Gloria Romero, born Gloria Anne Borrego Galla on 16 December 1933 in Denver, Colorado, was an American-born Filipino actress acclaimed as the “Queen of Philippine Cinema.”

Over a career that spanned about seven decades, she appeared in nearly 300 film and television productions and became the Philippines’ highest-paid movie star and foremost box-office attraction of the 1950s. She died on 25 January 2025 at the age of 91, leaving a legacy as one of the most enduring and respected figures in Philippine entertainment.​

Gloria Romero was the daughter of Filipino father Pedro Galla and American mother Mary Borrego, and she spent part of her childhood and schooling in Pangasinan after her family moved back to the Philippines.

Aspiring to be an actress from age eleven, she eventually moved with her family to Manila and, with her father’s consent, entered the film industry, initially appearing as an extra in productions such as “Ang Bahay sa Lumang Gulod” (1949), “Prinsipe Don Juan” (1951), and “Bahay na Tisa” (1951). Her early promise and screen presence soon caught the attention of Sampaguita Pictures, which groomed her as one of its leading stars during the studio era.​

Her breakthrough came in the early 1950s when she was cast in major roles in films like “Madame X” (1952) and, most notably, “Cofradia” (1953), which cemented her status as a leading lady.

In 1954 she won the FAMAS Best Actress award for “Dalagang Ilocana,” becoming the first actress from a comedy film to receive the honor, and in the same period she headlined popular hits such as “Kurdapya” and participated in high-profile studio promotions, including winning the Miss Visayas title at the Boys Town Carnival.

During the 1950s and 1960s she frequently starred opposite Luis Gonzales in romantic comedies and dramas, forming one of the most beloved screen pairings of the era.​

In the 1960s she began to shift toward more dramatic roles, including portraying Imelda Marcos in the biographical film “Iginuhit ng Tadhana” (1965) and its award-winning sequel “Pinagbuklod ng Langit” (1969), and she also appeared opposite Joseph Estrada in the action drama “Patria Adorada: Dugo ng Bayani.”

She remained active in the succeeding decades, taking on character and maternal roles in films such as “Condemned” (1984), “Bilangin ang Bituin sa Langit” (1989), and later in acclaimed works like “Tanging Yaman” (2000), “Bahay ni Lola” (2001), “Magnifico” (2003), and “Rainbow’s Sunset” (2018).

Her performance in “Magnifico” earned her Best Supporting Actress from the Gawad Urian Awards, which also bestowed a lifetime achievement award upon her.​

Beyond film, she worked extensively in television, where she became known for wise and affectionate grandmother or “lola” roles that endeared her to younger generations of viewers.

She received multiple accolades across major Philippine award-giving bodies, including FAMAS, Gawad Urian, the Metro Manila Film Festival, and several lifetime achievement honors, and she was inducted into the Eastwood City Walk of Fame in 2005.