Amalia Fuentes
Amalia Amador Muhlach ; commonly known as Amalia Fuentes, was a Filipino actress and filmmaker whose career spanned six decades. She was the Queen of Philippine Movies in the 1960s and one of the top box-office draws of the 60s and 70s. Fuentes was one of the richest Filipino actresses in history and has received nine FAMAS Award for Best Actress nominations, winning one for Ibulong Mo Sa Hangin.
Career
In 1956, Fuentes and fellow actor Juancho Gutierrez won Sampaguita Pictures' Mr. & Ms. Number One contest. Sampaguita Pictures launched Amalia and Juancho into full stardom in the 1956 film Movie Fan. They were initially paired as a "love team" – popular in Philippine cinema – by Sampaguita Pictures, and both starred in Rodora, Sonata, Pakiusap, Ang Senyorito at Ang Atsay among others. She was also paired as love team with Romeo Vasquez in Pretty Boy, Bobby, Ako Ang May Sala and Bilanggong Birhen among others.She starred in such notable films as, Estela Mondragon starring Carmen Rosales, Amy, Susie, Tessie with Susan Roces, Tessie Agana, Joey, Eddie, Lito starring Jose Mari Gonzales, Eddie Gutierrez, Lito Legaspi, Dayukdok with Carmen Rosales, Luis Gonzales, Barbara Perez and Amaliang Mali-Mali with Luis Gonzales.
Fuentes wrote the screenplay for the films Tatlong Kasaysayan Ng Pag-ibig, and Ito Ang Aming Kasunduan. She starred in and directed Mga Reynang Walang Trono. Fuentes has her own production company, AM Productions. She produced several movies, most notable of which are: Whisper to the Wind, Baril at Rosaryo, and Pwede Ako Pwede Ka Pa Ba?. The Philippine Movie Queen's last acting appearance was the ABS CBN hit teleserye Huwag Ka Lang Mawawala with Judy Ann Santos.
She won Best Actress Awards from Famas in 1966 for Ibulong Mo Sa Hangin and in the 1973 Manila Film Festival for the movie Pagibig Mo Buhay Ko!
Fuentes was a member of the Movie and [Television Review and Classification Board]. She appeared in more than 130 films.
Personal life
Fuentes was born Amalia Amador Muhlach in Bicol. Her family has Spanish, German and Chinese roots. Her father, Álvaro Muhlach Agüera, was born in Barcelona, Spain, to Alejandro Muhlach Agüera and Enriqueta Agüera Iglesias, who were from Santander and Comillas, respectively both in Cantabria, but their ancestry originated from Asturias; Alejandro's father is a descendant of German settlers in Spain. Her mother Concepción Borja Amador was born in Xiamen, China, to a Chinese father and a Bicolano mother from Goa, Camarines Sur. She was educated in Davao Central College.After retiring from films in 2013, she suffered a stroke while on vacation in South Korea.
Her father died during the war and as the eldest child, she became the family breadwinner. Her two younger brothers, Alex and Alvaro, are also actors. Amalia married fellow actor Romeo Vasquez in 1965 in Hong Kong but they separated in 1969. They had a daughter, Liezl Sumilang. After her divorce from Vasquez, Amalia married Joey Stevens, an American businessman with whom she adopted a son, Geric Stevens. She divorced Stevens after 28 years of marriage, citing infidelity. Stevens died in 2012.