Our favorite celebrities may have good-looking faces and flawless complexions, but they’re willing to trade them to horrifying or less attractive façades when a role requires them to do so. And in this Kapamilya gallery, let’s get to know the Kapamilya stars who amazed us not just with their impressive performances, but with their physical transformations as well in teleseryes.
Coco Martin
Before we got to know him today as Cardo Dalisay on FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano, Coco Martin has portrayed a variety of roles through the years, including an aswang. In the 2013 fantaserye Juan Dela Cruz, he took on the titular character who’s a hero from an ancient lineage of guardians known as the “Tagabantay”.
Part of his duty was to fight aswangs, but it was later revealed that he’s also a half-aswang himself. As he morphed into “Anak ng Dilim”, his skin turns blue and the irises of his eyes became white.
Kathryn Bernardo
While she has already proven her chops in romance, drama, and action, Kathryn Bernardo was also able to exhibit her prowess in the fantasy genre when she starred as Malia in the 2017 hit primetime series La Luna Sangre.
The offspring of the most powerful half-werewolf and half-vampire, she was hailed as the “New Chosen One” who’s destined to defeat the king or Supremo of evil vampires.
Empress Schuck
Another Kapamilya star who started off as a child star is Empress Schuck, who went on to become one of the bankable actresses of her generation. Over the years, she has earned a number of interesting roles, such as in the 2010 teleserye Rosalka.
She exhibited her dramatic chops in depicting the titular character, a young woman who is judged for her disability. Rosalka has a face deformity and lump on her back that houses a monster.
Melissa Ricks
After placing 5th in the first season of Star Circle Quest, Melissa Ricks landed a number of starring roles. One of her most notable stints was in the 2009 soap opera Kambal Sa Uma wherein she played Ella, a lady that possesses certain features of a rat, such as big ears, a hairy head, and a tail.
Her twin sister Vira (Shaina Magdayao) has the same condition, but unlike Ella, she only has a hairy back, which she can easily conceal.
Edward Barber
From being one of the popular housemates of Pinoy Big Brother, Edward Barber has turned out to become one of this generation’s bankable heartthrobs. So far, he has succeeded in showing off his acting skills, such as in his portrayal of Iking in the 2019 series Hiwaga ng Kambat.
Iking was born cursed with bat-like features. He’s blind during the day and fully transforms into a human-sized bath during the night.
Grae Fernandez
Before we got to see him as the dashing Jake in Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin, Grae Fernandez first charmed us as Mateo, the twin brother of Iking (Edward Barber) in Hiwaga ng Kambat.
Even though they are twins, Mateo was not born with any bat features. However, at one point in the story, Iking’s curse was passed on to him.
Anne Curtis
In her decades spent in Philippine showbiz, Anne Curtis has played various characters that not only exhibited her astonishing acting prowess, but also her dedication to every project that she does.
Such as in the television remake of Kampanerang Kuba in 2005, wherein she touched our hearts as the titular kindhearted hunchback Imang. Aside from wearing prosthetics on her face and a wig, the It’s Showtime host also had to wear a fake bulge on her back and move like a real hunchback.
Three years after, she starred in the fantaserye Dyosa that required her to wear three different costumes as her character Josephine, who is the “Chosen One” to save the world, takes the form of Dyosa Tierra (a centauride), Dyosa Agua (a mermaid), and Dyosa Cielo (a harpy).
She once again became a mermaid in the TV adaptation of Mars Ravelo’s Dyesebel in 2014 as she played the titular character.
These celebrities may have to undergo tedious and dramatic changes for their roles, but this only proves how dedicated they are with their craft.