Seasoned actress Cherie Gil passes away

By Iza Iglesias  and Aric John Sy Cua, Manila Times

AWARD-winning veteran actress Cherie Gil passed away on Friday. She was 59.

Her talent manager Annabelle Rama posted the news on social media, saying, "Cherie Gil just passed away at 5 p.m. today please pray for her."

A few hours later, Gil's nephew actor Sid Lucero confirmed it through a couple of Instagram posts.

Sharing a photo of her aunt, he wrote, "I love you;) big hug:) #bugluv" Followed by a video of crying emoji he drew from his phone.

The reason for her passing, however, has yet to be disclosed as of press time.

It was in February this year when she was reported to have moved out of the Philippines and started a new life in New York to be with her kids.

Explaining in her Mega magazine cover wherein she revealed a shaved head bald look "as a symbol of rebirth," the actress grew tired of herself and "felt angry and unhappy" at the same time.

"I got rid of all the clothes I had that symbolized a past life. I'm completely finding myself and coming to terms with who I really am. It's just great to have this opportunity and to be alive to start over. It's like a rebirth of sorts," she told Mega.

"I just had to make sure that first and foremost, my mental, emotional, spiritual states were getting the priority. I was getting tired of myself. And I was just so angry and unhappy, so I sold everything and packed up," she added.

Evangeline Rose Gil Eigenmann in real life, Gil is known in the entertainment industry as the Philippines' "La Primera Contravida" for her versatility in acting, especially with portraying villain roles.

Through her 50-year career, Gil won a number of awards, including from Famas. She was a recipient of the Ani ng Dangal (Harvest of Honor) award by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and a Hall of Famer at the Metro Manila Film Festival in the "Best Supporting Actress" category.

In 2015, Gil won the highly coveted "Best Actress" trophy at the Asean International Film Awards. The same year, she also won "Best Lead Actress in a Foreign Language Film" at the 2015 Madrid International Film Festival. In 2019, she won her first Gawad Urian Award in the category "Best Supporting Actress" for her portrayal in "Citizen Jake."

Gil came from a family of actors. She is the daughter of showbiz luminaries, the late Eddie Mesa and Rosemarie Gil. Her brothers are Michael de Mesa and the late Mark Gil.