Bea Alonzo is a 33-year-old actress, endorser, vlogger, and philanthropist.
In her 20 years in showbiz, Bea has established herself as one of the A-list actresses of ABS-CBN.
Bea is also one of the most followed actresses on social media. Her Instagram account boasts a total of 8.7 million followers, at press time. In September 2019, she established her official Facebook page, which now has over 400,000 followers. Meanwhile, Bea has over 1 million subscribers on YouTube since she started her channel in 2018.
BACKGROUND
Bea, whose real name is Phylbert Angelli Ranollo Fagestrom, was born on October 17, 1987, to a British father named Phillip Fagestrom and a Filipina mother named Mary Anne Ranollo.
She was very young when her parents separated. Her mom later found the love of her life in Dondon Carlos, who has since stood as Bea's father. Bea has a younger stepbrother named James.
Bea spent most of her childhood in Pasig City.
Before joining showbiz, she studied at the Jose Abad Santos Memorial School in Quezon City until her second year in high school.
In an exclusive interview with PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) on February 11, 2021, Thursday, Bea said, "I didn't go to college. Yung education ko po hanggang second-year high school lang and then home-schooled na ng third year and fourth year.
"Actually, yung education ko is my number one insecurity, na not having the privilege to go to college."
Although Bea wasn't able to finish her studies, she has continued educating herself by reading books and watching documentaries.
In 2018, her passion for cooking motivated her to take culinary classes at CCA, or Center for Culinary Arts in Quezon City.
SHOWBIZ CAREER
In 2001, Bea, then 13 years old, was discovered by her former talent manager Archie Ilagan when she joined the Miss Pasig pageant.
She started her showbiz career as an extra in the television series, Oka Tokat.
In an interview with JeepneyTV in 2019, Bea remembered waiting for more than 24 hours to do her bit for a scene that ended up on the cutting floor.
Bea officially joined showbiz in late 2001 at the age of 14. She was launched as a member of Star Circle Batch 10 of Star Magic, the talent management arm of ABS-CBN. The 23 other newbies in that batch included Andi Manzano, TJ Trinidad, Nadine Samonte, Dennis Trillo, and Alfred Vargas.
In 2002, she started appearing on ASAP as a performer and host. Her first major acting project was in K2BU, a teenybopper series together with Pia Wurtzbach, Shaina Magdayao, and Angelene Aguilar.
BEA-JOHN LLOYD LOVE TEAM
Bea got her big break in 2002 in the Kapamilya series Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay, where she played the role of Katrina Argos.
It was her first project with John Lloyd Cruz, who was to be his love-team partner in various teleseryes and movie productions.
It was also the first among a number of projects the famous love team would do under the direction of Oliva "Inang" Lamasan.
The teleserye holds a special place in Bea's memory, ironically, for the reason she was not even supposed to be in it.
She related in the interview it was Dimples Romana who was slated to play the grown-up version of her character in the series.
"Kasi sa totoo lang, unexpected yun, e, kasi hindi hindi talaga ako dapat si Katrina Argos na 21 years old because I was only 13 when I auditioned for the teleserye.
"And then ako yung gumanap na kapatid ni Rica Peralejo. And then it was supposed to be John Lloyd and Dimples na dapat love team.
"And then si Dimples got married and also had Callie. Nung time na yun, mahaba yung mga teleseryes, di ba? Di ba po parang mga two years, three years, ganyan.
"So nung time na yun, they were looking for a girl to be paired with John Lloyd.
"And so I had to audition para dun sa book two kasi dapat woman na yung kapatid ni Rica Peralejo.
"E, since, I was only, at that time, 14, I had to re-audition kasi 21-year-old law student na yung character. So imagine, 14 'tapos 21 years old, di ba?
"E, samantalang malaki akong bulas, puwede akong sana pumasok physically, puwede akong fit for the role.
"And so, minake over nila ako, tinururan ako ni Inang maglakad. Buti na lang may background ako sa beauty contest so I knew how to walk like a woman.
"I knew how to walk in heels and so I was casted."
The John-Bea tandem flourished in the television series It Might Be You (2003), Ikaw ang Lahat Sa Akin (2005), and in the all-star cast Maging Sino Ka Man (2006).
Maging Sino Ka Man, which Bea singled out as one of her favorites, also starred Anne Curtis, Angelica Panganiban, Toni Gonzaga, Sam Milby and Derek Ramsay.
She said, "Isa yan sa mga paborito ko and I found good friends there. Sina Anne, sina Angelica, si Toni, iyan. Special yun sa akin e, Maging Sino Ka Man."
In 2008, ABS-CBN announced Bea would play the title role of Betty La Fea in the network's adaptation of the hit Colombian soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea. The series was actually first offered to Regine Velasquez who declined as she was with GMA-7 at that time. Retitled I Love Betty La Fea, the telenovela again paired Bea with John Lloyd.
While working on I Love Betty La Fea, Bea released her debut album The Real Me under Star Records. Bea's cover of Swedish singer Meja's "I'm Missing You" became the lead single of the album. Her rendition of "Kagandahan," which was part of the show's soundtrack, was also included in the album.
Bea and John Lloyd's last teleserye project was A Beautiful Affair, which aired in 2012.
Their love team also made waves in the movies, beginning with My First Romance in 2003, closely followed by Now That I Have You in 2004. They did two movies in 2006, Close to You and All About Love.
But it was the movie One More Chance in 2007 that would catapult their tanden to epic heights. Playing Popoy and Basha, John Lloyd and Bea made their characters unforgettable to this day.
After their love team's three-year break in movies, Bea and John Lloyd reunited in Miss You Like Crazy (2010). Two years later, they starred in more mature roles in The Mistress (2012).
And then, in 2015, Bea and John Lloyd reprised their iconic roles of Basha and Popoy as a couple tackling married life in the movie A Second Chance.
BEA'S LEADING MEN
Although John Lloyd was a big part of Bea's 20-year journey in the entertainment industry, her projects with other leading men have also been notable.
In 2005, Piolo Pascual was her love interest in the movie Dreamboy. In 2006, she played the role of Jinkee Pacquiao in Pacquiao: The Movie with Jericho Rosales playing the titular role of Manny Pacquiao.
Derek played Mark, Basha's suitor in One More Chance. Their second movie project together was And I Love You So (2009) with Sam. On TV, Bea and Derek were paired in the hit drama series Magkaribal (2010).
In 2014, Paolo Avelino played Bea's love interest in the TV series Sana Bukas pa ang Kahapon.
In 2018, Bea was reunited with both Derek and Paulo in the movie Kasal.
Bea also had projects with her now ex-boyfriends. In 2012, she and Zanjo Marudo were a couple when they did Sa 'Yo Lamang. And in 2016, she starred in the film How To Be Yours with her then boyfriend Gerald Anderson. In 2020, no longer a couple, Bea and Zanjoe were paired anew in 24/7 in Love.
Her most recent leading men were Aga Muhlach and Ian Veneracion. Bea did First Love (2018) with Aga. The movie was shot in Vancouver, Canada.
She was paired with Ian in the series A Love To Last (2017), which Bea said has been her most favorite teleserye in the past decade.
"Yun ang pinaka-light na teleserye na ginawa ko. 'Tapos, ewan ko, parang it's a different family drama kasi iba yung dynamics, e.
"First time ko naging stepmom so iba yung dynamics. 'Tapos si Kuya Ian, ang sarap kaeksena, parang hindi kami umaarte. Ambilis.
"Yun, si Kuya Ian, may chemistry din kami nun kasi kahit hindi kami mag-usap, alam namin kung paano iaatake yung eksena."
BEA: 20TH YEAR in SHOWBIZ
Over the last three years, Bea has been focusing on doing movies. In 2019, she starred in the horror flick Eerie with Charo Santos-Concio and Gillian Vicencio. In the same year, she and Angelica headlined the movie Unbreakable.
In 2020, Bea had a special participation in the prequel movie Four Sisters Before the Wedding, where she reprised her role as Bobbie Salazar-Harris in the original Four Sisters and a Wedding
In November of the same year, Bea decided to leave Star Magic after 19 years. Her career is now being handled by Celebrity Connections, the talent management firm of Shirley Kuan, whom Bea refers to as SK.
This year, 2021, she celebrates her 20th year in the industry with three movies in the offing.
She will be working with Alden Richards in Viva Films and GMA Pictures' adaptation of the Korean movie A Moment to Remember.
She is also set to do a reunion movie with John Lloyd Cruz under Star Cinema and another movie to be directed by Erik Matti.
With regard to her plans for TV, Bea told PEP.ph, "Right now, I’m open to, of course, pitches, ganyan. But right now kasi ang meron pa lang ako, tatlong pelikula.
"So I have so much on my plate and parang yun na yung nag-take over halos ng buong taon ko.
"But then, if an opportunity occurs, siyempre, I’d be open to it. Sabi ko nga, ito yung year of being open to possibilities and being empowered to do decisions for myself.
"But yeah, as of the moment, I have no contract with ABS-CBN na. Nag-lapse siya.
"But if they would want me to do a teleserye for them, if the story is right and if I like the people I’ll be working with, of course, I will consider it.
"But right now, wala pa namang ganun."
About offers from other TV networks, she said she's leaving the decision to her talent manager, "Si SK ang magsasalita niyan, hindi ako sure. Wala pa.
"Ang alam ko lang yung gagawin ko sa ngayon, yung tatlong pelikula.
"One with Alden that is co-produced by Viva and GMA. And one under Star Cinema with John Lloyd. And then, one with Erik Matti.
"Okay yun parang lahat nandun. I’m very happy. Parang it’s a celebration of my 20 years."
Asked which celebrities she dreams of working with given the chance, Bea named both GMA-7 and ABS-CBN stars: Kapuso luminaries Marian Rivera, Dingdong Dantes, Dennis Trillo, Maine Mendoza, and Jasmine Curtis-Smith and Kapamilya A-listers Kathryn Bernardo, Daniel Padila, Liza Sobrano, Enrique Gil, Nadine Lustre, and James Reid.
PEP.ph also asked Bea about her dream projects. She answered, "Hindi ako singer but pangarap ko gumawa ng musical movie.
"Alam mo yung mga ginagawa nila Anne Hathaway? They’re not really recording artists, but they sing for movies.
"Yung mga musical movies kasi they’re actors first before they are singers.
"So parang I’m an actress who happens to know how to sing, a little. Yun talaga yung dream movie ko. Gusto ko ng period or musical movie.
"Iyan ang dalawa yung dream projects ko na sana merong producer kapag tapos na itong pandemic na maglakas ng loob na mag-produce ng ganyang klase ng pelikula ulit."
ROMANTIC LINKS
Bea is currently being linked to ABS-CBN actor Dominic Roque, 30, a rumor that started in November 2019 when they took a trip to Japan together.
Although both have neither confirmed nor denied the speculations about them, Bea and Dominic, seemingly inseparable, have made no bones about being seen together in many places over the past two years.
In a question and answer vlog with celerity dermatologist Aivee Teo in December 2020, Bea admitted that she is dating someone.
She said, "Actually, natanong na ito sa akin nung Q&A sa vlog ko. And I said, right now I'm open to dating and also being happy.
"If there's anything that I learned from this quarantine, from all these things that have been happening, na-realize ko life is short and that you have to be open to being happy.
"Dapat hindi ako mag-suffer. If it's going to happen, it's going to happen. If it doesn't happen..."
At this point, Dra. Aivee interrupted Bea to ask pointblank, "So ano siya, yes or no?"
Bea answered cheekily, "I'm dating."
In 2016, there was Gerald in Bea's life, a relationship that abruptly ended after three years.
In July 2019, talks about their breakup circulated after Bea posted a cryptic message on Instagram. It read, "You can't make the same mistake twice, the second time you make it, it's not a mistake anymore, it's a choice.' ENOUGH."
Breaking her silence, Bea told the press, "Honestly, to my understanding, we did not break up. He just started not talking to me." She also seeded the rumors linking Gerald to Julia Barretto, who played a supporting role in Bea's teleserye A Love To Last.
Before Gerald, there was Zanjoe. It was Bea who confirmed their relationship in October 2011 and it was Zanjoe who announced their split in January 2016.
Bea's first celebrity boyfriend was the late actor Mico Palanca. They dated from 2002 to 2008. Mico died at the age of 41 in 2019. She was also linked to Jake Cuenca in 2008.
Sadly for the John Lloyd-Bea fans, the two were never an item. John Lloyd remains in Bea's heart as one of her best friends in showbiz.
FILMOGRAPHY
MOVIES
- My First Romance (2003) as Bianca
- Now That I Have You (2004) as Betsy Rallos
- Dreamboy (2005) as Cyd
- All About Love (2006) as Lia
- Pacquiao: The Movie (2006) as Jinkee / Janet Pacquiao
- Close to You (2006) as Marian Hermosa
- One More Chance (2007) as Basha Eugenio
- And I Love You So (2009) as Lara Cruz
- Miss You Like Crazy (2010) as Mia Samonte
- Sa 'yo Lamang (2010) as Diane Alvero
- Pak! Pak! My Dr. Kwak! (2011) as Dra. Cielo Delos Santos
- The Mistress (2012) as Rosario "Sari" Alfonso
- 24/7 in Love (2012) as Belle Gonzales
- Four Sisters and a Wedding (2013) as Roberta Olivia "Bobbie" Salazar
- She's the One (2013) as Cat Aguinaldo
- The Love Affair (2015) as Adrianne "Adie" Valiente
- A Second Chance (2015) as Basha Belinda Eugenio-Gonzales
- How to Be Yours (2016) as Anj
- Kasal (2018) as Lia Marquez
- First Love (2018) as Allison "Ali" Castillo
- Eerie (2019) as Pat Consolacion
- Unbreakable (2019) as Mariel Salvador-Saavedra
- Four Sisters Before the Wedding (2020) as Bobbie Salazar-Harris
- No to Goodbyes (2021)
- A Moment to Remember (2021)
TELEVISION
- K2BU (ABS-CBN, 2002) as Dianne
- ASAP (ABS-CBN, 2002–present) as herself
- Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay (ABS-CBN, 2002) as Katrina Argos
- Star Studio Presents (ABS-CBN, 2003) as Lucia
- It Might Be You (ABS-CBN, 2003) as Cielo San Carlos
- Bida si Mister, Bida si Misis (ABS-CBN, 2003) as Katrina Legarda
- OK Fine, Whatever (ABS-CBN, 2004) as Dr. Donna
- Ikaw ang Lahat sa Akin (ABS-CBN, 2005) as Jasmine Fontanilla
- Bora (ABS-CBN, 2005) as Tuesday
- Your Song (ABS-CBN, 2006) Episode: "You Win The Game"
- Komiks (ABS-CBN, 2006) as Herself, Episodes: "Bampy Part 1", "Bampy Part 2"
- Star Magic Presents (ABS-CBN, 2006) Episode: "Miss... Mistress"
- Your Song (ABS-CBN, 2006) Episode: "OK Lang"
- Komiks (ABS-CBN, 2006) as Hilda, Episode: "Mga Kamay ni Hilda"
- Komiks Presents: Da Adventures of Pedro Penduko (ABS-CBN, 2006) as Carmela
- Maging Sino Ka Man (ABS-CBN, 2006) as Jackie Madrigal / Princess
- Maging Sino Ka Man: Ang Pagbabalik (ABS-CBN, 2007) as Jackie Madrigal-Roxas
- Your Song (ABS-CBN, 2008) Episode: "Tayong Dalawa"
- I Love Betty La Fea (ABS-CBN, 2008) as Beatriz "Betty" Tingson
- May Bukas Pa (ABS-CBN, 2009) as Sara, guest role
- Your Song Melissa Gonzales (ABS-CBN, 2009) Episode: "Someone to Love"
- Maalaala Mo Kaya (ABS-CBN, 2010) as Cory Aquino, Episode: "Kalapati"
- Maalaala Mo Kaya (ABS-CBN, 2010) as Cory Aquino, Episode: "Makinilya"
- Magkaribal (ABS-CBN, 2010) as Angela Abella / Gelai Agustin
- Guns and Roses (ABS-CBN, 2011) as Regina "Reign" Santana
- Maalaala Mo Kaya (ABS-CBN, 2011) as Knoll Episode: "Kwintas"
- A Beautiful Affair (ABS-CBN, 2012 to 2013) Genevieve "Gen" Saavedra
- Sana Bukas pa ang Kahapon (ABS-CBN, 2014) as Rose Buenavista-Salvador & Atty. Emmanuelle Gaspar-Romero
- A Love to Last (ABS-CBN, 2017) as Andrea "Andeng" Agoncillo-Noble
- Kadenang Ginto (ABS-CBN, 2019), cameo appearance
AWARDS
Here are the awards won by Bea through the years:
MOVIES
2004
- 34th GMMSF Box Office Entertainment Awards
- Most Popular Love Team of RP Movies (with John Lloyd Cruz) for My First Romance
2005
- 20th PMPC Star Awards for Movies
- Best New Movie Actress for Now That I Have You
- 35th GMMSF Box Office Entertainment Awards
- Princess of RP Movies for Now That I Have You
2008
- 1st Fil-Am Visionary Awards
- Outstanding Performance (Actress) for One More Chance
- 38th GMMSF Box-Office Entertainment Awards
- Box Office Queen for One More Chance
2010
- 12th Gawad PASADO
- PinakaPASADOng Aktres (Best Actress) for And I Love You So
2011
- 42nd GMMSF Box-Office Entertainment Star Awards
- Film Actress of the Year for Miss You Like Crazy
2013
- 44th GMMSF Box-Office Entertainment Awards
- Box Office Queen for The Mistress
- 13th Gawad PASADO
- PinakaPASADOng Katuwang na Aktres (Best Supporting Actress) for Sa 'Yo Lamang
2014
- 16th Gawad PASADO
- PinakaPASADOng Katuwang na Aktres (Best Supporting Actress) for Four Sisters and a Wedding
2016
- 47th GMMSF Box-Office Entertainment Awards
- Phenomenal Box-Office Star for A Second Chance
- 32nd PMPC Star Awards for Movies
- Movie Actress of the Year for A Second Chance
- 18th Gawad Pasado
- PinakaPASADOng Aktres (Best Actress) for A Second Chance
- 34th Luna Awards
- Best Actress for The Love Affair
2019
- 21st Gawad Pasado
- PinakaPASADOng Aktres (Best Actress) for Kasal
TELEVISION
2007
- 3rd USTv Student Choice Awards
- Best Drama Actress for Maging Sino Ka Man
2009
- 1st MTRCB TV Awards
- Best Actress for I Love Betty La Fea
2015
- 23rd KBP Golden Dove Awards
- Best TV Actress for Sana Bukas pa ang Kahapon
Read more about Bea Alonzo here:
- Bea Alonzo rises above "number one insecurity"; mulls more hosting gigs
- Bea Alonzo says good location helped her cafe business amid pandemic
- Bea Alonzo reveals diet, workout to shed 15-20 pounds of quarantine weight gain
- How Bea Alonzo asked for ABS-CBN's blessing before doing movie with Alden Richards
- Bea Alonzo, tatlong pelikula ang nakalinyang gawin ngayong 2021
- Bea Alonzo's mom asked about ex-BF of daughter she most disliked