Glaiza de Castro

Glaiza Castro Galura was born on January 21, 1988, to Cristina "Cristy" Galura and Alfred "Boy" Galura. Her father was a band member, while her mother was a contestant in the original iteration of the singing competition Tawag ng Tanghalan. De Castro has a younger brother, Alchris Galura, who was recognized as Best Supporting Actor by the World Class Excellence Japan Awards (WCEJA) for his role in the drama series Abot-Kamay na Pangarap. Her uncle is Dan Alvaro, who has starred in action films. At age 12, she was discovered by a talent agent during a shoot in Valenzuela. Around the same time, she appeared in a fast food commercial. On January 27, 2001, de Castro made her entry into GMA Network, debuting on the television variety show Master Showman and subsequently becoming one of its regulars. == Acting career ==

Early career: minor roles on television and in movies (2002–2006) De Castro began her career with GMA Network, playing a minor role in the soap opera Ikaw Lang ang Mamahalin. However, after a few months with the company, she transferred to the rival network ABS-CBN and became a contract artist of Star Magic. During her time at ABS-CBN, she continued to play both supporting and minor roles, such as in the teen-oriented show Berks. and Miss-Pinoy (2005). Return to GMA Network and breakout roles (2006–2008) After four years with ABS-CBN, de Castro returned to her home network, GMA Network, in 2006. One of her first roles back was as Honey on the fantasy-adventure series Fantastikids, where she starred alongside Marky Cielo, Jackie Rice, and Ryza Cenon, as well as former child star Paolo Contis and former beauty queen Melanie Marquez. The reception to the show was positive; journalist Paul Daza of The Philippine Daily Inquirer compared it favorably to its counterpart on ABS-CBN (the fantasy-drama anthology Komiks) and commented that based on ratings, "it would seem like the new [GMA-7] stars are outshining the more established [ABS-CBN] performers." At this time, she also performed regularly on GMA's regular Sunday variety show, SOP Rules. In 2007, de Castro appeared in two television series. The first was the afternoon teen drama Boys Nxt Door, dubbed into Malay on the Malaysian channel 8TV and aired in South Korea via KBS2, becoming the first Filipino drama to air in the country. The second was the action-adventure series Asian Treasures. De Castro played Clara, an expert on history and geography who would use this knowledge to help the main characters find the titular treasures. The film was a finalist at that year's Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, where de Castro received a Golden Screen Awards nomination in the Best Actress category. That same year, she also played a supporting role in the romantic film Batanes: Sa Dulo ng Walang Hanggan alongside Iza Calzado, Taiwanese singer-actor Ken Chu, and Marky Cielo. as "a lighter version of Almost Famous" and "a fun, feel-good movie." Career resurgence (2009–present) After another supporting role in the television adaptation of comic-book writer Carlo J. Caparas' graphic novel Gagambino, de Castro once again landed a lead role in another television adaptation of a Filipino film, Kung Aagawin Mo ang Lahat sa Akin, opposite Patrick Garcia, Maxene Magalona, Jackie Rice, and JC Tiuseco. In the series, she played Gladys Andrada (a role originated by co-star Jackie Lou Blanco), the jealous only biological child of Gilbert (played by Nonie Buencamino) and Clara Andrada (played by Blanco). Regarding her portrayal, columnist Jason John Lim commented that while she knew she was breaking out of her comfort zone, "What she didn't know that she would also begin breaking the expectations of everybody." Right after Kung Aagawin Mo ang Lahat sa Akin, she played another supporting role on an episode of the drama anthology SRO Cinemaserye, which chronicled the life story of singer Eva Castillo (portrayed in this episode by Manilyn Reynes). Shortly after, she landed another role in the Philippine remake of the Korean television series Stairway to Heaven alongside Dingdong Dantes, Rhian Ramos, and TJ Trinidad. De Castro portrayed Eunice, the counterpart of Han Yoori (played by Kim Tae-hee). De Castro watched the original series to attempt to get an idea of who her character was as a person in preparation for the role. Critics received her portrayal well; Jerry Donato of The Philippine Star, in particular, said, "So far, Glaiza has given her Korean counterpart a run for her money." In 2009, de Castro appeared in five films. The first was the independent political thriller Bente, where she replaced former StarStruck contestant and fellow GMA actress Jewel Mische when the latter refused to film a sex scene she considered "beyond [her] moral standards" as directed by Mel Chionglo. The film was released in June 2009 and received mixed reviews, with Rito Asilo of the Philippine Daily Inquirer citing its thematic substance and Gomez's and Calzado's "insightful performances" while also going on to blast the film's "disparate stories," "incohesive feel and style," and sudden ending "in a convenient anticlimax." The second film was the horror movie Tarot, released on August 26. The film, directed by Jun Lana and top-billed by Marian Rivera and Dennis Trillo, is about a girl who can predict the future using tarot cards. A third film, Ang Manghuhula, was released commercially in September (it had been shown at the Cinemanila International Film Festival the previous year). The film, directed by Paolo Herras, saw de Castro play the daughter of Messina (Eula Valdez), a seer. The production was received warmly, with Noelani Torre of the Philippine Daily Inquirer noting its "fascinating subject matter," "colorful cast," and "visual richness and clarity." The fourth film de Castro starred in 2009 was the independently produced Astig (international title: Squalor) alongside Sid Lucero, Edgar Allan Guzman, Arnold Reyes, and Dennis Trillo (who also served as director). In Astig, de Castro played Elgine, a teenager afflicted with a sexually transmitted disease who eventually becomes the love interest of Trillo's character. Released in July of that year, it was a critical and financial success, topping the box office of that year's Cinemalaya Film Festival with a profit of . Darwin Chiong of GMA News called the film's cinematography "remarkable" and praised the cast as a whole, saying, "The movie gathers an ensemble of actors that deliver in the acting department, even those in supporting roles like Glaiza de Castro and Malou Crisologo." Her performance in this film earned her a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the 33rd Gawad Urian Awards. The fifth film was the sixth installment of the Mano Po franchise, subtitled ''A Mother's Love''. The film, directed by Joel Lamangan and top-billed by Sharon Cuneta, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Heart Evangelista, and Dennis Trillo, saw de Castro play the younger version of Cuneta's character, Melinda Uy. The film was released on December 25 and was an entry to that year's annual Metro Manila Film Festival. Her first project on GMA for 2010 was in another villain role in Diva, billed as the Philippines' first musical comedy-drama series. It debuted on GMA Network on March 1, 2010, and ended on July 30, 2010. The show, which also starred Regine Velasquez, Mark Anthony Fernandez, TJ Trinidad, and singer Jaya, and is partly based on the American movie trilogy High School Musical and the American television series Glee, saw de Castro playing the ambitious Tiffany, who is Lady's (Rufa Mae Quinto) assistant and soon-to-be a villainess to singer-actress Regine Velasquez's heroine Melody. After Diva, de Castro auditioned for and won the title role on the primetime fantasy series Grazilda. The show, a sequel to the Cinderella story, centers on Grazilda, who is, in turn, based on one of Cinderella's wicked stepsisters, Drizella. The plot revolves around Grazilda's banishment from her home world of Fantasia to the human world, where she suffers a fate similar to Cinderella's. The series, which premiered on September 13, 2010, also stars Geoff Eigenmann, Yasmien Kurdi, Jolina Magdangal, and Cherie Gil and marks de Castro's first lead role in a primetime series. Before the show's debut, de Castro said she could not believe her success; she had become accustomed to playing villainous roles and expected to do so for the remainder of her career. The show was a critical and commercial success, beating its rival, 1DOL, by five points in the AGB Mega Manila ratings. In light of the show's success, de Castro's manager, Manny Valera, has decided to turn down any further villain roles on behalf of his talent to build her up as a lead star. On October 30, it was announced that de Castro would no longer be cast in the remake of the film Temptation Island and would instead be the lead star in the 2011 remake of the 1992 film Aswang, produced by Regal Films with film director Topel Lee. However, her lead role instead went to Lovi Poe. De Castro later played Binayaan in the epic drama Amaya, opposite Marian Rivera and Sid Lucero. In the third quarter of the year, she was chosen to play the role of Heidi Fernandez, which was originally intended for Alessandra de Rossi, in the Philippine adaptation of Temptation of Wife. In 2015, de Castro played Althea Guevarra in the lesbian series ''The Rich Man's Daughter'' alongside Rhian Ramos. after its original hosts left following a change in the production company's management. She remained a co-host of the variety show, later renamed Tahanang Pinakamasaya!, until its final episode in March 2024. == Music ==

De Castro has released four albums so far. Her debut album, Magbalik Ka, was released in 2001 under XAX Music Entertainment. It contains six tracks described by the record label as "catchy bubblegum pop tunes." In 2006, she released a second album, the self-titled Glaiza, under Dyna Records, which was officially launched in 2008. The latter album, described by de Castro herself as "more defined" compared to her first album, comprises pop and R&B songs and contains original content except for three tracks: a cover of Joey Albert's song "How Can I Make You See," as well as a Tagalog version (titled "Paano") and an English version of Dingdong Avanzado's "Basta't Kasama Kita" (titled "As Long As I Am With You"). When asked why it took her five years to release a second album, de Castro explained that after the first album's completion, she did not renew her contract with the record company and instead focused on her television career. == Public image ==

Despite gaining wider recognition for her roles as a villain in Kung Aagawin Mo Ang Lahat Sa Akin and Stairway to Heaven, de Castro has reportedly had qualms about portraying a villain again, commenting, "I don't want to be typecast as an antagonist forever because it's difficult to get rid of that sort of image." However, she has preferred antagonist roles over "sexy" roles. She later retracted this statement, saying that she "didn't think [she'd] get typecast because [she] plays different kinds of women each time" and explained this by saying, "The stories are different, so [her] characters' [motivations] are also different." In 2008, she spoke of her preference for independent film, commenting in Taglish, "As for me, I feel fulfilled in indie films. I'm given roles in indie projects that are heavier compared to the mainstream. And I'm rarely offered roles in mainstream [films] anyway." As part of the program, de Castro participated in Quezon City's campaign against sexual harassment. De Castro is known as a women's rights and protection advocate and won a Media People's Choice Award for this advocacy in 2017. After performing the role of anti-Marcos activist Cecilia Flores-Oebanda in 2018, de Castro has spoken against historical negationism regarding the Philippines' martial law era, which was the film's setting. She agreed it was a polarizing topic but said that Filipino youth must be "made more aware of it, because it's important to know history and learn from it. It's necessary for everyone's growth." In 2020, de Castro participated in activities denouncing the then-newly signed Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, joining numerous artists in reciting Charlie Chaplin's final speech in the film The Great Dictator, translated into Filipino by writer Rody Vera. Business In 2023, De Castro and her husband David Rainey opened a cafe called Brewbox in Baler, Aurora. == Personal life ==

De Castro maintained a close friendship with consistent on-screen partner Marky Cielo for much of his career until he died in 2008. In the wake of her friend's death, de Castro recounted an exchange she had the day before Cielo died: she told Cielo about a dream she had about him and Rich Asuncion; according to her, Cielo had other people tell him they had dreams about him, which he took to be an omen. De Castro and businessman David Rainey are in a relationship since September 2018. They became engaged in December 2020, and married in Northern Ireland in October 2021. == Filmography ==

Film Television .--> ==Discography==

Albums Singles As lead artist As featured artist Soundtrack appearances ==Awards and nominations==