Enriqueta "Etang" Discher Grau (November 24, 1906 – November 22, 1991) was a Filipino character film actress frequently cast in villainous roles. Her stern, gaunt Castilian face loomed in many post-war Filipino films, especially

soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...

-type dramas. She was the woman Filipino movie audiences loved to hate, often playing a villainous aunt, mother-in-law or even a witch. While her roles were hardly predisposed to have made her a star, she nonetheless was one of the more famous (or infamous) and durable stars of Filipino films. Many of her films were produced by Sampaguita Pictures, the studio under which she was under contract for a significant part of her career. Discher was born to a German father, Leo Discher Sr. and a Filipino mother, Pacencia Discher. She has a sister named Elena Discher. Her extended family resides on the West Coast of the United States in

Washington state Washington, officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is often referred to as Washington State to distinguish it from the national capital, both named after George Washington ...

and

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. She began her career in show business as a chorus girl in the bodabil stage shows of

Katy de la Cruz Katy de la Cruz (born Catalina Mangahas de la Cruz; February 13, 1907 – November 10, 2004) was a leading Filipina singer who specialized in jazz vocals and torch songs in a long career that lasted eight decades. Hailed as "The Queen of Fili ...

. Her last known film was ''Karma'' in 1981.''Fine Film'', Bob Castillo, People's Journal, 12 December 1981
Her son, Panchito, became a famous film comedian in his own right, usually cast as the comedic foil to

Dolphy Rodolfo Vera Quizon Sr. (July 25, 1928 – July 10, 2012), known professionally as Dolphy, was a Filipino comedian and actor. He is widely regarded as the country's "King of Comedy" for his comedic talent embodied by his long roster of works ...

Filmography

In popular culture

* She was played by Lauren King on GMA Network's 2024 war drama series '' Pulang Araw''.

References

Notes

External links

* 1906 births 1981 deaths Filipino film actresses Filipino people of German descent Filipino television actresses Filipino television personalities Actresses from Manila People of American colonial Philippines Tagalog actresses 20th-century Filipino actresses {{Philippines-actor-stub