolo Pascual has said working with Santos was a critical breakthrough for him.[123] Dennis Trillo, her co-star inAishite Imasu 1941: Mahal Kita andMag-ingat Ka Sa... Kulam, considers Santos to be "the picture of excellence in the profession",[124] and Iza Calzado, with whom she worked with inOuija andMga Mumunting Lihim, believes that she is a "naturally gifted" actress and her "eyes alone express emotions".[125] Javier Reyes said that "[s]he is in a league all her own. They don't make actresses like her anymore. Give her a phonebook to read and she will deliver an award-worthy, original performance."[126]
Santos has established a career as a chef,restaurateur and cookbook author.[130] In the early 2000s, she became involved in the restaurant business and purchased Kaffe Kilimanjaro and Kaffe Carabana inDiliman, Quezon City, both of which eventually closed.[131][132]
Santos's first book,Judy Ann's Kitchen, was published in August 2015 as a collaboration withAnvil Publishing andNational Book Store.[130] It was described by Ruel De Vera of thePhilippine Daily Inquirer as "recipes ranging from interesting comfort food to more complicated dishes", and added that "[i]t doesn't simply present itself as a book for would-be cooks. The book's inside back cover flap identifies the author as wife, homemaker, actress and mom, and beyond the recipes, the book reflects this by design and content."[133] Santos's passion for cooking comes from her experience as a child actress being around caterers[130] and later from her decision to attend culinary school.[133] "There's something about preparing meals for the people who matter in your life... You can show your love and care for them by simply sharing the food you prepared... I see that good food can put smiles on their faces, and I consider it an accomplishment that I am able to make people happy with the food that I cook", she said.[133] In 2016, the book received the Gourmand International's Cookbook Award for Best Authors and Chefs Outside Europe.[134] The following year, Santos launched a namesake cooking show onYouTube.[135]
Santos is married to Ryan Agoncillo.[141] They began dating in 2004 after meeting on the set ofKrystala, and became engaged in May 2008.[141] They married in a private ceremony held inSan Juan, Batangas, on April 28, 2009,[142] and currently reside in Alabang, Muntinlupa.[143] The couple have three children: Johanna Louise,[144] Juan Luis,[145] and Juana Luisa.[146]
In 2006, Santos received a star on thePhilippines Walk of Fame.[19] She was namedYes! magazine's Most Beautiful Star in 2007 and has been included in the annual beauty list in 2008, 2009, and 2018.[147] In October 2008,Yes! ranked her sixth on the magazine's top celebrity endorsers list.[148]
Santos has been named Best Actress at the Cairo International Film Festival forMindanao (2019).[104] For her role inKasal, Kasali, Kasalo (2006), she was awarded the FAMAS, Golden Screen, Luna, Metro Manila Film Festival, and Star Award for Best Actress. She has received a Gawad Urian and another Golden Screen award for her performance inSabel (2004).[39] In addition, for her leading roles on television, she has garnered a Star Award forKrystala (2004) and a KBP Golden Dove Award forHabang May Buhay (2010).[42][72]
^Santiago, Erwin (January 17, 2009).""Ploning" fails in its Oscar bid". Philippine Entertainment Portal.Archived from the original on February 27, 2022. RetrievedFebruary 27, 2022.
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Judy Ann Santos talking to CNN Philippines on filmingMindanao, published December 19, 2019
