According to her family members, the veteran actress died peacefully in her sleep.
To her colleagues in the industry, Gloria Sevilla, known as the Queen of Visayan movies, passed away in her sleep on the morning of Black Saturday, April 16, in Oakland Hills, California.
Sevilla’s daughter, Suzette Ranillo confirmed the news.
Her granddaughter, Krista Ranillo, also shared the news on Instagram.
“My heart is breaking knowing I won’t see you again,” the actress’s post reads.
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Much of Sevilla’s first few years in showbiz, were spent doing Visayan-language movies. Among her first films in 1952, is the Visayan film, Sangang Nangabali. Most of her early works were accomplished alongside fellow veteran actor, Matt Ranilo Jr., whom later on she married and had six children—Matt Ranillo III, Suzette, Lilybeth, Dandin, Jonathan, and Junius Ranillo Jr., however, died in 1969.
She re-married, but this time with actor-director, Amado Cortez, with whom she had one daughter.
Some of Sevilla’s most iconic works in cinema included Madugong Paghihiganti, and Gumingaw Ako where she won FAMAS Best Actress trophies in 1963 and 1974, respectively. Her daughter, Suzette, notably also won a Best Supporting Actress trophy, for Gumingaw Ako. In 1977, she won a FAMAS Best Supporting Actress award, for her exemplary performance in the multi-awarded film, Minsan Ma’y Gamu-Gamo.
Throughout her career, Sevilla starred in some of the most iconic Filipino films and soap operas. She was in Dyesebel (1978), Guhit ng Palad (1988), Matud Nila (1991), The Flor Contemplacion Story (1995), and Kay Tagal Kang Hnintay (2002).
On Television, the veteran actress spent much of the last few years of her life, appearing on ABS-CBN teleseryes like Be Careful with My Heart (2012), Nathaniel (2015), Doble Kara (2015), FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano (2015), and Asintado (2018).
Before the pandemic, Sevilla was honored by the Cultural Society of the Philippines and the Society of the Philippine Editors.
