Ace Filipina actress Cherie Gil dies at 59 in New York
The Philippine entertainment industry is thrown into a state of shock after another formidable actress, Evangeline Rose Cherie Gil Eigenmann died on Friday from cancer in New York.
She died at the age of 59 after battling the ailment in New York’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center at exactly 5:00pm.
The news of the veteran actress death was made known by her nephew, Sid Lucero in a GMA programme dubbed: “Saksi” yesterday, August 5, 2022.
The actor said Cherie Gil had been ill for some time, without elaborating further on it and he paid tribute to Gil, along with fellow actors Sharon Cuneta and Vilma Santos, as well as director Jose Javier Reyes, among others
The actress’ friend, talent manager, Annabelle Rama, revealed Gil’s passing on her Twitter page yesterday.
“Cherie Gil just passed away at 5 p.m. today. Please pray for her,” Rama said
Based on her recent Facebook posts, Cherie had been receiving treatment at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
As part of a showbiz clan that included her parents Eddie Mesa and Rosemarie Gil, and brothers Mark Gil (+) and Michael de Mesa, Cherie had an early start in entertainment, receiving supporting roles in various films before bagging the title role at the age of 15 in the film Problem Child, starring opposite her mother.
Cherie would go on to star in films such as Manila by Night in 1980, Oro, Plata, Mata in 1982, and as Lavinia Arguelles in Bituing Walang Ninging in 1985 – the film where she would utter the now-iconic line “you’re nothing but a second-rate, trying hard copycat!”
After taking an 11-year break from showbiz in 1994 to focus on family, Cherie made her comeback in the film Sugatang Puso, which earned her the Best Supporting Actress award at the Metro Manila Film Festival.
In 2018, she appeared briefly in the film Citizen Jake, which gave her her first Gawad Urian Award.
She continued to perform on screen and onstage well into her 50s, taking on roles in the one-woman play Full Gallop which she also produced, and in Atlantis Productions’ Angels in America, where she played multiple roles.
She was also known popularly for her role as Helena Montenegro in Onanay, the Way To Your Heart.
In the pandemic, she became an acting mentor, giving online masterclasses for aspiring and experienced actors.
In February 2022, she disclosed her decision to leave Philippines for New York to reunite with her family, especially her kids.
Source: www.spotonnews.net
