Glaiza de Castro

Glaiza Castro Galura-Rainey (born January 21, 1988), known by her stage name Glaiza de Castro, is a Filipino actress, recording artist and advocate. She is recognized as the industry's "''Drama Royalty''" for her acting prowess and versatility.

Regarded as an acclaimed actress, she won "Best Actress" at the 37th Film Academy of the Philippines Luna Awards. She has also earned multiple nominations at the prestigious FAMAS Awards & Gawad Urian Awards. In 2016, de Castro won her first acting award as the "Teleserye Actress of the Year" at the 3rd PEP List Awards. In 2017, she was honored with a Gawad Filipino's Media People's Choice Award for being an advocate for women's rights. The following year, de Castro has once again won "Best Actress in a TV Series" at the 8th EdukCircle Awards. In 2019, she bagged another "Best Film Actress" award at the 5th Platinum Stallion Media Awards.

In 2021, she received the "Best Film Award" for her movie “''Midnight in a Perfect World''” in Italy, which also became the top-selling film of QCinema International Film Festival. As a recording artist, she has released four studio albums with "Synthesis" achieving Gold certification from PARI, becoming the first artist under ''Homework Music'' to achieve this. She is best known for her performances in Temptation of Wife, Stairway to Heaven, Contessa and Encantadia.

Acting career

Early career: minor roles on television and in movies (2002–2006)

De Castro began her career with GMA Network playing a minor role in the soap opera '' Ikaw Lang Ang Mamahalin''. However, after only a few months with the company, she transferred to rival network ABS-CBN and became a contract artist of Star Magic, the company's training ground for young talent. During her time in ABS-CBN, she continued to play both supporting and minor roles, two of the most prominent being the role of Halley in the teen-oriented show, '' Berks''.

Between 2002 and 2005, she would only appear in films sporadically, playing bit parts in movies such as ''Singsing ni Lola'' (2002) and ''Miss Pinoy'' (2005). By 2006, she began to appear in films more frequently, with minor parts in the horror films '' Sukob'' and '' White Lady'', as well as the Manny Pacquiao biographical film, '' Pacquiao: The Movie''. Her most prominent film role during this point in her career was in the film adaptation of Carlo Vergara's graphic novel, ''Zsazsa Zaturnnah''; the film was an entry to the 2006 Metro Manila Film Festival.

Return to GMA Network and breakout roles (2006–2008)

After four years with ABS-CBN, de Castro returned to her home network, GMA Network in 2006. One of her first roles back was as Honey on the fantasy-adventure series, ''Fantastikids'', where she starred alongside Marky Cielo, Jackie Rice and Ryza Cenon, as well as former child star Paolo Contis and former beauty queen Melanie Marquez. The reception to the show was mostly warm; journalist Paul Daza of ''The Philippine Daily Inquirer'' compared it favorably to its counterpart on ABS-CBN (fantasy-drama anthology ''Komiks''), and commented that, based on ratings, "it would seem like the new MA-7stars are outshining the more established BS-CBNperformers." At this time, she also performed regularly on GMA's regular Sunday variety show, '' SOP Rules''.

In 2007, De Castro appeared in the afternoon teen drama '' Boys Nxt Door''. The series has been dubbed in Malay on the Malaysian channel 8TV and became the first Filipino drama to air in South Korea, via KBS2. The second role was in the 2007 action-adventure series, '' Asian Treasures'', GMA-7's most expensive show to date. De Castro played Clara, an expert on history and geography who would use this knowledge to help the main characters find the titular treasures.

2007 also saw her featured prominently in the independent film ''Still Life'', a film written and directed by Katski Flores, about an artist stricken with a terminal illness who has traveled to an isolated island to paint his last work. In the film, de Castro plays Emma, a woman who relates her past to the main character. Her portrayal of Emma was noted by film critic Tito Valiente of ''Business Mirror'' as "one reason the short life on that island becomes very real." Valiente went on to note that de Castro's character was "vulnerable but not whiny. Even in tears she conjures an image of a woman whose only way out of life is finding life in anything." The film was a finalist at that year's Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, where De Castro received a Golden Screen Awards nomination in the Best Actress category. She also played a supporting role that year in the romantic film ''Batanes'', alongside top GMA actress Iza Calzado, Taiwanese singer-actor Ken Chu, and Marky Cielo. The following year, 2008, she started shooting another independent film, ''Rakenrol''. The film is based on director Quark Henares' views on growing up in the local rock scene, as well as his own personal experiences in starting a band. De Castro described the film, which was still in production as of March 2009,

as "a lighter version of '' Almost Famous'' and "a fun, feel-good movie".

In 2008, she played the lead role in the television adaptation of the 1991 film, '' Kaputol ng Isang Awit''. In the series, De Castro played Sarah Monteza a poor girl with a good voice but low self-esteem. De Castro herself would later go on to say that the role was her "biggest break" thus far.

Career resurgence (2009–present)

After another supporting role in the television adaptation of comic-book writer Carlo J. Caparas' graphic novel '' Gagambino'', De Castro once again landed a lead role on another television adaptation of a Filipino film, '' Kung Aagawin Mo ang Lahat sa Akin'' opposite Patrick Garcia, Maxene Magalona, Jackie Rice and JC Tiuseco. In the series she played Gladys Andrada (a role originated by co-star Jackie Lou Blanco), the jealous, only biological child of Gilbert (played by Nonie Buencamino) and Clara Andrada (played by Blanco). Her portrayal was well-received; columnist Jason John Lim commented that while she knew she was breaking out of her comfort zone, "What she didn't know that she would also begin breaking the expectations of everybody."

Right after ''Kung Aagawin Mo ang Lahat sa Akin'', she played another supporting role on an episode of the drama anthology SRO Cinemaserye, which chronicled the life story of singer Eva Castillo (portrayed in this episode by Manilyn Reynes). Shortly thereafter, she landed another role in the Philippine remake of the widely popular Korean television drama, ''Stairway to Heaven'', alongside Dingdong Dantes, Rhian Ramos and TJ Trinidad. She portrayed Eunice Manansala (serving as the counterpart for Han Yoori, played by actress Kim Tae-hee), the envious stepsister of Jodi Reyes (played by Rhian Ramos). To prepare for the role, de Castro watched the original series in order to attempt to get an idea of who her character was as a person. De Castro also commented on the relative complexity of her character in this series compared to her character in ''Kung Aagawin Mo Ang Lahat Sa Akin'': "Unlike my previous role, you don't know what is going on inside the mind of Eunice. What's going inside her head is really devious. She is subtle in her approach and very scheming... Despite being evil, she still has a heart and there's a reason she became a bad person. If she is stepping down on people, she is also being stepped on by other people. She also has to fulfill her needs and wants and she will do everything for the person she loves." As with her two previous major roles, her portrayal was also well received by critics; Jerry Donato of ''The Philippine Star'', in particular, has gone so far to say that "So far, Glaiza has given her Korean counterpart a run for her money."

In 2009, de Castro appeared in five films. In the first, the independent political thriller ''Bente''she replaced former '' StarStruck'' contestant and fellow GMA star Jewel Mische when the latter refused to film a sex scene she considered "beyond ermoral standards" as directed by Mel Chionglo. The film was released in June 2009 and received mixed reviews, with Rito Asilo of the ''Philippine Daily Inquirer'' citing its thematic substance and Gomez's and Calzado's "insightful performances", while also going on to blast the film's "disparate stories", "incohesive feel and style", and sudden ending "in a convenient anticlimax".

The second film was the horror movie ''Tarot'', released on August 26. The film, about a girl who is able to predict the future through the use of tarot cards, was directed by Jun Lana and was top-billed by Marian Rivera and Dennis Trillo.

A third film, ''Ang Manghuhula'', was released commercially in September (it had been shown at the Cinemanila International Film Festival the previous year). The film was directed by Paolo Herras and saw de Castro playing the daughter of Messina (played by Eula Valdez), a seer. The production was received warmly, with Noelani Torre of the ''Philippine Daily Inquirer'' noting its "fascinating subject matter", "colorful cast" and "visual richness and clarity".

The fourth film de Castro starred in that year was the independent film ''Astig'' (international title: ''Squalor'') alongside Sid Lucero, Edgar Allan Guzman, Arnold Reyes and Dennis Trillo (who also directed the film). In ''Astig'', de Castro playing Elgine, a teenager afflicted with a sexually transmitted disease who eventually becomes the love interest of Trillo's character. The film, released in July of that year, was a critical and financial success, topping the box office in that year's Cinemalaya Film Festival, with a profit of P137,890.00. Darwin Chiong of GMANews.tv called the film's cinematography "remarkable" and praised the cast as a whole, saying, "The movie gathers an ensemble of actors that deliver in the acting department, even those in supporting roles like Glaiza de Castro and Malou Crisologo." Her performance in this film earned her a nomination in the Best Supporting Actress Category at the 33rd Gawad Urian Awards.

The fifth film was the sixth film under the '' Mano Po'' banner, subtitled ''A Mother's Love''. The film, directed by Joel Lamangan and top-billed by Sharon Cuneta, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Heart Evangelista and Dennis Trillo, saw de Castro playing a younger version of Cuneta's character, Melinda Uy. The film was released on December 25 and was an entry to that year's annual Metro Manila Film Festival.

Her first project on GMA for 2010 was in another villain role in what was billed as the Philippines' first musical, comedy-drama series, ''Diva'', which debuted on GMA Network on March 1, 2010 and ended on July 30 of that year. The show, which also starred Regine Velasquez, Mark Anthony Fernandez, TJ Trinidad and singer Jaya and is partly based on the American movie trilogy ''High School Musical'' and the American television series ''Glee'', saw de Castro playing the ambitious Tiffany, who is Lady's (Rufa Mae Quinto