The current generation may identify her as the cheerful, doting, and hardworking Mama Bear of Kathryn Bernardo’s character Chichay in Got To Believe, but for those who were able to witness her formidable and successful run in the local entertainment scene in the past three decades (and counting!), Manilyn Reynes is undoubtedly among the brightest and biggest names of her generation.
Just like some of our favorite artists at present, she also kickstarted her journey in show business as a child star. After joining several talent competitions at age three and dominating singing contests at six years old, her parents decided to give her career a shot by moving back to Manila from Cebu when she was age 10.
Because of her natural charm and unmistakable beauty, she was hired as a child actress in the 1982 movie “To Mama With Love” and was succeeded by her remarkable performance in the film “Minsan May Isang Ina” a year after, wherein her impressive portrayal of an epileptic child bestowed her her first-ever Best Child Actress trophy from FAMAS.
Not long after, Manilyn’s golden voice was put under the spotlight, which ultimately propelled her to immense stardom. She then became one of the pioneers of the hit musical youth-oriented show That’s Entertainment hosted by the late German “Kuya Germs” Moreno, wherein she got teamed-up with Tina Paner and Sheryl Cruz in the iconic pop group “The Triplets”.
She went on to juggle her singing and acting career as she appeared in a slew of television programs and movies and recorded some music that made it to the top of the charts, particularly the classic love song “Sayang Na Sayang”, in the following years, and even had her first major concert in Araneta Coliseum. Thus, she was hailed as the “Star of the New Decade” during her time.
Despite having her own family after tying the knot with her fellow That’s Entertainment artist Aljon Jimenez in 1996, that didn’t hinder her to continue doing what she loves – singing and acting – as she appeared in a number of television programs and movies in the past years, including her unforgettable stints in Kapamilya shows ASAP, Maalaala Mo Kaya, Wanspanataym, and Got To Believe. In fact, the 48-year-old actress-singer celebrated her 25th anniversary in the industry in 2007 through a concert in Aliw Theater.
At present, Manilyn is still happily married to her husband of 23 years and current manager Aljon, to whom she has three adorable sons, and works as one of the talents of a rival network.
Check out her throwback photos that we found around the worldwide web and her social media platforms and collated in this gallery!