Tessie Agana

Her parents were actress Linda Estrella and Dr Adriano Agana. She studied at St. Paul College, Quezon City and Philippine Women's University. She married Dr Rudy Jao, and their nine children reside with them in Gary, Indiana, USA. Agana was discovered by Dr. Jose R. Perez, who gave her a bit part as a solo ballet dancer in Milagro ng birhen ng mga rosas (1949). This was followed by Campo O'Donnell (1950), where she played the daughter of Pancho Magalona and Linda Estrella. Her biggest break came when she portrayed a mistreated waif in Roberta (1951). The film broke box-office records and helped Sampaguita Pictures rise again after a big fire gutted its studio. She became the most popular child star of the 1950s, sharing top billing with major starts such as Pancho Magalona and Lillian Leonardo in Anghel ng pag-ibig (1951); Gloria Romero in Rebecca (1952); Ramon Revilla and Sylvia La Torre in Ulila ng Bataan (1952); Katy de la Cruz and Norma Vales in Cumbanchera (1952); and Fred Montilla in Nagkita si Kerubin at si Tulisang Pugot (1954). She was under exclusive contract with 'Sampaguita Pictures' and did not work for any other movie company except Alta Productions, the Agana firm which produced Kung ako'y maging dalaga (1954). When she was 14, her family migrated to the United States but she returned briefly to do some movies with Jose Mari: Love at First Sight (1960), and Amy, Susie & Tessie (1960) (1960); and again with Gloria Romero and Luis Gonzales in For You, Mama (1970) (1970), before she married and settled in the US for good. Agana received the Maria Clara award as Best Child Actress of the Year for her dual performance in Eddie Romero's Ang prinsesa at ang Pulubi (1950), an adapatation of the famous classic, The Prince and the Pauper (1909).