Sharon Gamboa Cuneta-Pangilinan (born January 6, 1966) is a Filipino actress, singer, television personality, and businesswoman. Prolific in multiple fields of entertainment, she is known for playing dramatic and comedic leading roles in film and television. Her accolades include three FAMAS Awards, a Gawad Urian Award, nineteen Box Office Entertainment Awards, three PMPC Star Awards for Movies and two Luna Awards.
Referred to as the "Megastar", Cuneta began her career as a recording artist with the release of the 1978 single "Tawag ng Pag-ibig" under Vicor Music Corp. She rose to prominence following the success of "Mr. DJ", composed by Rey Valera. With record sales exceeding a million in the Philippines, Cuneta is one of the best-selling Filipino musical artist of all time. Among her multi-platinum albums include Isn't It Romantic? (2006), For Broken Hearts Only (1989), Movie Theme Songs (1990) and Sharon Sings Valera (1991). Some of her most successful songs include "Bituing Walang Ningning", "Mr. DJ", "High School Life", "Maging Sino Ka Man", "Langis at Tubig", "Sana'y Wala Nang Wakas", "P.S. I Love You", "To Love Again" and "Kahit Konting Pagtingin."
Following her success in music, Cuneta also ventured into film and television acting. In 1981, she starred in her first feature film Dear Heart opposite Gabby Conception. It was followed by a string of acclaimed and blockbuster films such as Bukas Luluhod ang Mga Tala (1984), Bituing Walang Ningning (1985), Babangon Ako't Dudurugin Kita (1989), Kahit Konting Pagtingin (1990), Maging Sino Ka Man (1991), Madrasta (1996), Crying Ladies (2003), Caregiver (2008) and Unexpectedly Yours (2017). In television, Cuneta hosted musical shows such as The Sharon Cuneta Show (1986), Sharon (1998), and served as judge in numerous talent competitions such as Star Power (2010), Your Face Sounds Familiar (2015), The Voice Kids (2016), and The Voice Teens (2017).
Sharon Gamboa Cuneta was born on January 6, 1966, at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Santa Mesa, Manila. Her mother, Elaine (née Gamboa; 1934–2014), who had one-quarter American blood, was the sister of actress Helen Gamboa. Her father, Pablo Cuneta (1910–2000), was a former mayor of Pasay. She has a brother named Cesar "Chet" who ran for Pasay mayor in the 2019 elections but lost.
Cuneta grew up listening to her father's record collection. Her mother, Elaine Gamboa, was a piano major at the University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music in her youth. The young Cuneta would take up piano, guitar, and flute lessons to broaden her musical training and exposure at a young age. At the age of three, Cuneta would accompany her aunt, actress Helen Gamboa, during recordings of her television shows.
Another of her first proper TV appearances was on Ike Lozada's show, for the "Bulilit" portion, where she mimicked the songs of her aunt, Helen Gamboa. Cuneta was just as young when she appeared in her first movie, the Rosanna Ortiz-George Estregan vehicle Lovers for Hire where she played one of Roderick Paulate's playmates.
Cuneta attended St. Paul College, Pasig, and International School Manila for her primary to secondary education.
In January 1978, the 12-year old Cuneta made her first visit to Vicor Records. Her uncle and vice president of Vicor, Tito Sotto, asked her to record "Tawag Ng Pag-Ibig" which he produced for her at Vicor and shortly after, she was on television promoting her own song for the first time and on the TV show Discorama hosted by TVJ.
The young Sharon was being interviewed live on Discorama, where she stated: "This is the show I watch every week. This is the show that I don’t know how many hundreds of thousands or millions of people watch in the whole country. When it hit me, I couldn’t talk."
In May 1978, Sharon Cuneta followed up with a song by Rey Valera entitled "Mr. DJ". Her producer in Vicor, Tito Sotto, wanted Valera to make a song that would appeal to the Radio DJ's and convince them to play her record on the air.
"Mr. DJ" became a popular hit and gave Cuneta the moniker, "DJ's Pet" (which also became the title of her debut LP). Cuneta received her first Gold Record for this and her music label Vicor Records came out with succeeding albums like "Sharon" and "Sharon Cuneta", and then "High School" with the same level of success.
Cuneta released further popular singles including "Naaalala Ka", "I-Swing Mo Ako", "Kahit Maputi Na Ang Buhok Ko" and "High School Life", which were also part of the Manila Sound era.
Aside from her recording career, Cuneta also began hosting with her aunt, Helen Gamboa, in a TV variety show titled C.U.T.E. or Call Us Two for Entertainment on IBC 13.
In 1980, because of her commercial success as a young singer, Cuneta's boss at the time in Vicor Music, Boss Vic Del Rosario, gave her the golden opportunity to record her first George Canseco song "Tubig at Langis". This became the theme song of the film with same title starring Vilma Santos and directed by Danny Zialcita.
During the Cebu Film Festival that same year, "Langis at Tubig" was an official entry and had a float made for the parade at the Sinulog Festival. The only people there were the director, Danny Zialcita and Sining Silangan producer, Ernie Rojas. But there were no actors from the actual movie who were able to go to Cebu for this event as the main lead, Vilma Santos, was pregnant at the time. Sining Silangan asked permission from Vic Del Rosario if the young Sharon Cuneta who sang the theme song could join them on the float. Del Rosario agreed and Cuneta, accompanied by her mother Elaine, headed to Cebu. "My Mom and I got on the float. We went to Cebu, my first time ever. When I got on the float and it started moving, I couldn’t believe how people reacted to me. That they knew me. I just felt all this love come towards me like a rain of bullets. I can’t explain the feeling. At that age, I was 14 already. A veteran (laughs) after 2 years of singing."
1981–1984: Dear Heart and the start of a movie career
On the same day as the Sinulog Festival Float Ride during the Cebu Film Festival, Director Danny Zialcita asked Cuneta to appear in an upcoming film. Her parents eventually agreed to meet with Danny Zialcita. Despite asking for an outlandishly large fee, Silangan agreed to pay the sum without reservation. "Ok po. Call". That was it. Zialcita told her: "If you would do this for me I will make you a star. It was a commitment, a promise I made to her." "The topic of the leading man came up. Direk Danny said, 'Who would you want to be your leading man?' And my answer, of all things to say, was anybody but Gabby Concepcion. Turns out, the only one available was Gabby Concepcion."
Cuneta starred in her first feature film, Dear Heart. She was paired with then Close-Up model and Regal Films' 1980s heartthrob, Gabby Concepcion. Dear Heart was successful and paved the way for future collaborations.