Jaclyn Jose Biography, Age, Husband, Kids, Parents, Nationality, Height & More
Jaclyn Jose, the first and only Filipino actor to win the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress, passed away on March 2, 2024, at the age of 59. Her death shocked and saddened the Philippine film industry and her fans around the world, who admired her for her penetrating eyes, versatile roles, and remarkable performances. Jose, whose real name was Mary Jane Guck, was a veteran actress who had a prolific career that spanned four decades.
She starred in over 100 films and television shows, working with some of the most acclaimed directors in the country, such as Lino Brocka, Chito Roño, and Brillante Mendoza. She was also a recipient of various accolades, including five Gawad Urians, two Luna Awards, and a FAMAS Award, in addition to an Asian Film Awards nomination.
Biography
Jaclyn Jose was born on October 21, 1963 (age: 60 years, when died), in Angeles City, Pampanga. She was the second among six siblings, which include Veronica Jones, an actress in the 1970s and 1980s. Her mother, Rosalinda Santa Ana, was a zarzuela actress, while her father was an American serviceman at the Clark Air Base. Her parents separated when Jose was four years old, and she grew up with her maternal grandparents in Manila.
Jose was exposed to show business at an early age, as she often accompanied her mother to her zarzuela performances. She also developed an interest in acting, and joined theater groups in school. She graduated from the Philippine Women’s University with a degree in Mass Communication.
Jaclyn Jose Wiki/Bio, Nationality
| Name | Jaclyn Jose |
|---|---|
| Birth Name | Mary Jane Santa Ana Guck |
| Birth Date | October 21, 1964 |
| Birth Place | Angeles City, Pampanga |
| Death Date | March 2, 2024 |
| Death Place | Quezon City |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years Active | 1984–2024 |
| Spouse | Mark Gil (1988–1991) |
| Children | Andi Eigenmann, Gwen Garimond |
| Parents | Rosalinda Santa Ana, American serviceman |
| Siblings | Veronica Jones, five others |
| Nationality | Filipino |
| Links | Wikipedia- @Jaclyn_Jose Instagram- @jaclynjose Homepage- Newsunzip |
Career Breakthrough and Rise to Fame
Jaclyn Jose made her acting debut in 1984, in back-to-back adult drama films: William Pascual’s Chicas and Chito Roño’s Private Show. She earned her first FAMAS Awards nomination for the latter, where she played a young prostitute who falls in love with a journalist. The following year, she starred in Lino Brocka’s White Slavery, which earned her her first Gawad Urian nomination. The film tackled the issue of human trafficking and prostitution in the Philippines, and Jose portrayed a naive girl who becomes a victim of the trade.
Jose’s first Gawad Urian win came from her role in the adult drama film Takaw Tukso (1986), where she played a married woman who has an affair with a younger man. She won the Best Actress award, beating veteran actresses Nora Aunor and Vilma Santos. She also received critical acclaim for her performances in other films in the late 1980s, such as Macho Dancer (1988), where she played a stripper who falls for a gay dancer, and Itanong Mo Sa Buwan (1988), where she played a woman who suffers from multiple personality disorder.
Jose continued to gain awards and critical acclaim for her film works in the 1990s and 2000s. She won her first Luna Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1996, for playing the mistress of Flor Contemplacion’s husband in The Flor Contemplacion Story (1995), a biopic of the Filipino domestic worker who was executed in Singapore for murder. She also earned her fourth Gawad Urian and fourth FAMAS Award nomination for the same role.
She also starred in other notable films, such as Sana Pag-ibig Na (1998), where she played a woman who falls in love with a priest, Saranggola (1999), where she played a mother who struggles to raise her children amid poverty and violence, and Santa Santita (2004), where she played a faith healer who becomes involved with a hitman.
Television Stardom and Versatility
Jose’s first appearance on television was in the soap opera Familia Zaragoza, where she played Ester from 1996 to 1997. She rose to popularity on television for playing Magda, the main antagonist in the hit series Mula Sa Puso (1997–1998), where she schemed against the protagonists played by Claudine Barretto and Rico Yan. She later reprised her role in the 2011 remake of the series, playing the mother of the new Magda, played by Eula Valdez.
Jaclyn Jose later appeared in numerous soap operas, such as Nagsimula sa Puso (2009), Reputasyon (2011–2012), Kahit Puso’y Masugatan (2012–2013), and The Legal Wife (2014), where she played a variety of roles, from a loving mother to a vengeful mistress.
She also starred in several television series, such as Zorro (2009), where she played a wealthy widow who falls for the masked hero, Ilustrado (2014), where she played the mother of Philippine national hero Jose Rizal, Bolera (2022), where she played a former bowling champion who mentors a young prodigy, and Batang Quiapo (2023), where she played a jail chief who adopts a street child.
Cannes Film Festival Triumph and International Recognition
In 2016, Jaclyn Jose achieved the highest honor of her career, when she won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress for her role in Brillante Mendoza’s Ma’ Rosa. She became the first Filipino and Southeast Asian to win the award, beating other nominees such as Isabelle Huppert, Kristen Stewart, and Marion Cotillard. In the film, she portrayed a struggling matriarch who runs a small convenience store and gets entangled in the world of drug dealing to make ends meet.
She delivered a raw and realistic performance, with minimal makeup and dialogue, and improvised most of her scenes.
Jose’s Cannes win brought her international recognition and acclaim, as well as invitations to various film festivals around the world. She also received a nomination for the Asian Film Awards for Best Actress, and won the Gawad Urian and Luna Awards for the same role.
For her achievement, Jose was honored by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts at the Ani ng Dangal ceremony in 2017. She also received the Movie Icon Award by the Society of Philippine Entertainment Editors in 2023.
Spouse
Jaclyn Jose was married to actor Mark Gil, with whom she had a daughter, Andi Eigenmann, who is also an actress. She and Gil separated in 1991, and she later had a son, Gwen Garimond, with another partner. She was also a grandmother to Andi’s three children, Ellie, Lilo, and Koa.
Death
Jaclyn Jose died on March 2, 2024, at the age of 59, in Quezon City. The cause of her death was not disclosed, but her management confirmed her passing in a statement. Her family requested for privacy and prayers, and thanked her fans for their love and support. Her death was mourned by her colleagues and friends in the film industry, who paid tribute to her legacy and talent. Her fans also expressed their condolences and appreciation for her work, which inspired and entertained many generations of Filipinos.
