The Diamond Star Maricel Soriano - Celebrity Profile

Born Maria Cecilia Dador Soriano on February 25, 1965, Maricel Soriano is a popular and awarded actress in the Philippines. She started acting at the very young age of six via the 1971 movie My Heart Belongs to Daddy. Her role as Shirley Puruntong in the iconic TV sitcom John and Marsha will later catapult her to fame as a talented child star of the 1970's. She will later earn the moniker Diamond Star of Philippine Show business after her very successful stints on television and the movies in both drama and comedy genres. She was also known as "Taray Queen" for her feisty roles in movies.

With the late King of Comedy Dolphy and great actress Nida Blanca as mentors, it was not surprising that Soriano received her first acting awards in a very tender age. At nine, she was awarded as the Best Child Actress at the 9th Manila Film Festival for Virgo Film's Alaala Mo, Daigdig Ko in 1974, her first ever acting award. She also won the same award at the 1974 Ilo-ilo Film Festival for John and Marsha.

In 1978, Maria, as she was fondly called by friends and fans, appeared as one of the main cast in the pioneering children show, Kaluskus Musmos. In a couple more years, she was launched into full stardom in 1980 via Regal Films' Underage where her acting talent and charm endeared her to viewers.

She was paired with William Martinez in 1981 and their love team was launched via the movie Oh My Mama. The tandem was so well received that they made multiple box office hits one after another. Because of her films' impressive blockbuster performance, she was considered the top Regal Baby in the 80's and 90's. Even the Regal matriarch, Lily Monteverde, herself acknowledged that "Regal without Maricel is nothing."

The Diamond Star continued to shine throughout the years. Thanks to her versatility, she remains as one of the country's top actresses that can tackle different roles with aplomb, whether in drama or comedy and even in horror, suspense, action and romance.

Maricel's television career is also something to be proud of. Aside from John and Marsha, her other notable TV outings include musical variety shows Maria! Maria! and Maricel Live!; drama anthology series Maricel Drama Special; sitcoms 2+2, Kung Kaya ni Mister, Kaya ni Misis,  Mary d' Potter, Bida si Mister, Bida si Misis, and John En Shirley which reunited her with Dolphy; and soap operas Vietnam Rose and Florinda.

Aside from TV and film Soriano also recorded a couple of songs in the 1980s including the gold single Ngayon at Habang Panahon, a song penned by Sen. Tito Sotto and the theme song of her movie Oh My Mama in 1981. She had major concert at the Araneta Coliseum titled Hello, Hello Maricel in 1987.

Soriano is considered as the country's third most awarded film actress of all time in Pinoy celebrities. She has received close to 50 movie and television awards throughout her career including Best Child Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Achiever Award as actress/producer, Best Performer and Best Actress, from various award-giving bodies such as FAMAS, PMPC, Empress, FAP, YCC, Pasado, GMMSFP, MMFF, Manila, Iloilo and Cinemanila Film Festivals, and the Asian Television Awards. 

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