Heart Evangelista

 

Love Marie Payawal Ongpauco (born February 14, 1985), better known by her screen name Heart Evangelista, is a Chinese-Filipino actress, TV show host, singer, VJ, and an endorser.

Born on February 14, 1985 to restaurateurs Reynaldo Ongpauco and Cecilia Payawal, Heart is the youngest in her family, with one brother and five sisters.^[2] She grew up in Foster City, California, in the United States^[3] where she attended Audubon Elementary School. At age ten, her family moved back to the Philippines, and she transferred to Colegio San Agustin-Makati in Makati City. When she began pursuing her childhood dream of becoming an actress,^[3] she continued her high school education at ABS-CBN's Distance Learning Center.
Her Chinese paternal grandparent, a movie producer and actors' caterer,^[3] founded the first Barrio Fiesta Restaurant, of a now-international chain, in 1958.^[4]

 

Evangelista was first discovered by a commercial agent while at a mall with her sister. She signed up with the Star Magic agency, formerly known as Talent Center, and was part of Star Circle Batch 9. She was paired with John Prats on the show G-Mik and also on Trip, Ang Tanging Ina, My First Romance and Berks.
In 2004 Evangelista appeared on the TV series Hiram, for which she earned a Star Awards Best Actress nomination for this series. Evangelista also won the Best New Female Personality (Best New Movie Actress and Best New TV Actress) awards from Star Awards for Movies and Star Awards for TV. She also won Texter's and Listener's Choice at the Himig Handog Awards for her single "Love Has Come My Way". She released the single "Tell Me" in Australia where it peaked at number 18 on the charts.
In early 2007, she renewed her ties with ABS-CBN and was under a per project basis with her manager Angeli Pangilinan Valenciano. She finished a sineserye for the station, the remake of the movie Hiram na Mukha, and appeared briefly on Pangarap Na Bituin. She also starred in the reformatted version of Your Song under the title "Muntik Na Kitang Minahal".
She transferred to GMA Network due to her father's decision, which she announced on April 23, 2008. She signed a two-year exclusive contract and starred in the series series Codename: Asero. Evangelista formerly co-hosted SOP Rules.
Evangelista played the title role in Ay Ayeng, a film on the indigenous Ifugao life in Mountain Province, which premiered in Hawaii, on July 14, 2008. The movie was adapted from "Maestra Ester," a novel by Abdon Noviza and Lica Lazaro. She won a FAMAS Best Actress trophy in 2009 for her portrayal of the role "Ayeng."
She has appeared in Luna Mystika and hosts the new lifestyle show Fashionistas By Heart airing on Q.
Her afternoon TV soap entitled Sine Novela Presents: Ngayon At Kailanman aired its final episode in September 2009.
In late 2009 - early 2010, she starred in a primetime Koreanovela TV series, Full House.
Evangelista hosts the musical variety show on GMA, Party Pilipinas.
She appeared in the Christmas Reality Show, Puso ng Pasko: Artista Challenge on GMA Channel 7, and she plays a dwarf on Dwarfina.

Her foundation Heart Can aims to help children with respiratory diseases, and she is also a spokesperson for Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS).^[3]