Oli is the youngest of seven children to a Filipino father of
Chinese descent and a Filipina mother of
Spanish descent. She finished her
secondary education at Cebu Eastern College and her
tertiary education at the
University of San Jose-Recoletos (Cebu) with a degree in
Information Technology. She gained media attention in 2004 when she landed a role in a
Max's Restaurant commercial. In 2004, she started her acting career in
ABS-CBN via
It Might Be You and
Maalaala Mo Kaya episode with Baron Geisler and her soon-to-be spouse John Prats, before moving to
GMA Network in 2005. It was her similarly named role of Isabel, the leading lady to matinee idol, Richard Gutierrez in
Sugo, that launched her to full stardom. Her exposure on
Sugo also landed her a role on the
GMA Films' summer 2006 offering
Moments of Love. Her face currently graces the covers of glossy magazines, billboards and print ads, and appears regularly on GMA Network shows. The latter portrayed the antagonistic Rosita, originally played by award-winning actress
Lorna Tolentino, in
Sine Novela:
Maging Akin Ka Lamang. She then appeared in
Gagambino, opposite
Dennis Trillo. In 2009, she played
Iza Calzado's antagonist in her second
Sine Novela,
Kaya Kong Abutin Ang Langit. Oli also played the much-coveted role of Elaine in the Philippine Version of the Korean 2004 television series,
Full House. Isabel Oli is part of the cast for the movie
Rosario, an MMFF 2010 entry to be shown on December 25, 2010. In 2014, Oli returned to ABS-CBN to appear in the special finale participation as Chef Bernadette Cruz in
Annaliza. ==Personal life==