In the past two decades that she’s been in the local entertainment scene, we’ve witnessed how Jodi Sta. Maria evolved from being a promising teen actress to becoming the “Silent Superstar” who unfailingly astounds us with her versatility and caliber in every project that she does.
As she takes on another challenging role this year in the highly anticipated series The Broken Marriage Vow as the distressed Dra. Jill Ilustre who got betrayed by her husband and friends, let’s look back on some of her remarkable teleserye gigs through the years in this episode of Kapamilya Spotlight.
Those who have been following her career ever since she started in the late 90s would know that she had her debut in the youth-oriented television series Gimik. But it was in the iconic teen drama Tabing Ilog, through which she began to become a household name due to her impressive portrayal of George Fuentabella.
Her dramatic prowess was further honed and showcased through her stints in the classic romance drama Pangako Sa ‘Yo as Lia Buenavista (2000), as well as in her succeeding teleserye appearances namely, Darating ang Umaga (2003), Pablo S. Gomez's Kampanerang Kuba (2005), Walang Kapalit (2007), Ligaw na Bulaklak (2008), Palos (2008), Sineserye Presents: The Susan Roces Cinema Collection: Patayin sa Sindak si Barbara (2008), and Tayong Dalawa (2009).
Jodi then went on to stir us with her compelling performances in the primetime series Tanging Yaman and Noah, which were both released in 2010. We were then able to see both of her dramatic and comedic facets in her portrayal of Sophia Delgado in the fantasy comedy drama 100 Days To Heaven in 2011.
After her special participation in the 2012 soasp opera Mundo Man Ay Magunaw, she absolutely made our days brighter as she top-billed ABS-CBN’s first-ever daytime series Be Careful With My Heart. The adorable personality and well-written narrative of her character Maya Dela Rosa truly won the hearts of the viewers, winning her accolades from various award-giving bodies and making the series for two years!
And she’s definitely unstoppable in showcasing her versatility and brilliance as an actress. In 2015, she was chosen to take on the iconic role of Amor Powers in the remake of Pangako Sa ‘Yo, which used to be portrayed by veteran actress Eula Valdez. It earned her recognitions from different award-giving bodies, including the Best Actress nomination from the International Emmy Awards.
She further amazed us with her portrayal of dual roles in the 2018 daytime series Sana Dalawa Ang Puso, in which she amused the viewers as twins Mona Bulalayao and Lisa Laureano, and eventually touched a lot of hearts as Fina Baniaga, a mother whose journey in looking and fighting for her lost we followed in the 2019 primetime series Sino Ang Maysala? Mea Culpa.
In 2020, we’re able to once again see the comedic and dramatic facets of Jodi as an actress. She was an affectionate and vivacious single mother Chona San Miguel in the iWantTFC original series “My Single Lady,” then a fierce lady boss yet loving mom Marissa Pineda in Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin.
Aside from these teleseyes, the 39-year-old actress also appeared in several episodes of the long-running drama anthology Maalaala Mo Kaya, with the “Baby For Sale” or “Gatas” episode as the latest. Her powerful performance as a mother who sells her child to its own father just to make ends meet for her family actually earned her a nomination from the 31st PMPC Star Awards for Television for Best Single Performance by an Actress category in 2017.
Are you excited as us to see Jodi Sta. Maria’s sure-fire portrayal of a woman betrayed by her husband and friends? Well, you better not miss an episode of The Broken Marriage Vow beginning January 24 on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, A2Z Channel 11, and TV5!