After earning a nomination in the forthcoming Film Academy of the Philippines awards for Best Actress for her role in Mario Cornejo’s Apocalypse Child, Gwen Zamora is looking forward to working in more independent film projects in the future.
“It excites me to think about playing more characters in other indie films,” the pretty Franco-Filipina said over lunch recently at Victorino’s in Quezon City.
Movies is where Gwenaella Tasha Mae Agnese (now more familiarly known as Gwen Zamora) started in show business. She played a small role in Enteng Kabisote (Entent at si Agimat). She was 18 then and the role gave the teenager the biggest surprise of her life then, a Best Newcomer Supporting Actress nomination at the Metro Manila Film Festival awards night. From there, she appeared in other films, like Boy Pick-up and My Kontrabida Girl.
Movie producers from Indonesia noticed her acting potential she was cast in the film The Witmess that was screened, apart from Indonesia, in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines.
Gwen is also starring in Dave Fabros’ gay romp called Straight to the Heart along with actors Carl Guevarra and Kiko Matos.
Gwen Zamora was born on Aug. 10, 1990. She is the youngest daughter of Italian chef Philippe Agnese and wife Therese. She was born in Australia and moved to the Philippines when she was still a toddler. She attended the French school in Parañaque and College of St. Benilde. She now lives in Parañaque after moving from neighboring Las Piñas.
As a little girl, she attended a variety of dance classes, like ballet, jazz, belly dancing and flamenco. She manifested a preference for performance that at at the age of 13 she started acting in school plays, cementing her interest in the field of entertainment.
At 17, with her Eurasian features, commercial talent agents cast her in a variety of Television commercials like Belo Essentials, Jollibee (Jolly Hotdog), Bingo Cookies. At present she is one of the Lux ladies.
On television, Gwen was introduced to the audience as member of the cast of the gag show Bubble Gang on GMA Network, the longest running gag show on local TV. She also starred in soap operas among which were Grazilda, Machete, Inamorata, Indio, Aso ni San Roque and My Mother’s Secret.
Gwen now feels that she is ready to venture into more independent films, stage performances, and other platforms since she is no longer exclusively a GMA artist. Although she is extremely grateful for the opportunities and experiences the Kapuso network has given her, she feels like she is ready to go where the wind takes her. She also wants to have a taste of how it is to be behind the camera.
Outside of show business, Gwen is passionate about culinary arts. It is something that she got from her dad, Philippe, who is the Executive Pastry Chef of the City of Dreams at the Entertainment City in Parañaque.
Apart from being busy with her showbiz commitments, she recently ventured into the food business by becoming a partner at Elarz Lechon in Taguig City.
Gwen feels that being nominated by the Film Academy of the Philippines is an achievement in itself. Given the prestige of this award giving body, she had mixed emotions about her nomination. She is excited for the opportunities that will come due to her nomination, but at the same time she is anxious and nervous of the outcome during the awards night.
