Barbara Perez (born January 4, 1938) is a Filipina actress in movies and television. She was tagged as the "Audrey Hepburn of the Philippines" due to her doe eyes, pixie face, swan-like neck and 19-inch waistline. In the west she appeared in No Man Is an Island, a 1962 Hollywood movie starring Jeffrey Hunter.

A Prolific Film Actress in the late '70s to '80s, she lended her thespic talents as a kontrabida or antagonist/villain. In 2002 to 2004, she was a part of the GMA Primetime hit soap Ang Iibigin ay Ikaw and Ang Iibigin ay Ikaw Pa Rin as Felisa.

Career

Perez appeared in more than 75 movies and television shows since 1956. Perez made films included Pagdating ng Takip-Silim (1956), Chabacano (1956), Pampanguena (1956), Gigolo (1956), Ate Barbara (1957), Kalabog En Bosyo (1959) and Tatlong Ilaw sa Dambana (1958).

After she made No Man Is an Island (1962), she was offered a five-year contract by Universal Studios. But she turned it down and decided to marry her boyfriend, Robert Arevalo. She appeared with her real-life husband in Daigdig ng Mga Api (1965) which garnered Best Actor and Best Actress awards for the couple.

She made other films, such as P.S. I Love You (1981) starring Sharon Cuneta and Gabby Concepcion, Blusang Itim (1986) starring Snooky Serna and Richard Gomez, Taray at Teroy (1988) starring Maricel Soriano and Randy Santiago, Ang Babaeng Nawawala sa Sarili (1989) with Dina Bonnevie, and Iisa Pa Lamang (1992) with Dawn Zulueta.

She appeared on television via ABS-CBN's series Budoy (2011) and Kahit Puso'y Masugatan (2012).

In 2018 after almost 5 years on hiatus, she returned to showbiz via GMA Network's series Sherlock Jr.

Personal life

Born Barbara Muñoz Perez III, after her grandmother and mother, she is the eldest among the nine children of Antonio Perez from Urdaneta, Pangasinan and Barbara Munoz of Manila. Her grandfather was a Spanish engineer, who was among the builders of the national landmark, the Manila Hotel.

Perez was a journalism junior at University of Santo Tomas before entering showbiz. She married veteran dramatic actor Robert Arevalo,^[2] with whom she has three children, Anna, a director of commercials; Georgina, a full-time hands-on mom; and Christian, a student at Xavier School.

Filmography

Film

• Pampanguena (1956)^{[3][4][5][6][7][8][9]}
• Pagdating ng Takip Silim (1956)
• Isang Milyong Kasalanan (1957)
• Tatlong Ilaw sa Dambana (1958)
• Ipinagbili Kami ng Aming Tatay (1959)^[10]
• Esmeralda (1959)^[11]
• 7 Amores (1960)
• Dayukdok (1961)
• No Man Is an Island (1962)
• Ang Daigdig ng Mga Api (1965)
• Dear Kuya Cesar (1968)
• Asedillo (1971)
• Supergirl (1973)
• Ang Boyfriend Kong Baduy (1976)
• P.S. I Love You (1981)
• Exploitation (1983)
• The Sisters (1987)
• Ibulong Mo sa Diyos (1988)
• Taray at Teroy (1988)
• Nakausap Ko ang Birhen (1988) - mother superior
• Bihagin ang Dalagang Ito (1989)
• Bakit Labis Kitang Mahal (1992)
• Ang Boyfriend Kong Gamol (1994)
• Ang Ika-Labing Isang Utos: Mahalin Mo, Asawa Mo (1994)
• Malikmata (2003)
• The Bicycle (2007)

Television

• Ang Iibigin ay Ikaw (2002)
• Ang Iibigin ay Ikaw Pa Rin (2003)
• Budoy (2011-2012)
• Kahit Puso'y Masugatan (2012-2013)
• Tubig at Langis (2016)

Awards and nominations