POST-SCRIPT: Kris Aquino’s true Hollywood story

MANILA, Philippines - Kris Aquino is a Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) award-winning Filipino film and TV actress, talk show host, producer, entrepreneur, product endorser, and writer.

Synopsis

Kris Aquino, born in Quezon City on Feb. 14, 1971 to a political family, captured audiences’ hearts at age 19 with her role in Pido Dida alongside the late Rene Requiestas. She won a FAMAS and an MMFF Award for her performance in Mano Po, and received various nominations for her acting in films such as Feng Shui and Segunda Mano.

Early Career

Aquino’s luck begins to change in 2017, when she is signed to star in Jon M. Chu’s film adaptation of Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians book.

That same year, CBS signs her to star in How I Met Your Fathers, a spin-off of the cult favorite How I Met Your Mother, which follows the original’s structure with Kris’s character recounting to her children the events that led her to meeting their fathers. The show is currently on its 17th season.

After seven seasons of HIMYF, she announces on her Instagram page that she has signed to star as Lucky Santangelo in HBO’s The Santangelos, a TV adaptation of Kris Aquino’s other favorite book of the same title. Critics praise the series, comparing it to the critically acclaimed classic The Sopranos.

In between filming, Aquino’s likeness also appears as a recurring character in the animated sitcom The Simpsons where she voices the character of Teta Quimby, the gossipy and tactless daughter of Mayor Quimby.

Reality Check

Kris Aquino also dips her toes in reality TV when she co-produces and stars in America’s Next Darla in which a number of aspiring writers compete for a chance to begin their career alongside Kris Aquino.

After three seasons of America’s Next Darla, streaming giant Netflix contracts her to star in a new reality show entitled The O.A. Not to be confused with The OA, a similarly titled Netflix psychological thriller, The O.A.’s pilot episode receives generally negative reviews after viewers find out the hard way the meaning behind the show’s title. It’s immediately canceled after an online petition and public outcry.

Rumor has it that the show is the inspiration behind Kevin Kwan’s follow-up book, Crazy Rich Annoying Asians.

Back on her feet

Instead of wallowing in self-pity, the then 56-year-old actress goes back to what she does best when she makes a memorable terror-filled appearance in 5CREAM. Critics praise her immense prowess in conveying a scared albeit confused victim in the movie.

In 2029, she proves her strength as a romantic actress when she co-stars in the popular romantic comedy Magic to Win 7 (Happy Ghost VII) in which she plays the reincarnated dog owned by Jackie Chan’s character. That same year, she voices the character of Fida, the mother of the titular character in the hit animation movie, Fido Dido: The Movie. She also voices one of the Hearts in the hit Japanese animation film Komu de Gyaruson: The Movie.

Pinoy Pride

Kris Aquino makes history when she wins an Oscar and becomes the first Filipino and Hollywood icon to win an Academy Award for Best Actress in an animated feature where she voices the main character in Disney Pixar’s Finding Cory. It’s a film about a chatty and self-centered blue tang fish, who goes on a journey to search for her long-lost parents, and everyone learns a few things about the real meaning of patience along the way.

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