Jodi Chrissie Garcia Sta. Maria (born June 16, 1982) is a Filipino actress. Sta. Maria was recognized as one of the most sought-after actresses in the entertainment industry.

Jodi Sta. Maria
Jodi Sta. Maria in 2016
Born	Jodi Chrissie Garcia Sta. Maria (1982-06-16) June 16, 1982 (age 40) Santa Rosa, Laguna, Philippines
Nationality	Filipino
Other names	Jodi Sta. Maria-Lacson
Years active	1998–present
Agent(s)	Star Magic (1998–2018; 2022–present) B617 (2018–present)
Spouse(s)	Panfilo P. Lacson, Jr. ​ ​ (m. 2005⁠–⁠2010)​
Children	Panfilo S. Lacson III

She is best known for her role as Doc Jill in the 2022 drama series The Broken Marriage Vow were she popularized the tagline "Papunta Palang Tayo sa Exciting Part" and become hit online.

[1] In 2014, she bagged the "Favorite Foreign Actress" trophy at the Vietnam Green Star Awards.[2] In 2016, she was nominated for "Best Performance by an Actress" at the 44th International Emmy Awards for her role as Amor Powers in Pangako Sa ’Yo.[3] In 2022, Sta. Maria won "Best Drama Actress" at the Golden Laurel Batangas Province Media Awards.[4]

Personal life

Sta. Maria is the youngest child. She and her brother were raised by their single mother, Mercedita.[5] She attended the Philippine Pasay Chung Hua Academy and was an honor student.[6] In school, Sta. Maria was active in her school's extra-curricular activities, particularly the volleyball varsity team and the debating team.[6]

Sta. Maria was married to Panfilo "Pampi" Lacson Jr., the son of Senator Panfilo Lacson, from whom she is now separated.[7] The two met during a taping of Tabing Ilog[8] and married on Easter Sunday 2005 in Las Vegas.[5] The two separated in March 2011 and thereafter Sta. Maria filed a petition for the declaration of nullity of marriage with the Regional Trial Court on grounds of psychological incapacity. The court declared their marriage "null and void" in 2014 but that decision was junked by the Court of Appeals in 2016 and affirmed in 2017.[9]

Sta. Maria and Lacson have a son born in 2005 named Panfilo "Thirdy" Lacson III. In a 2016 interview, Sta. Maria revealed that she was greatly affected by her separation from Lacson, which resulted in alcoholism and drug use. She quit smoking, alcohol, and drugs after the intervention of actress Coney Reyes and became a Born again Christian. The success of her TV series Be Careful With My Heart in 2012 also helped her recover from her addictions.[10]

Sta. Maria attended De La Salle University-Dasmariñas and studied Medical Biology as her prerequisite to studying Medicine.[11] She left college after a year due to the sudden success of her series Be Careful With My Heart, which was extended from its intended run of 3 months to 2 and 1/2 years.[12] Sta. Maria finished her degree in Psychology at Southville International School and Colleges in 2020. She was a Dean's Lister during her last semester in 2019.[13]

She has been a WHO Ambassador since 2011.^{[citation needed]}

Career

A talent scout approached Sta. Maria and her friends to audition for commercials while at a fast-food chain. After numerous auditions and no offers, they gave up. A few weeks later, the talent scout approached Sta. María once again and encouraged her to audition for Star Magic. At 15, she was one of the youngest in their batch.

After starring and appearing in teen-oriented shows and movies such as Gimik, Flames, and Jologs, Sta. Maria landed a role in Tabing Ilog as the sassy tomboyish Georgina.[14] The show was successful and ran for almost five years. She also became a host of Star Circle Quest alongside Luis Manzano.

She starred in the original version of Pangako Sa 'Yo (2000) as Lia Buenavista as well as the 2015 remake, cast as Amor Powers, who was originally played by Eula Valdez.[15]

After playing teen roles, she played villainous characters in primetime shows such as Walang Kapalit and Kampanerang Kuba. She transitioned to star in numerous independent films, which have been screened internationally. She has since received 2 Gawad Urian Award nominations.

In 2010, she starred in Noah alongside Piolo Pascual, who has called her a 'thinking actress'. In 2011, she played Sophia in the critically acclaimed 100 Days to Heaven. In 2012, Jodi had a special participation as in the daytime drama series Mundo Man ay Magunaw until she rose up when she top-billed the sleeper hit Be Careful With My Heart as Maya dela Rosa along with Richard Yap who played her love interest, Richard Lim. The show became a success worldwide, spawning albums, worldwide tours, and concerts.

Her portrayal as Amor Powers in the 2015 remake of Pangako Sa ‘Yo earned her an International Emmy Award for Best Actress nomination, the second Filipina actress to earn such a distinction. Since then, she has starred in drama series, such as daytime drama Sana Dalawa ang Puso, and primetime series, Sino ang May Sala? and Ang sa Iyo ay Akin.

In 2022, she stars in the Philippine adaptation of Doctor Foster, The Broken Marriage Vow. On September 8, 2020, ABS-CBN announced that Sta. Maria will be one of the official cast for the upcoming Metro Manila Film Festival entry Labyu with an Accent , and she will be paired by Coco Martin.

Filmography

Television

Films

Awards and nominations

References

External links

• Jodi Sta. Maria at IMDb