Maria Izadora Ussher Calzado-Wintle (born August 12, 1982), known professionally as Iza Calzado (), is a Filipino actress, television host, dancer and model. She is dubbed as the "''Goddess of Horror Films''" by local media for her acting prowess and haunting portrayals in acclaimed Filipino horror films. Calzado is regarded as one of the most versatile and successful women in Philippine show business. She was a semi-finalist for a nomination at the

International Emmy Awards The International Emmy Awards, or International Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based International Academy of Television Arts and ...

. She has won 2 Cinemalaya Film Festival Awards, 3 Golden Screen Awards, 3 PMPC Star Awards, 2 MMFF Awards, a Gawad Urian Award and 5

FAMAS Award The Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences Awards (also known as the FAMAS Awards) are the annual honors given by the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS), an organization composed of award-winning writers and movie columni ...

nominations. She has won "Best Actress" at the 34th PMPC Star Awards. In 2017, she won the prestigious Yakushi Pearl Award at the Osaka Asian Film Festival. In 2021, she won "Best Performance by an Actress (TV Series)" at the 5th GEMS-Hiyas ng Sining Awards. The same year, she won "Outstanding TV Actress of the Year" with

Jodi Sta. Maria Jodi Chrissie Garcia Sta. Maria (born June 16, 1982) is a Filipino actress. Sta. Maria was recognized as one of the most sought-after actresses in the entertainment industry. She is best known for her iconic roles in ABS-CBN drama shows. One o ...

at the 3rd Laguna Excellence Awards. She was a former homegrown artist of

GMA Network GMA Network (Global Media Arts or simply GMA) is a Philippine free-to-air television and radio network. It is the flagship property of publicly traded GMA Network, Inc. Its first broadcast on television was on October 29, 1961. GMA Network (f ...

for ten years. In 2012, Calzado signed an exclusive contract with

ABS-CBN ABS-CBN (an initialism of its two predecessors' names, Alto Broadcasting System and Chronicle Broadcasting Network) is a Philippine commercial broadcast network that serves as the flagship property of ABS-CBN Corporation, a company unde ...

, and also signed a non-exclusive contract with

Star Cinema ABS-CBN Film Productions, Inc. (doing business as Star Cinema or ABS-CBN Films) is a Filipino film studio and film and television production company and film distributor headquartered in Quezon City. It is one of the major film studios in t ...

. Calzado is best known for her role as Sang'gre Amihan in the fantasy drama television series ''

Encantadia ''Encantadia'' is a Filipino fantasy franchise produced and published by GMA Network. It consists of four television series that have run from 2005 to present and a single film. The first was shown in 2005 carrying the title alone and ended i ...

'', and as the First Darna in the superhero television series ''Mars Ravelo's Darna''. Throughout her career, Calzado has starred in multiple blockbuster films including: '' Starting Over Again'' (₱410 million), '' Etiquette for Mistresses'' (₱103 million), ''

Ouija The ouija ( , ), also known as a spirit board or talking board, is a flat board marked with the letters of the Latin alphabet, the numbers 0–9, the words "yes", "no", occasionally "hello" and "goodbye", along with various symbols and gra ...

'' (₱120 million), '' Moments of Love'' (₱100 million) and '' One True Love'' (₱95 million).

Early life

Born Maria Izadora Ussher Calzado, she was named after the American dancer Isadora Duncan. Her father was

Lito Calzado Feliciano Dilo "Lito" Calzado (January 20, 1946 – November 11, 2011) was a Filipino actor, director, and choreographer. Life and career Calzado was born in Manila. While a student at the University of the East, he joined the university fo ...

, a choreographer and TV director. Her mother was Maria Antonia Ussher. She has an elder brother, Dash Calzado, who is a member of Legit Misfitz, a 1990s Pinoy rap group. Calzado finished elementary at School of the Holy Spirit and high school at Miriam College. She went on to take her undergraduate degree in

fine arts In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwor ...

at the

University of Santo Tomas The University of Santo Tomas (also known as UST and officially as the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, Manila) is a private, Catholic research university in Manila, Philippines. Founded on April 28, 1611, by Spanish friar Migue ...

Acting career

Before entering show business, Iza Calzado worked as a

dubber Dubber is a cloud based call recording software which operates as a software-as-service (SaaS) and voice data offering. Dubber was founded in Melbourne, Australia in 2011 by James Slaney, Steve McGovern and Adrian Di Pietrantonio, and predominan ...

for the Venezuelan telenovela '' Mis 3 Hermanas'' (known in the Philippines as ''All My Love''). Calzado started out as a guest teen star in the youth-oriented show, '' Click'', which led to further roles. She was cast in ''

Kung Mawawala Ka ''Kung Mawawala Ka'' (International title: ''A World Without You'' / ) is a Philippine television drama romance series broadcast by GMA Network. Directed by Joel Lamangan, Soxie Topacio and Argel Joseph, it stars Sunshine Dizon and Cogie Doming ...

'' as the drama's antagonist, Phoebe. She then starred in her first protagonist role as Rosela in '' Te Amo, Maging Sino Ka Man'', with Argentinean actor Segundo Cernadas. In 2005, Calzado portrayed the iconic character of Amihan in the hit fantasy drama series ''

'', with

Sunshine Dizon Sunshine Dizon (born Margaret Sunshine Cansancio Dizon; July 3, 1983) is an award-winning Filipino actress, director and producer. She is often called as the “''Daytime Drama Queen''” by various media outlets for her acting prowess and a ...

, Karylle,

Diana Zubiri Rosemarie Joy Garcia-Smith (born April 15, 1985), better known by her stage name Diana Zubiri, is a Filipino actress. She was discovered by Seiko Films when she was 15, years after applying for work in Japan. She then had sexy roles in various ...

, and

Dingdong Dantes Jose Sixto Raphael Gonzalez Dantes III (born August 2, 1980), professionally known as Dingdong Dantes (), is a Filipino actor, television presenter, dancer, commercial model and film producer who is currently working as an exclusive talent of ...

; Calzado would continue reprising the role of Amihan in the sequels '' Etheria: Ang Ikalimang Kaharian ng Encantadia'' and '' Encantadia: Pag-ibig Hanggang Wakas''. She was later starred in the drama series ''

Impostora ''Impostora'' (International title: ''The Impostor'' / ) is a 2007 Philippine television drama series broadcast by GMA Network. Directed by Maryo J. de los Reyes, it stars Sunshine Dizon and Iza Calzado. The series is loosely based on a 1993 ...

'' (2007) and ''

All About Eve ''All About Eve'' is a 1950 American drama film written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck. It is based on the 1946 short story "The Wisdom of Eve" by Mary Orr, although Orr does not receive a screen credit ...

'' (2009). Outside TV projects, Calzado has starred in the films ''

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...

'' (2004), '' Sigaw'' (2004), '' Moments of Love'' (2006), '' Batanes: Sa Dulo ng Walang Hanggan'' (2007), '' The Echo'' (a 2008 American movie remake of ''Sigaw''), and '' One True Love'' (2008). On January 18, 2008, she received the "Model Star Award" for the Asia Model Award Festival held in South Korea. In 2009, she hosted the Binibining Pilipinas 2009 beauty pageant. In 2010, Calzado did some hosting duties in '' Healthy Cravings'' on QTV with Jeremy Favia, and '' The Sweet Life'' on GMA with Lucy Torres. She also appeared in the dramas '' Pilyang Kerubin'' and ''

Beauty Queen A beauty pageant is a competition that has traditionally focused on judging and ranking the physical attributes of the contestants. Pageants have now evolved to include inner beauty, with criteria covering judging of personality, intelligence, ...

''. In 2011, she took over the character previously played by

Regine Velasquez Regina Encarnacion Ansong Velasquez ( ; born April 22, 1970) is a Filipina singer, actress, and record producer. She is considered one of the most influential figures in Philippine popular culture and is known for her vocal range and beltin ...

in the romantic comedy '' I Heart You, Pare!''. Calzado's last TV project with GMA Network was in the sitcom ''

Andres de Saya ''Andres de Saya'' is a 2011 Philippine television situational comedy series broadcast by GMA Network. The series is a television adaptation of comic novel of Carlo J. Caparas. Directed by Cesar Cosme, it stars Cesar Montano and Iza Calzado. I ...

'' with

Cesar Montano Cesar Manhilot (born August 1, 1962), known professionally as Cesar Montano (), is a Filipino actor, film producer and film director. Montano started in show business as a commercial model.

. On January 24, 2012, Calzado signed a three-year exclusive contract with

. She appeared in the drama anthology ''

Maalaala Mo Kaya ''Maalaala Mo Kaya'' (; formerly written as ''Maala-ala Mo Kaya...''; abbreviated as ''MMK''), also known as ''Memories'', is a Philippine television drama anthology show broadcast by Kapamilya Channel under ABS-CBN Entertainment. Hosted by C ...

'' to mark her 10th year in show business, and was also seen on the Sunday variety show '' ASAP''. Calzado's first ABS-CBN drama series was '' Kahit Puso'y Masugatan'' with

Andi Eigenmann Andrea Nicole Guck Eigenmann (born 25 June 1990), professionally known as Andi Eigenmann (), is a Filipino actress, model, and social media influencer. Early life Descent and family Eigenmann is the daughter of actors Mark Gil and Jaclyn Jos ...

Jake Cuenca Juan Carlos Cuenca (; born December 30, 1987) popularly known as Jake Cuenca is a Filipino-American actor and model. Born in San Jose, California and was raised in Manila, Philippines. He also played for United Football League Division 2 sides ...

and Gabby Concepcion. A 2014 ''

'' episode featured a teenage Iza Calzado, portrayed by

Empress Schuck Empress Karen Carreon Schuck-Guingona (born 19 February 1993), also known mononymously as Empress, is a Filipino actress, model, singer, dancer and fashion designer. Early life Schuck was born on 19 February 1993 in Quezon City to a Filipino- ...

, shows the story of her weight struggles and how she resolved her obesity issues. In the same year of 2014, Calzado hosted the reality program '' The Biggest Loser Pinoy Edition: Doubles'', and she also starred with

Piolo Pascual Piolo Jose Nonato Pascual (, born January 12, 1977) is a Filipino film and television actor, singer, model, and producer. Early life Piolo Jose Nonato Pascual was born on January 12, 1977, in Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center located in Malat ...

in the hit movie '' Starting Over Again'' and the family drama '' Hawak Kamay''. In 2015, she made her theater debut in ''Sabel: Love and Passion''. She later made a guest appearance in the first few episodes of ''

FPJ's Ang Probinsyano ''FPJ's Ang Probinsyano'' (lit. ''FPJ's The Provincial Man''; abbreviated as ''FPJAP'' and internationally known as ''Brothers'') is a 2015 Philippine action drama television series under ABS-CBN Entertainment replacing ''Nathaniel''. Bas ...

'', and was starred in the drama movie '' Etiquette for Mistresses''. Later on, Calzado had been cast in two drama series, ''

A Love to Last ''A Love to Last'' is a 2017 Philippine romantic family drama television series directed by Jerry Lopez-Sineneng, Frasco Mortiz, Richard I. Arellano, and Rory B. Quintos, starring Bea Alonzo, Ian Veneracion, and Iza Calzado, with an ensemble c ...

'' (2017) starring Ian Veneracion and

Bea Alonzo Phylbert Angelli Ranollo Fagestrom (born October 17, 1987), professionally known as Bea Alonzo (), is a Filipino actress. Alonzo first gained recognition for the 2002 teleserye ''Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay''. She is best known for her portrayals ...

, and '' Ngayon at Kailanman'' (2018) starring

Joshua Garcia Joshua Espineli Garcia (; born October 7, 1997) is a Filipino actor, dancer, and commercial model. He began his professional acting career in 2015 after being part of the reality show '' Pinoy Big Brother: All In'' as a contestant. He rose to p ...

and

Julia Barretto Julia Francesca Barretto Baldivia (born March 10, 1997), better known for her screen name Julia Barretto (), is a Filipino actress and model. Dubbed as the “''Drama Princess''” of her generation by various media outlet, Barretto was inducte ...

. She was also in the

Iflix WeTV iflix, or simply iflix, is a Malaysian free and subscription video on demand (VOD) service focused on emerging markets. Its global headquarters are in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The site serves as a digital hosting and distribution platform ...

's first original Filipino film, ''Mystified'', wherein Calzado reunites with ''Encantadia'' co-stars Sunshine Dizon, Karylle and Diana Zubiri. She also appeared in the 2019 film '' Culion'' with

Jasmine Curtis-Smith Jasmine Cassandra Curtis-Smith (; born April 6, 1994) is a Filipino-Australian actress, host, dancer, endorser, writer, and model. She is known internationally for her critically acclaimed performance in Hannah Espia's 2013 film ''Transit'', a ...

and Meryll Soriano. In 2020, Calzado played Ellice in the drama '' Ang sa Iyo ay Akin'', with

Sam Milby Samuel Lloyd Milby (; born May 23, 1984) is a Filipino-American actor, musician, guitarist, model, recording artist, and businessman. In 2005, Milby decided to seriously pursue a career in show business and modeling. Biography Samuel Lloyd Milb ...

, and

Maricel Soriano Maricel Soriano (; born Maria Cecilia Dador Soriano; February 25, 1965) is a Filipina film and television actress, occasional host and dancer. With a career spanning of over 50 years, Soriano is one of the most celebrated artists and popularly ...

. The production of ''Ang sa Iyo ay Akin'' lasted for almost a year, during the ABS-CBN shutdown and franchise denial in the COVID-19 pandemic. On August 12, 2021, the day of her 39th birthday, Calzado is confirmed to join the newest TV adaptation of superhero series '' Darna'', starring Jane de Leon.

Personal life

Calzado married businessman Ben Wintle in December 2018. During the first month of

COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines The COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines has resulted in, as of , reported cases, resulting in reported deaths, the fifth-highest in Southeast Asia, behind Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. The first case in the Philippines was i ...

, Calzado was hospitalized on March 25, 2020 because of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severit ...

. On March 28, she was tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). On March 30, Calzado's manager Noel Ferrer announced that she already tested negative for COVID-19 and that she would be discharged from the hospital. On August 12, 2022, her 40th birthday, Calzado announced that she and Wintle were expecting their first child.

Filmography

Television

Web series

Movies

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Calzado, Iza 1982 births Living people People from Quezon City Actresses from Metro Manila That's Entertainment Monday Group Members Bicolano actors University of Santo Tomas alumni Bicolano people That's Entertainment (Philippine TV series) GMA Network personalities ABS-CBN personalities Star Magic Filipino television actresses 21st-century Filipino actresses Filipino television variety show hosts Filipino people of Spanish descent Filipino people of Irish descent