Amy's Jay - "...When Amy addressed some 40 guests at the True Riches Ministry (which meets every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Fusion Cafe, Greenbelt, Makati), she started off with question, "Those who know Jay Ilagan, raise their hands." And then she talked about the man she never stopped loving. When you hear her story, at many points she sounds like people you know who aren't stars. When she talks of how she lovede Jay, she reminds you of a friend who tended to love too much. When she talks of life after Jay (when she yearned for another partner in life), she sounds like single-parent friends of yours who also wnat to settle down. Sometimes she sounds like a typical working mother, struggling hard to make ends meet. At other times, she reminds you of a troubled friend who had wrestled with drugs. All your friends, married or single, at one point in time were Amy Austria. And she talks most candidly about it. Amy captivated the crowd without evem reading a script! She began by talking about her turbulent family, where her parents were "bati-hiwalay, bati-hiwalay" until they separated for good when she was 20. When she was only 14, she became the family breadwinner as an actress. She did "bold scenes," the "wet look," and long kissing scenes, the usual requirements of daring roles. But she was a good actress and by age 17, she had won her first award. The Amy fell in love and lived with Jay for nine years. "Although we weren't married, I did everything for him. I quit show biz and was his barber, masahista, nurse, and doctor. I was handyman, I even did carpentry. But I couldn't save him from death." When Jay died on Feb 4, 1992, Amy wanted to die, too. She would comfort herself by thinking, "Atleast, I loved him completely." But today she advises differently: "Never love nang todo," she says, "It;s like idolatry..." - Mona Gonzalez, Philippine Daily Inquirer, May 18, 2002 (READ MORE)
God's Choice - "...It reached a point where I didn't know what love was anymore. I said to myself who would take me seriously? I didn't believe in marriage because Jay and I lived together for so long and yet we never had marriage plans. I really got her drift because I'm also tired of having a full schedule but an empty life. Amy continued, "Until I met Duke Venture (who is half-Filipino, half-Korean). Before meeting him, though I went through a period of cleansing. I was seeking out the Lord's will in my life so when I realized that ll the promiscuity is not pleasing to Him I had to give up my boyfriend (whom I was with for over a year) even if I really loved him. I was sick of the cycle already. "At first, I felt awkward with Duke. Inglesero kasi. Parang nakakailang kausap. He's really the friend of Lorna and Rudy. We were hanging out as a group till one time Lorna and the rest got busy, so Duke and I were the only ones around during out regular get together." Just like Amy, Duke was already a Born-Again Christian when destiny threw them together. What seemed to be a whirlwind romance is actually a will of God that's never gone with the wind. For quite sometime, Amy tried to avoid falling for Duke but since God already gave all the signs she prayed for, she knew in her heart that Duke is indeed God's choice for her life-time partner...When Duke came to attend Amy's "baptism," I could sense the stabilizing effect he has on her. Bubbling like a child full of excitement. Amy said, "Duke gets a thrill about doing things for me that no guy has done before. Like today, I was surprised he bought me a van. First time a guy gave me a car. It's not the material side I appreciate. It's the sweetness behind it. he loves surprising me!" Gone is the taray or palengkera Amy Austria. The distinctive cat eyes are still there and if Amy were a cat who had nine lives, I know for sure that she would want to spend all of those lifetimes with Duke by her side and God right in the heart of their love..." - Dolly Anne Carvajal (READ MORE)
Impressive Filmographies - "...We have quite a number of gifted veteran actresses, but why is it that our directors invariably opt to work with Amy in their most important projects? Marilou Diaz Abaya in "Bagong Buwan," Maryo delos Reyes in "Magnifico," and Mario O'Harra in "Babae sa Breakwater" are only three of our better directors who dote on Amy, thus enabling her to come up with one of the most impressive filmographies in the business. This is quite an achievement, especially when you factor in teh fact that some industry people think that Amy is past her stellar prime. But, that's neither here nor there. On point of consistent quality and complete believability, Amy can't be beat...Aside from her exceptional talent, a major asset Amy has is her relatively youthful projection. Thus, the versatile actress is able to believably play a wide range of characters age from their late 20s to their 50s, making her a director's dream performer..." - Nestor U. Torre, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Aug 6, 2004 (READ MORE)
Amy Austria-Ventura (b. December 13, 1961 as Esmeralda Dizon Tuazon) is a FAMAS and Gawad Urian Award-winning Filipino film and television actress. Austria has starred in 70 films since 1976 in many of the Philippines' most acclaimed films. Her most memorable role was in 1985 where she starred in the Ishmael Bernal classic melodrama Hinugot sa Langit alongside Maricel Soriano. Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin marked her return in acting via the small screen. - Wikipedia (READ MORE)
Amy Austria and Vilma Santos
Anak (2000) - "...Other important movies of the year 2000:…”Anak” (Star Cinema). The year’s most successful move sometimes leans toward the mawkish, the result perhaps of its director’s protracted work on TV where the success of productions is determined by how well they can populate an episode with bathos and melodrama the better to maintain the ratings and keep the advertisers coming. But in honest look at the domestic wages of migrant labor and the utterly moving performances of Vilma Santos and Baron Geisler, it is a signigicant movie..." - Lito Zulueta, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Jan 01, 2001 (READ MORE)
Ibigay mo sa akin ang bukas (1987) - "...It seems that Vilma Santos has finally learned her lessons about money matters. The actress is reportedly eyeing a house in Greenmeadows which she plan to buy with her earnings from her latest starrer Ibigay Mo Sa Akin Ang Bukas. “Siguro kung marunong lang kaming mag-ingat ng salapi ng kumare ko (Nora Aunor), pareho na kaming may subdivision sa ngayon,” Santos reportedly said. Now, she insists on knowing where every peso goes. Perhaps, Santos has taken her cue from Amalia Fuentes, said to be the richest actress in the business. The actress, however, will keep her house in Magallanes ‘for luck’..." - JC Nigado, Manila Standard, Mar 6 1987 (READ MORE)
Paano ba ang mangarap? (1983) - "...his best movies were domestic dramas that gripped audiences for their complex take on relationships and their tendencies toward tortured, twisted operations. Hallmarks of this genre were “Sinasamba Kita” in 1982 (Vilma Santos cruelly treating her half-sister), “Paano Ba ang Mangarap?” in 1983 (cruel mom-in-law seizing her grandkid from his mom, played by Santos)..." - Lito B. Zulueta (READ MORE)
Langis At Tubig (1980) - "...During the MMFF when Ate Vi won in Karma. It was a triple tie between Ate Vi, Gina Alajar and Charo Santos. JQ as one of board of jurors defended why Ate Vi should win. On the second deliberation JQ convinced one of the jurors and Ate Vi won by 1 point. JQ lambasted on his TV program the jurors in the MMFF when Ate Vi was not even nominated for her performance in Langis At Tubig. The nominees are Nora Aunor for “Bona” and “Kung Akoy IIwan Mo” and Amy Austria for Brutal. Its good that Amy won. JQ said that Ate Vi is good in langis compared to Nora in “Kung Akoy IIwan.” Obiously that was manipulated by Dean Lukresia Kasilag who was the Board Chairman that time and a certified Noranian. Kawawa talaga si Ate Vi basta involved si Kasilag lagi syang nabibiktima. Remember Rubia Serbios and Atsay. JQ always regarded Ate Vi as the real Queen of Philippine movies and a certified box Office Queen..." - V Magazine (READ MORE)
Swing It Baby (1979) - "...Sometime in the mid 70s, matinee idol Romeo Vasquez returned to the movie scene after a long absence, his movie career in limbo after his failed marriage with popular actress Amalia Fuentes. His teamup with Vilma Santos somehow rekindled and revived his career. Their first movie together, Nag-aapoy na Damdamin in 1976 turned out to be a big hit. Despite their age gap, reel and real life sweetheart, Romeo, 34 and Vilma, 23, soon became the hottest love team, doing one hit movies after another..." - Simon Santos (READ MORE)
Related Reading:
- Amy Austria and Vilma Santos
- A New and Different Amy Austria Stars in "Tanikala
- The 1996 MMFF: Amy Austria & Jomair Yllana Top Awardees; "Magic Temple" Best Picture
- Amy Austria explains new screen name
- It was Lorna Tolentino who convinced her to do 'Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin'
- my Austria on Coco Martin, Maja Salvador and Andi Eigenmann
- Amy Austria is back in form
- How Filipino film "Serbis" got to the 61st Cannes Film Festival
- Of motherhood and "Anak"
