# Lilia Cuntapay

Lilia B. Cuntapay (Tagalog:; September 16, 1935 – August 20, 2016) was a Filipina actress and former teacher. She is popularly recognized as the "Queen of Philippine Horror Movies" for her subsequent appearances in horror movies and exceptional contributions to Philippine film industry.
Cuntapay's debut role was in the Filipino horror film series Shake Rattle & Roll in 1991. She found acclaim for her first leading role, in the film Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay, which won her an award as "Best Actress" in the 2011 CinemaOne Originals Digital Film Festival. One of Cuntapay's final TV appearances was in the teleserye FPJ's Ang Probinsyano.

## Early life

Cuntapay was born in the Cabiraoan village of Gonzaga, Cagayan, on September 16, 1935. After she earned her BS degree in Education, she taught in the primary school levels in Tuguegarao. After Cuntapay stopped teaching, she ventured into the buy-and-sell trade. She also worked in various office staff-level positions in the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM).

## Career
### Horror movie extra

Cuntapay was among the 40 actors trained in the first batch of acting workshops conducted by Lori Reyes and Peque Gallaga for LVN Pictures.
In 1991, Cuntapay played the spooky nanny of Kris Aquino's character in Shake Rattle & Roll 3, and in the following year she was cast to play a character identified as an "aswang" —a role for which she would later be typecast in many subsequent movie appearances, and these earned her the title "Queen of Philippine Horror Movies." After her death a film critic, who assessed the top five performancess of Cuntapay's career, said that in her role for the 1992 film Aswang :
   Cuntapay was casted as the neighbor thought to be the aswang terrorizing the barrio. This is the start of the flood of horror movie offers.

### Television appearances

In 2009, Cuntapay appeared as an albularyo in the ABS-CBN afternoon TV series Precious Hearts Romances Presents: Bud Brothers. She was featured in the Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho 2009 Halloween Special. She appeared as Rosanna, a role which she shared with Maricar Reyes, in the Midnight DJ episode named "Kwentas ng Mangkukulam". Cuntapay was also cast as Miley Cyrus in Lokomoko High's spoof of the Party in the USA music video. At the end of the year, she had a minor role in the film Nobody, Nobody But... Juan — an entry to the 2009 Metro Manila Film Festival.
In 2010, Cuntapay played an old lady in The Last Prince and a fairy disguised as an old lady in the "Inday Bote" episode of Wansapanataym. The following year, she played Upeng in the mini-series Sa Ngalan ng Ina, the first offering of TV5's TV5 Miniserye series in the latter part of 2011.

### Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay and onwards

Cuntapay played a fictionalized version of herself in the independent mockumentary Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay—described as a bittersweet fictional account on Cuntapay's life as a Philippine showbiz extra, an entry to the 2011 Cinema One Originals and directed by Antoinette H. Jadaone. The film won six awards in the 2011 Cinema One Originals Digital Film Festival, including a Best Actress award for Cuntapay.
Cuntapay's last film appearance was My Bebe Love in 2015, which was an entry in the 2015 Metro Manila Film Festival. Cuntapay's final TV show appearance was in the action series FPJ's Ang Probinsyano.

## Personal life

Cuntapay never remarried but adopted three children: Gilmore, Magdalena and Elma.

## Death

On August 5, 2016, it was confirmed that Cuntapay suffered from a spinal cord illness and that she was unable to walk. She sought help from her friends and colleagues in the film industry to be able to raise money for her treatment. On August 20, at about 6 a.m, Cuntapay died in her son's home at Barangay Tartarabang in Pinili, Ilocos Norte; she was 80. Her grave was initially unkempt and marked only by a dilapidated tarpaulin due to her family's lack of funds to maintain it. In October 2019, it was subsequently reported that her grave had been properly marked and its surroundings cleaned after help from the provincial and local governments.

## Filmography
### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1995 | Maalaala Mo Kaya | | Episode: "Balon" |
| 2009 | Precious Hearts Romances Presents: Bud Brothers | Tandang Casimsiman Tioleko | Uncredited |
| 2009 | Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho | Herself | Episode: "Halloween Stars, Late Celebrities, and Death and Tradition" |
| 2009 | Midnight DJ | Rosanna | Guest, Episode: "Kwentas ng Mangkukulam" |
| 2009 | Lokomoko High | Miley Cyrus | Guest, "LBM" segment, "Party in the USA" spoof |
| 2010 | The Last Prince | Old lady | Guest, 1 episode. Role is patterned after the old hag in Snow White. |
| 2010 | Wansapanataym | Old lady/Fairy | Episode: "Inday Bote" (Parts 1 & 2) |
| 2011 | Spooky Nights | Old lady | Guest, Episode: "Snow White Lady and the Seven Ghost" |
| 2011 | Maalaala Mo Kaya | Albularyo | Episode: Wig |
| 2011 | Captain Barbell: Ang Pagbabalik | Faustina | Guest, 2 episodes |
| 2011 | TV5 Miniserye: Sa Ngalan ng Ina | Yaya Upeng | |
| 2011 | Tunay na Buhay | Herself | |
| 2011 | Spooky Nights | Maria | Episode: "Panata" |
| 2012 | Wansapanataym | Old Lady | Episode: "Water Willy" |
| 2012 | Felina: Prinsesa ng mga Pusa | Madam Lucilla | |
| 2012 | It's Showtime | Herself | Guest, 1 episode |
| 2012 | Luv U | Old Ms Casimsiman | Guest, 1 episode |
| 2012 | Third Eye | Ursula | Episode: "Sirena sa Breakwater" |
| 2012 | Artista Academy | Herself – Challenger | |
| 2012 | TodaMax | White Lady | |
| 2012 | Enchanted Garden | Oracula | |
| 2013 | Juan dela Cruz | Babaylan | |
| 2013 | Cassandra: Warrior Angel | Aling Ursula | |
| 2013 | Maynila | Lola Chedeng | Episode: "Haunted House for Love" |
| 2013 | Got to Believe | Yaya Yiling | |
| 2014 | Forevermore | Aunor | |
| 2016 | Juan Tamad | Caretaker | |
| 2016 | Sāq Al-bāmbū | | |
| 2016 | FPJ's Ang Probinsyano | Aling Loring Layug | Last television appearance |

### Films

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1986 | ...Sabik Kasalanan Ba? | Aling Berta | Uncredited |
| 1991 | Shake, Rattle & Roll III | Yaya | Segment: "Yaya" |
| 1992 | Aswang | Old Aswang | |
| 1992 | Shake, Rattle & Roll IV | Aling Iya | Segment: "Ang Madre" |
| 1992 | Ali in Wonderland | Aling Iya | |
| 1994 | Once Upon a Time in Manila | Naked Old Woman | Uncredited |
| 1994 | Bala at Lipistik | Lola Sepa | |
| 1994 | Mars Ravelo's Darna! Ang Pagbabalik | Old Valentina | |
| 1994 | Fatima Buen Story | The Omen III | Credited as "Lilia Cantupay" |
| 1994 | Shake, Rattle & Roll V | Woman in the Bathroom | Segment: "Impakto" |
| 1996 | Madrasta | Fides' maid | |
| 1996 | May Nagmamahal Sa'yo | Manang Ofel | |
| 1996 | Ibong Adarna | Witch | Uncredited |
| 1996 | Magic Temple | Townspeople | Uncredited |
| 1997 | Anak ng Dilim | Komadrona | Uncredited |
| 1997 | Sanggano | Old woman | Credited as "Lydia Cuntapay" |
| 1998 | Curacha ang Babaeng Walang Pahinga | Old woman in church | Credited as "Lilian Cuntapay" |
| 1998 | Babae sa Bubungang Lata | Bangkay | |
| 1998 | TatayNic | Old woman | |
| 1999 | Isprikitik: Walastik Kung Pumitik | Old woman in bikini | |
| 1999 | Brokedown Palace | Old Prisoner | |
| 1999 | Dugo ng Birhen: El Kapitan | Witch Doctor | |
| 2000 | Pangarap ng Puso | Jose's Grandmother | |
| 2002 | I Think I'm in Love | Ising's rival in Trip to Jerusalem | |
| 2002 | Bakat | Old Woman | |
| 2002 | Lapu-Lapu | Babaylan | |
| 2003 | Babae sa Breakwater | Serena | |
| 2003 | Spirit Warriors: The Shortcut | Old Ancestral House Ghost | |
| 2005 | Bahay ni Lola 2 | Old Lady Ghost | |
| 2006 | Sukob | | |
| 2007 | Pasukob | Pacing | |
| 2008 | Scaregivers | Tandang Luring | |
| 2008 | Photoshoot | Ghost | |
| 2009 | Nobody, Nobody But... Juan | Belmont Village Resident | Credited as "Lydia Cuntapay" |
| 2011 | Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay | Herself | Won — Cinema One Originals Digital Film Festival Best Actress Nominated — Gawad Urian Award for Best Actress |
| 2011 | Segunda Mano | Church Caretaker | |
| 2011 | My Lai Four | | |
| 2011 | Enteng Ng Ina Mo | Old Lover | |
| 2012 | Boy Pick-Up: The Movie | Lilia | |
| 2012 | Oh My Goth! | | Short film |
| 2012 | REquieme! | Aling Isang | |
| 2012 | Amorosa | Lulu | |
| 2013 | Coming Soon | | |
| 2013 | Bakit Hindi Ka Crush Ng Crush Mo? | | |
| 2014 | Echoserang Frog | | |
| 2013 | Ibong Adarna: The Pinoy Adventure | Bruha | |
| 2014 | Kamandag ni Venus | | |
| 2015 | My Bebe Love | Mrs. Sesmundo | Last film appearance |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Work | Organizatiom | Category | Result | Source |
| 2011 | Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay | Cinema One Originals | Best Actress | Won | |
| 2011 | Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay | Gawad Urian Award | Best Actress | Nominated | |