Kathryn Bernardo

2003–2011: Early career and breakthrough

Bernardo began acting in 2003, she appeared as the young Cielo in ABS-CBN's It Might Be You. In 2006, she had her first main role in the TV series Super Inggo, playing Maya, the love interest of the main character. Afterwards, she appeared in various ABS-CBN shows, including Krystala and Vietnam Rose, before joining the children sketch comedy show Goin' Bulilit.

As a child actress, Bernardo played the roles of young Victoria in ABS-CBN's Magkaribal and young Jenny in GMA's Endless Love, and both shows premiered on June 28, 2010.^[20]

Her breakthrough role came when she bagged the leading role of Mara David in the remake of 1992 drama series Mara Clara. The series was a smashing hit and solidified her reputation as a rising actress.^[21] Following the success of Mara Clara series, Bernardo starred in the teen-oriented show Growing Up, where she played Ella, a 15-year-old girl living with her single mother.^[22][23]

Bernardo's film career started in 2003 appearing in a cameo role as young lupe in the movie Lupe: A Seaman's Wife. The following year, she was cast in the superhero comedy film Gagamboy and played the role of Tsoknat, directed by Erik Matti. However, she gained wider prominence in the family drama movie Way Back Home directed by Jerry Lopez Sineneng which she starred alongside Mara Clara co-star Julia Montes in 2011.^[24][25] In the same year, she joined the cast in the horror film Shake, Rattle & Roll 13, her performance in the movie was received with positive reviews from critics.^[26][27]

2012–2023: Partnership with Daniel Padilla

After the success of Mara Clara, Bernardo further rose to prominence in the top-rating primetime drama series Princess and I, co-starred alongside Daniel Padilla and Enrique Gil. In the series, she played the titular role of Mikay/Princess Areeyah. The show was notable for being the first Philippine series filmed in Bhutan, earning acclaimed for its grand production.^[28][29] Later that year, Bernardo and Padilla joined the ensemble cast of the romantic-comedy film 24/7 in Love and the comedy-parody film Sisterakas alongside Vice Ganda which was an official entry to 2012 Metro Manila Film Festival.^[30]

Dubbed as KathNiel, their first starring film as a tandem was in the coming-of-age romantic comedy film Must Be... Love, which was released in March 2013.^[31][32] In August of that year, they paired up in the television series Got to Believe, which sustained high ratings in its entire run.^[33] In December 2013, they starred in the horror film Pagpag which was an entry to the 39th Metro Manila Film Festival.^[34][35] Their collaboration continued with the successful film adaptation of She's Dating the Gangster in July 2014, which was one of the highest-grossing films of the year.^[36][37] Bernardo and Padilla received stars on the Eastwood Walk of Fame in Quezon City, a recognition of their contributions to Philippine entertainment industry in December 2014.^[38]

Over the years, Bernardo and Padilla collaborated on several successful films and television series. They teamed up in the 2015 film Crazy Beautiful You, followed by the 2016 film Barcelona: A Love Untold, which became the second highest-grossing film of that year. For the first time, Bernardo received her Box Office Queen title in Barcelona: A Love Untold at the 48th Box Office Entertainment Awards in 2017.^[39] Their partnership continued in Can't Help Falling in Love in 2017. All of these films achieved significant box office success.^[40]

On television, they starred together in the 2015 remake of Pangako Sa 'Yo. They continued their partnership on the small screen in the fantasy series La Luna Sangre in 2017.^[41]

In 2018, Bernardo made history as the first Filipino actress to reach the local box office of ₱800 million pesos mark in The Hows of Us alongside Padilla.^[42] For her performance, she won her first Best Actress award at the 35th PMPC Star Awards for Movies and at the 2019 EDDYS Award.^[43][44] The next year, she achieved this box office milestone again in Hello, Love, Goodbye, with GMA actor Alden Richards. The film was commercially successful as it grossed ₱880 million worldwide; breaking box office records in the Philippines and overseas.^[45][46] The movie held the record of being the highest-grossing Filipino film of all time for more than four years (2019–2024). In these two successful movies, Bernardo received the Phenomenal Box Office Star awards twice at the Box Office Entertainment Awards for two consecutive years (2019-2020) and she also won Film Actress of the Year award in 2020.^[47][48][49]

In 2022, Bernardo reunited with Padilla in the television series 2 Good 2 Be True, marking their final project together before their eventual break-up in 2023.^[50] She was hailed as the Outstanding Asian Star at the 18th Seoul International Drama Awards.^[51]

2023–present: Critical acclaim and continued success

In 2023, Bernardo starred in A Very Good Girl, her first solo film in several years, alongside Dolly de Leon. For her performance, she earned her first Best Actress Award at the 72nd FAMAS Awards in 2024.^[52] Internationally, she also won the National Winner Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the Asian Academy Creative Awards. In that same year, she regained the Box Office Queen title for the second time in the 52nd GMMSF Box-Office Entertainment Awards.^[53]

After five years, Bernardo reunited with Alden Richards in Hello, Love, Again, the sequel of their 2019 film Hello, Love, Goodbye.^[54] The film was commercially successful worldwide becoming the first Filipino film to gross over ₱1 billion.^[55] She was honored with the Star Rising Leopard Award at the 10th Asian World Film Festival in November 2024.

In 2025, she returned to television as one of the judges for the seventh season of Pilipinas Got Talent.^[56]

Business ventures

In 2017, Bernardo launched her nail salon business, KathNails by KCMB, which has eight branches across the Philippines.^[65]

In 2019, Bernardo and her partner at the time, Daniel Padilla, opened their first business venture together, a barbershop named the Barbero Blues, located in front of Kathnails by KCMB, Bernardo's nail salon.^[66]

In 2020, Bernardo, a self-proclaimed foodie, tried her luck in the food business by starting a rice meal take-out franchise, Rice in a Box, which has over 100 franchises across the Philippines under the Binondo Food Group, owned by Lester Pimentel, the action movie director that Bernardo had worked with during her La Luna Sangre series.^[67]

In 2022, she opened another nail salon, The Glow Up Lounge, which has five branches nationwide.^[68]

She co-founded a boutique hotel, Isla Amara, in El Nido, Palawan in 2022, alongside actor Piolo Pascual and other partners.^[69]

In September 2025, together with her family, Bernardo launched a new business venture, EMPOLO MNL, a fashion sanitary ware brand from Germany. The company recently celebrated the grand opening of its new branch in Greenhills, San Juan, with Bernardo and her family in attendance. The brand focuses on precision, purity, and design for modern living spaces.^[70]

Film

Television

Web series

Album

Singles

Music video appearances