Cookie, Kukay, Brooke Shields of the Philippines, Queen of Fantasy Movies, the Eternal Star
Occupation
Actress
Years active
1970–present
Spouse
Ricardo Cepeda
(m. 1992; ann. 2006)
Children
2 daughters
Maria Milagros "Snooky" Sumayao Serna[1] (born April 4, 1966) is a Filipino actress. Regarded as the “Eternal Star” by the local media, she is best known for her portrayals in Anak ni Waray, Anak ni Biday (1984); Blusang Itim (1986) and Rosa Mistica.[2]
With a career spanning over five decades,[3] Serna is regarded as one of the Filipina actresses with the most beautiful faces and one of the most respected actresses of her generation.[4] At the age of 3, she made her debut in the film Wanted: Perfect Mother (1970) and earned her further recognitions as a child actress.[5] Launched as one of the original "Regal Babies", she became one of tinseltown's most bankable leading dramatic actresses in the 1980s.[6] She attained commercial peak after top billing the career-defining fantasy-romance film Blusang Itim, which became one of the biggest box-office successes of 80s decade.[7]
Serna has since received countless accolades in local and international scene. She notably won two awards for "Best Actress" and "Jury Award" at the 11th International Film Festival Manhattan in New York City, becoming the first Filipino actor to win two major awards at the film festival.[8] She is also a recipient of three FAMAS Awards and three PMPC Star Awards for Movies, including several nominations from Gawad Urian Awards and FAP Awards.
Being the daughter of actors Von Serna of Filipinos Spanish Ancestry and Mila Ocampo, she started acting early in life via her 1970 landmark debut Wanted: Perfect Mother, where she immediately captured the hearts of Filipino audience as a cute, sweet and smart-talking four-year-old. That same year she earned her first acting nomination from FAMAS Awards as Best Child Performer for the film My Little Angel.
Trained by acclaimed director and National Artist, Lino Brocka, Snooky showed promise as dramatic actress and later proved to be a fine one. In 1972, she won her first FAMAS Award as Best Child Actress for the film Sana Mahalin Mo Ako.
Snooky Serna was tapped by Regal Films to play the lead role in the movie, Katorse in 1980. Since she was not ready for mature roles then, she begged off, which eventually made a big star out of newcomer Dina Bonnevie. In her teens, she was launched as one of the original Regal Babies (a promotional term coined for a group of teen movie stars under contract with Filipino film production giant Regal Films) and groomed as a leading actress in various loveteam-inspired flicks with then heartthrobs Gabby Concepcion and Albert Martinez. She also starred in more daring films like Bata Pa si Sabel (1981), Strangers in Paradise (1983), Experience(1984), Teenage Marriage (1984) and Lilac (1985).
She starred in numerous films in the 1980s like Underage, Schoolgirls, Story of Three Loves and Anak ni Waray vs. Anak ni Biday, among others. In February 1986, she was cast in the lead role of the IBC television series Mansyon, which was the most expensive television production at the time. [citation needed] In the same month, she was given her first solo film project, an adaptation of the comic book serial Blusang Itim, which became a box office success.[9] She was also the host of the television shows Always Snooky and Regal Drama Presents: Snooky on ABS-CBN.
As an actress, she tackled roles that earned acting nominations from various award-giving bodies. She was also in Kapag Napagod ang Puso (1988) with Christopher de Leon and Inagaw Mo ang Lahat sa Akin (Harvest Home - official Philippine entry to the 1995 Oscars) but unfortunately was snubbed during the awards night. Her other major films include Aabot Hanggang Sukdulan (1990), Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow (1986), Hahamakin ang Lahat (1990) with Vilma Santos, the fantasy films Rosa Mistica (1988), and Madonna: Ang Babaing Ahas (1991). It was with Koronang Itim (1994), that she finally won Best Lead Actress from FAMAS and Cebu Archdiocese Media Awards. She has starred in over 80 films from 1970 to 2004.
Snooky was prodded to concentrate on family and motherhood in the late 1990s. Upon her comeback, her work mostly concentrated on TV. Initially, she had a short stint as a newscaster of IBC Express Balita and as a host for IBC-13's magazine show Travel and Trade.
Drama roles on television
More recently, she's been in various top-rating soap operas in rival stations GMA Network and ABS-CBN, notably Marina, Captain Barbell and Habang Kapiling Ka where she again was awarded the best actress trophy for TV drama performance from PMPC in 2003. Her recent films include Anak Ka ng Tatay Mo, Captain Barbell, and the still unreleased Bituin, Buwan at Araw with Nora Aunor.
Snooky made a career turnaround during the late 90s when she concentrated on television and became a host of a tele-magazine show over IBC-13. She also became a newsreader over the same network delivering the mid- and early evening news. She also entered the corporate world by accepting the position of AVP for Megaworld Properties, Inc., and even started a film school in Cabanatuan City. But all endeavors were short-lived.
She is seen mostly with GMA Network and ABS-CBN.
Villainous roles on television
In 1997, Snooky played the minor and anti-heroine role of Criselda V. Pereira in the ABS-CBN Primetime series Mula sa Puso, an accomplice sister of Selena (played by Princess Punzalan) who tries to convince her to take care of Magda's (played by Jaclyn Jose) daughter and keeps them separate, until she dies of cancer in the series, and the 2002, she played the anti-heroine role of Maida Ventaspejo in Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay in a special participation of their series.
In 2015, Snooky is currently known for her antagonist roles in the GMA Drama series, since she played Mercedes Dela Paz in My Faithful Husband (2015) a mother of Emman (played by Dennis Trillo) who loathes her son from the product of rape and despises his wife, Mel (played by Jennylyn Mercado) to make her life miserable.
In both 2016, she played the main antagonist role as Deborah Villon in Poor Señorita (2016), a snobbish and rich woman as a mother of Piper (played by Valeen Montenegro and Edison (played by Elyson de Dios) who makes her niece Rita's (played by Regine Velasquez) life miserable to get whatever she wants to be more wealthiness, and she played the anti-heroine role of Laura Caraca-Labasat in Hahamakin ang Lahat (2016 - 2017) a loving and vengeful mother of Junjun (played by Kristofer Martin) to opposite with Joyce Ching, Ariel Rivera and Eula Valdez.
In 2019, she played the main antagonist role as Salida Saklang-Calliste in Sahaya (2019), a domineering and villainous mother of the late son's (played by Benjamin Alves) death that she was sworn her revenge against the poor badjao, Sahaya (played by Bianca Umali) and Manisan (played by Mylene Dizon) by making them alive in living hell.
In 2020, she played the good character role of Amelia "Amy" Malatamban, a loving mother of Ginalyn (played by Barbie Forteza in the remake television series Anak ni Waray vs. Anak ni Biday who is previous one of the four main characters, Susie along with her Underage co-star, the Diamond Star Ms. Maricel Soriano.
In both 2023, she played the new character of Velda Alcantara-Gatchalian, a cunning, ambitious, manipulative, and vengeful rich woman who makes the Serrano sisters' life miserable as she avenges her second son Leo's (played by Nikki Co) death in the remake television series, Underage who is previous one of the three leading roles, Corazon as the youngest of three sisters in the 1980 film at her age of 14, and she went back to ABS-CBN via Pira-Pirasong Paraiso to play another antagonist role Hon. Jacinda Sebastian, a corrupt judge that will make the Paraiso sisters life miserable, she’s also reunited with her Underage co-star, the Diamond Star Ms. Maricel Soriano.
Personal life
Serna was married to actor/model Ricardo Cepeda for over 12 years, with their marriage ending in annulment in January 2006. They have two daughters, Sam and Sachi. In 2024, Cepeda was released from the Cagayan Provincial Jail, in Tuguegarao after posting bail for estafa case.[10]Her second husband was Nino Mendoza (artist and vocalist of a Filipino Rock band the Blue Jean Junkies) but they have been separated.[citation needed]
Serna's parents are Anthonio B. Serna "Von Serna" (1939–1994) of Filipino-Spanish Ancestry and Mila Ocampo or Milagros S. Serna, with grandparents Antonio Bon V. Serna and Maria Victoria S. Mercado. Her sibling is Anton Serna. She once lived with her aunt Eden at childhood. Since 2022, Serna was engaged to Ramon ‘Mon’ Villarama.[14]
Serna's parent's grave (Anthonio B. Serna (Von Serna)-Mila Ocampo).
