Gloria Romero on screen and stage

Gloria Romero (December 16, 1933 – January 25, 2025) was an American-born Filipino actress who appeared in around 300 film and television productions throughout her career that spanned seven decades. She began appearing as a background actor in the late 1940s until her first major film part in Madame X (1952). Her major breakthrough came later that year with starring roles in Monghita and Palasig. She steadily gained fame and success in the succeeding years and expanded her work to radio and theater. According to St. Petersburg Times, her films during the first Golden Age of Philippine cinema were all commercially successful throughout Asia.^[1]

From 1950s to 1960s, Romero achieved great success at the box-office through her starring roles in romantic comedies, films based on comic strips and remakes of pre-war musical films: Cofradia (1953), Pilya (1954), Musikong Bumbong (1954), Dalagang Ilocana, where she won the FAMAS Award for Best Actress, Kurdapya (both in 1954), Despatsodora (1955), Mariposa (1955), Vacacionista (1956), Miss Tilapya (1956), Hongkong Holiday (1957), Sino ang Maysala?, which was the highest grossing film of 1957 in the Philippines,^[2] Paru-parong Bukid (1957), Alaalang Banal (1958) and Ikaw Ang Aking Buhay (1959) for which she earned FAMAS Award for Best Actress nominations, Hani-hanimun (1961), Iginuhit ng Tadhana (1965), and Pinagbuklod ng Langit (1969).

She continued playing lead and supporting roles of varying genres in the following years: For You, Mama (1970), Lumuha Pati Mga Anghel, Nardong Putik (both in 1972), Lipad, Darna, Lipad!, Pepeng Agimat (both in 1973), Karugtong ang Kahapon (1975), Sakada (1976), Gaano Kadalas ang Minsan? (1982) and Exploitation (1983). She received critical praise for her performances in Condemned (1984), Saan Nagtatago ang Pag-ibig? (1987), Nagbabagang Luha (1988) and Bilangin ang Bituin sa Langit (1989). In 1987, she ventured television through the sitcom Palibhasa Lalake and simultaneously appeared in a number of film and television productions in the 1990s, such as Familia Zaragoza (1996) and Labs Ko Si Babe (1999).

Romero's career saw a resurgence in the early 2000s with starring roles in the blockbusters Tanging Yaman (2000) and Bahay ni Lola (2001). She began appearing more often in a number of television series in the succeeding years and earned recognition for her roles in I Think I'm in Love (2002), Magnifico (2003), Fuchsia (2009), Tarima (2010) and Rainbow's Sunset (2018), where she won Best Actress at the International Film Festival Manhattan and Metro Manila Film Festival.^[3] From 2017 to 2020, she presented the fantasy anthology Daig Kayo ng Lola Ko. The films she appeared in have reportedly generated billions throughout her career, making her one of the highest grossing box office stars of all time.^[4][5]