Kris Aquino turns 41.
Kris Aquino celebrates her 41st
birthday today. And what better gift can I offer to a star whose
shows I have grown up watching than to write a little tribute to the
life and career of a start that to this day remains unmatched in the
industry. She began as a bankable movie actress in the 1990s,
eventually parlaying her popularity and wits into becoming a
successful talk show and game show host. In the early 2000s, she
emerged as a critically acclaimed actress plus earning the monicker
Horror Queen of Philippine Cinema. She also enjoys considerable
success in the recording and publishing industries, as well as with
her line of kitchen collections.
Happy Birthday, Krissy!
Birth, Childhood and Education
Kristina Bernadette Cojuangco Aquino
was born on Feb. 14, 1972, the youngest daughter of Benigno Aquino,
Jr. and Corazon Cojuangco, scions of powerful and landed families in
Tarlac. Her father was a former senator and presidential aspirant who
was martyred in 1983 at the height of the Marcos Regime. Her mother
was the 11th and first female president of the Republic of
the Philippines, while her brother, Benigno Aquino III was elected
15th president in 2010. Together with her family, she
spent her early years in Boston, where her family was exiled during
the Martial Law era.
Movie Star
After a bloodless revolution that
toppled then-President Ferdinand Marcos and installed her mother as
president, teenager Aquino was put to limelight. Her forays in show
business began with guest stints in talk shows, television dramas,
and comedies. She made her film debut in 1990, where she was cast
opposite comedian Rene Requiestas in the colossally successful comedy
film, Pido Dida. The film was the highest-grossing movie in
the Philippines at the time, breaking existing box-office records
that year. In 1991, she was crowned the country's box-office queen.
The film spawned two successful sequels, Pido Dida: Kasal Na and
Pido Dida: May Kambal Na. She solidified her bankability with
a slew of commercially-successful true-to-life massacre films,
popular during the early 1990s, such as Vizconde Massacre
(1993), The Elsa Castillo Story: Ang Katotohanan, Myrna
Diones Story, and Fatima Buen Story (all 1994), the last
film earning her a Gawad Urian nomination. However, critics panned
her acting as stiff and mechanical. But with her enormous success in
this genre, Aquino was hailed by the press as Massacre Queen.
Talk Show Queen
Aquino's undeniable hosting wit landed
her a talk show in ABS-CBN. In 1996, Today with Kris Aquino was
launched, which went on air weekdays until 2001. The show was the
first interactive talk show in Philippine TV and was touted as the
country's response to America's The Oprah Winfrey Show. In
1999, she joined the Sunday afternoon celebrity talk show The
Buzz, where she co-hosted with Boy Abunda until 2007, when she
took maternity leave. She made her come back in 2008 but eventually
left the show in 2008 after her brother was elected president.
Aquino was also host to several more
talk shows: Morning Girls (2002-2004), Good Morning, Kris
(2004), Boy & Kris (2007-2009), and SNN: Showbiz
News Ngayon (2009-2010). In 2011, Aquino returned to daytime talk
show via KrisTV, a spinoff to
her 1996 talk show.
Forays in Primetime TV
Kris also appeared in a number of top
rating prime time soap operas: Hiram (2004-2005), Sineserye
Presents Panayin sa Sindak si Barbara (2008) and Kung Tayo'y
Magkakalayo (2010).
Award Winning Actress
2002 was a banner year for Aquino's
film career. After a long absence (she made her last film that time
in 1995), she made a successful comeback via the family drama Mano
Po, the first series of the long-running movie franchise. Her
role as a submissive and weak-willed scion of a wealthy Chinese
family earned her Best Supporting Actress awards in the Metro Manila
Film Festival, Pasado Award, PMPC Star Awards for Movies, FAMAS
Award, and KAPPT Award. She also appeared in two more Mano Po
installments, Mano Po 2: My Home (2003) and Mano Po 6:
A Mother's Love (2009).
Horror Queen
In 2004, Kris began starring in a movie
genre where she shines the most—horror. In 2004, she was cast in
Feng Shui, a film that featured Chinese influences and omen,
the country's reply to the wave of Asian horrors that was very
popular in the early 2000s. It earned P137 million, making it the
highest-grossing Filipino movie in 2004. Her success earned her her
second crown as Box-Office Queen. In 2006, she co-starred with
Claudine Barretto in Sukob (2006), which depicted the Filipino
superstition that one should not marry within a year when an
immediate relative dies or gets married. With Sukob, Kris Aquino yet
again broke box-office records—the film grossed a whooping P203
million, the first Filipino film to reach the elusive P200-million
mark as well as the highest-grossing film that time. In 2007, she
shared her third Box-Office Queen crown with Claudine Barretto.
Aquino's succeeding horror flicks were big winners at the box-office
as well. Dalaw (2010), which grossed P125 million, was the
third biggest moneymaker during the 2010 Metro Manila Film Festival,
while Segunda Mano (2011) was earned P126.6 million, earning
the film the second spot during the 2011 Metro Manila Film Festival.
Game Show Queen
In 2001, Kris made her prime time debut
via her first—and most memorable—game show, Game KNB,
where her tagline, “korek,” which she quipped after a contestant
made the right answer, became a popular expression among the
Filipinos to this day. The game show evolved through the years and
many other hosts followed Aquino, although her stint is considered
the “golden era” of Game KNB. Aquino also made impact with
another game show Kapamilya Deal or No Deal, the country's
franchise for the famous American game show. The show's extreme
popularity was the main reason why it was extended for several times
until it had to be ended prior to Aquino's maternity leave. Aquino
also hosted the Philippine version of Wheel of Fortune, Pinoy
Bingo Night, and The Price is Right. She also hosted the
noontime variety show, Pilipinas Win na Win, but had to left
the show after two months per decision of the management.
Celebrity Endorser
Kris is the face of dozens of products.
In fact, her endorsements alone rake her tens of millions of pesos.
Since 2009, she has held the record of being the country's number one
celebrity endorser, lending her name and image to some of the most
recognizable products like Pantene, Olay Total Effects, Maggi Magic
Sarap, Nido, and Safeguard.
Recording Artist
Kris Aquino's inspirational compilation
albums, feature different singers, were also top-selling at the time
of their released. Her five albums, Songs of Love and Healing,
Love and Inspiration, The Greatest Love, Blessings of Love, and
My Heart's Journey, all registered platinum status.
Magazine Editor
In 2007, K Magazine,
where Kris is the Executive Editor, was launched. It contained
snippets of everything about Kris Aquino, her love, family, passion,
and inspiring stories. The magazine remains the biggest selling
celebrity magazine.
K Everyday
In 2009, Kris launched K Everyday in
partnership with ABS-CBN Licensing. The collection showcased cooking
collection, kitchen collection, plastic collection, and stationeries,
each hand-picked by her which she thought are helpful in making
everyday life comfortable.
As the Queen of All-Media graces her
41st year, her star remains shimmering as ever and there's
no sign of stopping.
Personal Life
Aquino was the domestic partner of
actor Philip Salvador. They had a son, Joshua. In 2005 she married
basketball player James Yap. In 2007, she gave birth to a son, James
“Bimby” Aquino Yap, now a highly in-demand child product
endorser. In 2010, she and Yap were separated, their marriage
officially annulled just recently.
