Top 100 Cebuano Personalities: Gloria Sevilla

CEBU, Philippines — While most might recognize Gloria Sevilla as a familiar face on television and film for being a reliable actress in countless shows, those who know better will always respect her priceless contribution to Cebuano artistry.

Hailing from Sibonga, Cebu, she was born in January of 1932.

Sevilla had always wanted to become an actress, so much that she spent her time inside the cinema day in and out, leaving the theater with her favorite character’s dialogues to heart.

It was when she was 14 years old, attending the University of the Visayas where she was a scholar and part of the drama club, that her dreams slowly became a reality.

Following a declamation performance of “Vengeance is not ours, it’s God’s,” a talent scout approached the young lady, impressed by her talent.

The following audition would then lead to Sevilla’s first film role as Princess Tirana, a Muslim princess in a movie by Azucena Productions, which not only led to more films and awards but also gave her her love-team partner and first husband, the late Mat Ranillo Jr.

By 15, Sevilla was Visayas’ beloved child actress, already a household name as she starred in films “Leonora,” “Pailub Lang” and “Gloria Akong Anak.”

Everyone across Visayas and Mindanao knew Sevilla, and the people from the capital had known of this famed actress in Cebu who made box-office hits as a teenager.

While some might say that the local film industry today is slowly gaining traction, it was in the 50s and 60s and even throughout the 70s, where Sevilla lived the glory days of Cebuano and Visayan Cinema, being there when everything was golden and great.

Soon enough, she would try her luck in Manila, somehow trading her flourishing career to start all over again in the capital which saw Bisayas as no more than second-class.

She learned Tagalog by reading Tagalog magazines. Her first Tagalog movie was “Mga Banga ni Zimadar,” where she was christened the Queen of Visayan movies.

Sevilla, also known as the Swan of Visayan Cinema, made films throughout the Golden Age of Philippine Cinema and beyond, starring in “Buenavista,” “Pepe en Pilar,” “Sangang Nangabali,” “Gahaman,” “With These Hands,” “Mag-inang Ulila,” “Banaue,” “Dyesebel,” “Guhit ng Palad,” “Matud Nila,” “Bida si Mister, Bida si Misis,” “Once Upon a Time in Manila,” “Kay Tagal kang Hinintay” and “El Presidente.”

In recent television, she appeared in ABS-CBN shows like “Nathaniel,” “Doble Kara,” “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano,” “Be Careful with My Heart” and “Asintado.”

Sevilla, still very much present in the industry, SHARED her talent with her children, the actresses Suzette Ranillo and Lilibeth Ranillo, actor Mat Ranillo III, and singer-composer Dandin Ranillo. A granddaughter, Krista Ranillo, also dabbled in showbiz.

Following her first husband Mat Ranillo Jr.’s passing in 1969, she later on married actor, director and diplomat Amado Cortez.

The actress-producer bagged numerous awards such as Best Supporting Actress at the FAMAS Awards for “Madugong Paghigiganti” in 1962.

Alongside her then-husband Ranillo, Sevilla appeared in “Badlis sa Kinabuhi,” a Visayan masterpiece which won her the FAMAS Best Actress Award. The film was also handpicked by then First Lady Imelda Marcos to be the country’s only entry to the Berlin Film Festival in 1970, making her the most sought-after star at the festival. She was then nominated for Best Actress at the Asian Film Festival in Hong Kong.

In 1973, Sevilla and her daughter Nadia Veloso made history when they became the first mother and daughter to claim a back-to-back win as FAMAS Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively, for “Gimingaw Ako.”