Iya Villania

Raelene Elaine Ebaler Villanía (born 29 June 1986, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia), better known as Iya Villania, is a Filipino-Australian actress, host, singer, dancer, and model. She has hosted on TV shows like ASAP Mania, Us Girls and as a VJ for MYX music channel.

Villanía was born in Camperdown, Australia but grew up in Sydney. Her parents, Ray and Elena Villanía, are of Filipino descent. She has two elder sisters named Rhoda and Sheila. She learned to play the piano at age 8. Influenced by her dad's fondness for karaoke, Villania began to sing at an early age.

Villania's first TV appearance was via IBC-13's Game Channel, an interactive texting game show. While hosting for the show, she was offered to join the cast of GMA 7's youth-oriented program "Click" as Syd. She appeared in the afternoon drama series "Walang Hanggan". In 2004, she transferred to GMA 7's rival network, ABS-CBN, to accept a VJ job offered by its music channel subsidiary, MYX, and an acting role for another youth-oriented show, "Seasons of Love". In 2005, she was chosen to co-host the daily noontime show, Wowowee, and the variety show, ASAP Mania. In 2006, Villania began hosting a lifestyle show, Us Girls, for Studio 23 and a reality-dance show, U Can Dance. In 2007, she again hosted for the season 2 of U Can Dance and was appeared in the fantaserye Lastikman. In between, Villania was given numerous TV guestings for shows like Komiks, Love Spell and Your Song. She was also given the opportunity to play in Deal or No Deal and Wheel of Fortune. In 2008, she appeared in GMA-7 show Maynila she hosted for TV5's Mysmatch, a reality-dating show, and OMG!, a reality-celebrity game show. In 2009, she appeared in ABS-CBN's Korean telenovela remake, Only You, as Trixie. She also appeared on ABS-CBN's Precious Hearts Romances Presents: Kristine as Scarlet.

 Villania was signed up by Regal Films' owner, Lily Monteverde. Her debut movie, "A Beautiful Life," released in 2004, was directed by Gil Portes. In the same year, she was nominated for best supporting actress in the 2004 Metro Manila Film Festival for the war drama movie "Aishite Imasu 1941" under director, Joel Lamangan. In 2005, she played an all-powerful nature fairy for Imus Productions' "Exodus: Tales of the Enchanted Kingdom". In the summer of 2006, Villania acted her first horror-flick, "Pamahiin". In 2007, she played a cameo role in the romantic movie "Paano Kita Iibigin". In 2009, she was among the cast for GMA Film's valentine movie "When I Met U". In the same year, Villania was again casted by Regal Films to be part of their Metro Manila Film Festival movie entry, Shake, Rattle and Roll XI.

 In 2005, Villania acted in the Stages' musical production of Footloose, based on the 1983 movie of the same name. She auditioned for the role of Ariel, the rebellious pastor's daughter. In 2010, she took up here second theater stint by playing the role of Julia (played by Drew Barrymore in the movie version) for 9 Works Theatrical's The Wedding Singer.

In 2003, she front-acted for the American pop rock band Hanson. In 2005, she had a singing duet with Ogie Alcasid in his Valentine concert. Beside singing for most of her part in Footloose The Musical, she recorded "Almost Paradise" with Jay-R which became the carrier song for the musical's album release. In 2006, in-line with her endorsement for ROSE Online, she recorded the game's carrier single "Good To Be Me" and performed it during the game's official launching. In 2008, her studio album "Finally!" was released by Viva Records with "My First Broken Heart" as the carrier single.