<!-- NOTE: Do not replace infobox image unless it is with a photo under a public domain or free license (meaning NOT fair use). Any fair use photos (i.e. 'promotional photos') violate the Fair Use Policy and will be deleted. See Wikipedia:Fair use criteria -->
Angelica Locsin Colmenares (born April 23, 1985) is a Filipino actress and humanitarian. She is known for her dramatic roles and portrayals of heroines and mythological characters in film and television. She is a recipient of various accolades, including four Star Awards, three FAMAS Awards, two Box Office Entertainment Awards, and a Luna Award.
Born in Santa Maria, Bulacan, Locsin attended the University of Santo Tomas Junior High School. She began her acting career in the early 2000s by appearing in supporting roles on screen. She had her breakthrough as the avian-human hybrid protagonist in the fantasy series Mulawin (2004), before starring as the titular superhero in the Ravelo Komiks Universe series Darna (2005) to critical acclaim. For her role as a fledgling lycanthrope in the supernatural drama series Lobo (2008), Locsin earned an International Emmy Award nomination for Best Actress. She appeared in well-received romantic dramas, such as Love Me Again (2009), In the Name of Love (2011), and Unofficially Yours (2012), the last of which is Locsin's highest-grossing release to date. The family drama One More Try (2012), in which she played a single mother caring for her sick son, garnered her Best Actress wins at the Box Office Entertainment, FAMAS, Luna, and Star Awards. She received a Star Award for Best Drama Actress for her portrayal of an indoctrinated military nurse in the spy-action thriller series The General's Daughter (2019).
Known for her humanitarian efforts, Locsin has been named one of Asia's Heroes of Philanthropy by Forbes and Asia's Leaders of Tomorrow by Tatler. She promotes various causes, including disaster relief, education, and women's rights. Locsin was noted for her field missions to settlement camps of internally displaced persons during the 2017 armed conflicts in Mindanao. A public figure, she was cited as the world's sexiest woman by FHM Philippines in 2005 and 2010.
Early life and background
Angelica Locsin Colmenares was born on April 23, 1985, in Santa Maria, Bulacan, to Angelo and Emma Colmenares. Locsin's father was a swimmer who earned a bronze medal when the Philippine team won the 4×200-meter freestyle relay during the 1954 Asian Games in Manila. She has two younger siblings: Ella and Angelo. Locsin and her siblings were raised by their father, who was later diagnosed with complete blindness. Locsin has said she regrets not being able to financially provide for her father's treatment at the onset of his condition. During this period, she was spotted running errands at SM City North EDSA by a talent scout, who arranged for her to audition for television commercials. After high school, she pursued acting and attended workshops under ABS-CBNs talent management arm Star Magic. She then unsuccessfully auditioned for a role in the teen series G-mik (1999).
Career
2000–2007: Early roles and breakthrough
Locsin made her film debut as the young Robina Gokongwei in the 2000 biographical drama Ping Lacson: Super Cop. She then signed a management deal with GMA Network and received her first television part as a series regular in the second season of the teen show Click. She remained with the series from 2002 to 2004. Locsin followed this with guest roles in several television shows, including Ang Iibigin ay Ikaw (2002), Twin Hearts (2003), and Love to Love (2003). She appeared in the second and third installments of the Mano Po film franchise, Mano Po 2: My Home (2002) and Mano Po 3: My Love (2003).
Locsin's breakthrough role came as the avian-human hybrid protagonist in the fantasy action series Mulawin (2004). GMA Network executive Redgie Magno initially approached Maxene Magalona for the part, but offered Locsin the role at Magalona's suggestion. Dominic Zapata, the show's director, intended the concept of mythology to be a "break from Tagalized soaps", but also kept its "novelty" focused on the lead characters. series Darna (2005), based on Mars Ravelo's comics superheroine of the same name. Locsin was initially hesitant about the part because it required her to drop out of Mulawin, and she felt the series would end prematurely if she left. Locsin agreed to the project after network executives convinced her to take the part. The series garnered positive reviews, with praise for Locsin's portrayal; Nestor Torre Jr. of the Philippine Daily Inquirer described the production as modern and trailblazing, Similarly, Pepe Diokno, also from the Philippine Daily Inquirer, wrote that "the [show's] success can be attributed to [Locsin], as she attracts every block and wing of Pinoy society." Later that year, Locsin reprised the role of Alwina in Mulawins film adaptation.
In 2006, Locsin starred as a sorceress in the fantasy series Majika alongside Dennis Trillo. In preparation for the part, she trained extensively in horseback riding with co-star and equestrienne Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski. The show was a critical disappointment; Torre labeled it "less than magical": "Unfortunately, the show is so visuals-driven that the gifted actors don't really have much opportunity to show what they can do." She then appeared in the fifth installment of the Mano Po film series, Mano Po 5: Gua Ai Di (2006). In the coming-of-age drama The Promise (2007), loosely based on Emily Brontë's 1847 novel Wuthering Heights, Locsin portrayed a woman who falls in love with her adoptive brother. The film and her performance received negative reviews from critics; the Philippine Daily Inquirer thought Locsin's transition to adult roles was rushed, "inadequate" and "embarrassing", while critic Elyas Salanga found the film's narrative "typical" and "cliché". She then played a facially disfigured victim of abuse in an episode of the anthology series Maalaala Mo Kaya. Locsin's performance earned her a Star Award for Best Single Performance by an Actress.
2008–2012: Established actress
thumb|upright|left|alt=A photo of Locsin in a black cocktail dress while holding a microphone|Locsin at a screening of [[Love Me Again (Land Down Under)|Love Me Again in 2008]]
Locsin rejected the title role in the television remake of Marimar after signing on to ABS-CBN's 2008 supernatural drama series Lobo. She portrayed Lyka Raymundo, a fledgling lycanthrope caught up in a war between factions of werewolves. She found the project challenging but felt the experience improved her acting methods. She received an International Emmy Award nomination for Best Actress for the series. Set in Bukidnon and Darwin, Northern Territory, the Rory Quintos-directed romantic drama Love Me Again (2009) featured Locsin and Piolo Pascual as ranchers going through financial struggles. Locsin, who is the sole breadwinner of her family, believed certain aspects of her character's life mirrored her own. In April 2009, she reunited with Quintos for the comedy series remake Only You, based on the eponymous original Korean show.
Locsin portrayed the role of Lia Ortega, the daughter of her lycan character in the second installment of the Lobo series, ' (2010). Journalist Earl Villanueva, however, commended Locsin's character and storyline for its "easy transition into a logical sequel", and said the series "seems to be on the right track". Locsin's only film appearance in 2011 was in the star-crossed romantic drama In the Name of Love with director Olivia Lamasan, whose collaboration she found gratifying: "I've learned a lot, especially as to how film acting should be done... How you use your eyes, your position, and how you maximize camera angles... I didn't know those things before." Critic Julia Allende praised her portrayal, and pairing with Aga Muhlach, describing it as "the most daring she [Locsin] has ever played" and deemed it a "beautifully nuanced performance". Later that year, Locsin co-starred with Vhong Navarro in the sitcom Toda Max. Co-starring John Lloyd Cruz, it featured her as a sexually promiscuous journalist afraid of commitment. Although the response to the film was mixed, critics were highly appreciative of Locsin's and Cruz's performances; Bibsy Carballo of The Philippine Star highlighted that "their characterizations are sharp, their dialogue smart and modern", but dismissed the film's plot as unoriginal. Writing for the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Torre found the leads' portrayals to be "earnest" and "committed". The film became Locsin's biggest commercial success to date, earning million (US$million) at the box office. The 2012 Metro Manila Film Festival saw the release of One More Try, a family drama about a single mother, played by Locsin, forced to reconnect with her estranged husband to be their son's stem cell donor. Her performance was well received by critics; film reviewer Mark Ching called it "praise-worthy" and "formidable", Locsin was awarded the Box Office Entertainment, FAMAS, Luna, and Star Award for Best Actress for the role.
2013–present: Comedies and reality television
thumb|upright|right|alt=A photo of Locsin wearing black cocktail dresses while speaking to a hand held microphone|Locsin at a press tour for [[The Legal Wife in 2014]]
In 2013, Locsin featured in the ensemble comedy drama Four Sisters and a Wedding. She starred alongside Bea Alonzo, Shaina Magdayao, and Toni Gonzaga, as siblings with deliberate plans to prevent their brother from getting married. Rito Asilo of the Philippine Daily Inquirer was particularly impressed with her performance, writing, "[Locsin] also does well in a focused portrayal that is devoid of ego and vanity, you can sense her stepping back when the spotlight is on her co-actresses." Rapplers Carljoe Javier opined that Locsin and Alonzo "lent an emotional gravity to the film". Four Sisters and a Wedding was a commercial success, grossing million (US$million) at the box office. For the film, Locsin received FAMAS and Star Award nominations for Best Actress. She returned to television playing the lead role in the drama series The Legal Wife (2014). and Torre found Locsin's acting to be intolerable and "too livid".
After a one-year absence on screen, Locsin appeared in three productions in 2016. Her first release was Joyce Bernal's Everything About Her, a comedy drama co-starring Vilma Santos. Stephanie Mayo of the Daily Tribune termed Locsin's and Santos's portrayals as "effortless, natural, and searing"; The Philippine Star lauded the cast's acting as "compelling" and called the film a "finely-crafted family drama". At the Asia-Pacific Film Festival, Locsin won Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the film. She then served as a judge on the fifth season of the reality talent competition show Pilipinas Got Talent, based on the original British show franchise. Her final appearance that year was in The Third Party, a comedy that depicts the complex relationship in a throuple. Asilo dismissed the film as "more derivative than inventive" and stated that Locsin is "weighed down by her pushed, staccato delivery, and relies too much on knee-jerk realizations". Philbert Dy of ClickTheCity.com wrote, "[The film] seems to make its characters cry in lieu of telling their stories, or letting them hash out the complexity of what they're feeling."
The final installment of the Lobo series, La Luna Sangre, was Locsin's only screen appearance in 2017. She reprised the part of Lia Ortega from Imortal in the premiere episode, and later returned in a guest role as a vigilante vampire named Jacintha Magsaysay. In January 2018, she returned as a judge for the sixth season of Pilipinas Got Talent. Locsin began 2019 by starring in the spy-action thriller series The General's Daughter, in which she played an indoctrinated military nurse. She volunteered at the Armed Forces of the Philippines General Hospital before filming began, and in preparation, trained in Krav Maga, Muay Thai, and knife fighting. Locsin said of her approach to portraying roles outside mythology genres, "I try to humanize my character. Rhian is not a superhero. She has no powers. She has struggles, she has mistakes, she falls down, she fails, but she doesn't give up." Mozart Pastrano of the Philippine Daily Inquirer wrote of Locsin's performance, "She brought moral gravitas to her role, displaying her luminous looks, as well as uncommon physical stamina and skills." She received a Star Award and a Box Office Entertainment Award for Best Actress. In June 2020, Locsin hosted the public service show Iba Yan.