Amy Austria

Esmeralda Dizon Tuazon is the second to the eldest among six children born in 1961 to an impoverished family. She helped the family by selling chewing gum. She studied at the Rajah Soliman High School. She was introduced to the producer Baby Martinez of MBM Productions through a common friend. She was then cast in Bitayin si... Baby Ama? (1976), the film that made a star of Rudy Fernandez. After her second film, Alas (1976), with Jun Aristorenas, she was given minor parts in several other pictures then dropped out of the film industry for almost a year. When she came back in mid-1977, contract star of Jesse Ejercito's Seven Star Productions. She became quite visible in the 1970s, in such films like Dabiana (1977), Miss Dulce Amor, Ina (1978), Atsay (1978), Menor de Edad (1979), Gabun: Ama Mo, Ama Ko (1979), Bedspacers (1979) and Swing It, Baby (1979). After acting in two very relevant films for 1979, Ishmael Bernal's Aliw and Lino Brocka's Jaguar, Austria was finally a lead star in Nang Bumuka Ang Sampaguita (1980). Throughout the first half of the 1980s, Austria became a busy actress: Langis at Tubig (1980), Sugat sa Ugat (1980), Goriong Butete (1980), Tondo Girl (1981), Pusong Uhaw (1982), Waywaya (1982), and May Lamok sa Loob ng Kulambo (1984).

After a three-year hiatus from lead roles, Austria was cast in 1988 for the titular role in Celestina Sanchez, a.k.a. Bubbles – Enforcer: Ativan Gang by director Carlo J. Caparas and his wife, producer Donna Villa. However, Austria was ultimately dissatisfied with how its production was handled, with the film's original 13-day shooting schedule in August extending to December, when it was needed to be screened for the organizing committee of the 1988 Metro Manila Film Festival in order to qualify.^[7] On December 20, 1988, five days before the festival, she filed a lawsuit against Caparas and Villa for injunction and damages after they used another person to dub her voice in the film, while Caparas later testified that she did not appear during the recording session for her character's dialogue in time for the film's committee screening.^[7] Nevertheless, she managed to win the festival award for Best Actress.^[8][9]

In the 1990s and well into the 21st century, she continued to receive acclaim for her supporting performances, such as in The Flor Contemplacion Story (1995), Muro-Ami (1999), Anak (2000), Pagdating ng Panahon (2001), and I Will Always Love You (2006). Anak is her second reunion film with Vilma Santos, after Langis at Tubig and Paano Ba ang Mangarap?.

In the 2000s, Austria came back to acting Via small screen in 2000; she was part of the television drama Pangako sa 'Yo (known in English as The Promise) from 2000 to 2002 on ABS-CBN as Lourdes in 2003, she starred in GMA-7 oriented programs such as Kirara, Ano'ng Kulay ng Pag-ibig?, the fantasy series Mulawin from 2004 to 2005 and its film adaptation. She also made an appearance on another GMA program entitled Narito ang Puso Ko.

In 2006, she returned to ABS-CBN for the television remake of Bituing Walang Ningning, which was extended for another month. She played a new character in the TV series made by novelist and comic creator Nerissa Cabral as an antagonist and mother to Angelika Dela Cruz's lead character Lavina as Barbara Arguelles the stage mother and con artist who has a share of her downfall. The series attained 42% percent high share in television ratings. This was her second screentime with Dela Cruz. Austria accepted another for another Primetime Drama from a classic film and remake Walang Kapalit as a supporting character again from 2008 to 2010. She took a break from offers from TV and film.

In 2011, she accepted the military primetime drama Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin, which aired from March 7, 2011, to August 19, 2011. She took the role with the help from her cousin Lorna Tolentino and reunited her fellow veteran screen actors, such as Boots Anson Roa, Ronaldo Valdez, and Tonton Gutierrez, and John Estrada and her first with Coco Martin, and Maja Salvador and Andi Eigenmann.

In 2012, she starred in Lorenzo's Time with Zaijan Jaranilla, In 2013, she was seen on the lifestyle entertainment talk show Inside the Cinema with Boy Abunda on Cinema One, and in 2014, she became a part of Ikaw Lamang on its second Book as the older version of Kim Chiu's character Isabel with fellow award-winning actors Joel Torre, Rio Locsin, Nonie Buencamino, and Christopher de Leon and also her reunion with Coco Martin, on their second series appearances. In 2015, she was seen in remake of Pangako Sa 'Yo as the adoptive mother of Kathryn Bernardo's character.

After she became part of the primetime television series Halik as the mother of Jericho Rosales' character, Austria returned to GMA Network for One of the Baes and Hearts on Ice, respectively.