Amy Austria

Esmeralda Diaz Tuazon-Ventura (born December 13, 1961), known professionally as Amy Austria, is a Filipino film and television actress. She is a recipient of a FAMAS Award, 2 Gawad Urian Awards, 3 FAP Awards and 4 MMFF Awards (including three Best Actress wins). The Philippine Star listed Austria among the 15 Best Actresses of All Time. In 2019, Austria was inducted at the Hall of Fame at the Metro Manila Film Festival. Life and career Esmeralda Diaz Tuazon was the second to the eldest among six children born in 1961 to an impoverished family. She helped the family by selling chewing gum. She studied at the Rajah Soliman High School. She was introduced to the producer Baby Martinez of MBM Productions through a common friend. She was then cast in Bitayin Si Baby Ama (1976), the movie that made a star of Rudy Fernandez. After her second film, Alas (1976), with Jun Aristorenas, she was given minor parts in several other pictures then dropped out of the movie scene for almost a year. When she came back in mid-1977, contract star of Jesse Ejercito's Seven Star Productions. She became quite visible in the 1970s, in such films like Dabiana (1977), Miss Dulce Amor, Ina (1978), Atsay (1978), Menor de edad (1979), Gabun: Ama Mo, Ama Ko (1979), Bedspacers (1979) and Swing It, Baby (1979). After acting in two very relevant films for 1979, Ishmael Bernal's Aliw and Lino Brocka's Jaguar, Ms Austria was finally a lead star in Nang Bumuka Ang Sampaguita (1980). At a time when female parts in Filipino cinema were strong and revolutionary, Ms Austria became a busy actress: Langis at Tubig (1980), Sugat sa ugat (1980), Goriong Butete (1980), Tondo Girl (1981), Pusong Uhaw (1982) and Waywaya (1982). In the 1990s and well into the 21st century, she still gives powerful supporting performances, in The Flor Contemplacion Story (1995), Muro-ami (1999), Anak (2000), Pagdating ng Panahon (2001), a Sharon Cuneta starrer and I Will Always Love You (2006) starring Richard Gutierrez And Angel Locsin.