Giselle Anne Töngi-Walters (born June 14, 1978) is a Filipino actress.

Early life and education

Töngi was born on June 14, 1978, in

Neuilly-sur-Seine Neuilly-sur-Seine (; 'Neuilly-on-Seine'), also known simply as Neuilly, is an urban Communes of France, commune in the Hauts-de-Seine Departments of France, department just west of Paris in France. Immediately adjacent to the city, north of the ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

to a Swiss father, Erich, and Filipina mother, Aurora. She has four siblings namely: Avie, Tony, John and Sharon. She was raised by her mother in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

and moved to

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

at age 15. Töngi studied at the

Lee Strasberg Lee Strasberg (born Israel Strassberg; November 17, 1901 – February 17, 1982) was an American acting coach and actor. He co-founded, with theatre directors Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford, the Group Theatre in 1931, which was hailed ...

School of Acting in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. She obtained a bachelor's degree in communication studies from the

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school the ...

and a master's degree in nonprofit management from

Antioch University Antioch University is a private university with multiple campuses in the United States and online programs. It is the continuation of Antioch College, which was founded in 1852. Antioch College's first president was politician, abolitionist, and ...

Career

Töngi was 5 when she was discovered by an agent at a mall. She was then launched as a member of the pioneer batch of Star Circle (now

Star Magic ABS-CBN Center for Communication Arts, Inc., doing business as Star Magic (formerly known as ABS-CBN Talent Center), is a Philippine talent agency owned by ABS-CBN Corporation based in Quezon City, Metro Manila. Founded in 1992, Star Magic ha ...

). In the early 2000s, she left a thriving acting career in the Philippines to try her luck in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

. She landed a role in '' Saved by the Bell: The Musical'' and in 2004 in the stage play ''Days When Cocaine Was King''. She played a planted fan to the contestants during a challenge in ''

America's Next Top Model, Cycle 16 The sixteenth cycle of ''America's Next Top Model'' premiered on February 23, 2011, and was the tenth cycle to be aired on The CW. The catch-phrase for this cycle is "Rainy Day Women." The prizes for this cycle were: *A modeling contract with I ...

'', which can be seen in Episode 9 of the said Cycle. In 2014, Töngi replaced

Jannelle So Jannelle So-Perkins (born September 9, 1977) is a Filipino journalist and broadcaster known for her work as the creator, host and producer of "Kababayan Today" (formerly "Kababayan L.A.), a daily show magazine/talk show for and about Filipinos ...

as host and producer of ''Kababayan Today'', which airs on KSCI (LA-18).

Personal life

Töngi married bartender Tim Walters in a beach wedding in

Boracay Boracay (; sometimes shortened by non-natives as Bora) is a resort island in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines, located off the northwest coast of Panay, Panay Island. It has a total land area of , under the jurisdiction of thre ...

on February 19, 2005. Together they have two children, Kenobi Benjamin and Alecks.

Filmography

Television

Film

Theater

Discography

Studio albums

Compilation appearances

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Toengi, G. 1978 births Living people ABS-CBN people Actresses from Neuilly-sur-Seine Actresses from Manila Actresses from New York City American actresses of Filipino descent American expatriates in the Philippines American people of Swiss descent Antioch University alumni Filipino video jockeys GMA Network (company) people Star Magic University of California, Los Angeles alumni Viva Artists Agency 21st-century American women Filipino television actresses Filipino film actresses Filipino musical theatre actresses