Kris Aquino is one of the most iconic and remarkable artist of her generation. Being a multi-faceted artist who wore so many hats as an actress, host, producer, entrepreneur, endorser, and writer, her presence has spanned across five decades in multiple platforms and genres.
As she celebrates her birthday this February 14, let us look back on her career and body of work that earned her the title “Queen of All Media”.
1970s
Before she hit the spotlight, Kris was already familiar to the public. At seven years old, she appeared at campaigns during the politically charged period of her late father, former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. Even then, many noted her composure, expressive delivery, and distinctive hand gestures that will soon be her trademark as she entered show business.
1980s
At around 15, Kris began carving out a separate identity in the entertainment industry away from politics. She appeared on talk programs such as See True hosted by Inday Badiday and stepped in as guest host on the variety show The Penthouse Live! while main hosts Pops Fernandez and Martin Nievera were on leave.
In 1987, she guested on The Sharon Cuneta Show performing “Love Me Like the First Time”. During her sit-down interview with the Megastar, she openly shared her desire to pursue acting.
“Since siguro I was three or four years old, the time of Niño Muhlach. I wanted to do something like that,” she said.
At the time, she revealed that she had an agreement with her mother, former President Corazon “Cory” Aquino, to do only one film as a starting point. She humorously hoped that single project would allow her to explore multiple genres.
She also made hosting appearances on GMA Supershow in 1986 and had an early stint on Eat Bulaga, slowly building her confidence as a television personality.
1990s
Kris officially began a career in film 1990 at 19 years old through the romantic-comedy Pido Dida: Sabay Tayo with Rene Requiestas. The movie became a commercial hit and earned them two more movies with Pido Dida 2: Kasal Na (1991) and Pido Dida 3: May Kambal Na (1992).
Following that success, she appeared in Pangako ng Puso (1990), My Funny Valentine (1990), Shake, Rattle, and Roll III (1991), the Hong Kong comedy Happy Ghost V (1991), Ang Siga at ang Sosyal (1992), Mahal Kita Walang Iba (1992), and Geron Olivar (1993).
Her shift into crime and biographical dramas further shaped her filmography. In 1993, she portrayed Carmela Vizconde in film The Vizconde Massacre: God, Help Us! She followed this with The Myrna Diones Story: Lord, Have Mercy! (1993), Humanda Ka Mayor!: Bahala Na ang Diyos (1993), The Elsa Castillo Story… Ang Katotohanan (1994), and The Fatima Buen Story (1994),that earned her a Best Actress nomination at the Gawad Urian. These roles led to her being labeled the “Massacre Queen.”
Outside the crime genre, she starred in Nandito Ako (1994), Bakit Pa Kita Minahal (1994), Tasya Fantasya (1994), Pempe ni Sara at Pen (1995), and Hiwaga ng Panday (1998).
Parallel to her film career, her talent of conversation became a hallmark. In 1994, she hosted Actually, Yun Na! on RPN-9. One notable episode of the program was in 1995 when Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. became a guest which drew viewers eager to witness the exchange between heirs of two prominent political families.
She later co-hosted Startalk in 1995 with Boy Abunda and Lolit Solis before launching The Kris Aquino Show in 1996. That same year, she transferred to ABS-CBN then had her first show, Today with Kris Aquino, marking the beginning of her rise as a talk show fixture. During this period, she became widely known as the “Philippines’ Queen of Talk.”
Kris also celebrated motherhood as she welcomed her first born, Joshua or Kuya Josh as she fondly calls him, in 1995. Joshua's father is actor Phillip Salvador.
2000s
The new millennium brought major film milestones to the actress. Kris appeared in the 2002 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entry Mano Po, earning acting awards from multiple award giving bodies. Loved by many, she reprised roles in Mano Po 2: My Home (2003) and Mano Po 6: A Mother’s Love (2009). In 2003, she led You and Me Against the World.
In 2004, she headlined the horror film Feng Shui, which became the country’s highest-grossing horror film of that year and earned her another Box Office Queen Award. She also starred in the 2004 MMFF entry So… Happy Together and continued her horror streak with Sukob (2006).
Her television presence expanded with Kris and Tell (2001), Morning Girls with Kris and Korina (2002), and Good Morning, Kris (2004). She co-hosted The Buzz (2000-2010), Boy & Kris (2007-2009), and SNN: Showbiz News Ngayon (2009-2010) together with her most iconic talk show partner, Boy Abunda.
She also became the face of major game shows, hosting Pilipinas Game KNB?, Kapamilya Deal or No Deal, Wheel of Fortune, and Pinoy Bingo Night.
In 2007, Kris gave birth to her second son, Bimby, whom she shares with professional basketball player James Yap.
READ: Kris Aquino shares goals for video podcast and gives an update on her recovery
2010s
Entering the 2010s, Kris’s horror film status remained strong with Dalaw (2010), Segunda Mano (2011) and Feng Shui 2 (2014). She hosted the Philippine franchise of The Price is Right (2011) and ventured into comedy with the film Sisterakas (2012) alongside Vice Ganda and Ai-Ai delas Alas. She followed this with My Little Bossings (2013) with her son Bimby.
She returned to romance in 2015 through Etiquette for Mistresses and All You Need is Pag-Ibig. In 2018, she appeared in the Hollywood film Crazy Rich Asians and co-starred in I Love You, Hater.
On television, Kris TV (2011–2016) became a daily staple in the morning while Aquino and Abunda Tonight (2014-2015) were anticipated by viewers during the night. This was followed by the lifestyle program, Trip ni Kris in 2017. She also served as judge on Pilipinas Got Talent from 2010 to 2013.
In 2018, she paused her showbiz commitments as concerns arose over her noticeable weight loss. She was later diagnosed with chronic spontaneous urticaria, an autoimmune condition, prompting her to prioritize treatment.
2020s
Since her diagnosis, Kris has sought medical care locally and abroad. Over time, she revealed that her autoimmune conditions have increased in numbers. By 2024, she shared the positive news that despite the multiple autoimmune diseases, she had been cleared of cancer. By July 2025, she disclosed that she was battling 11 autoimmune diseases.
In October 2025, she was seen attending an intimate birthday lunch for fashion designer Michael Leyva, marking a rare public appearance that drew attention from supporters.
In early 2026, she shared that she would be going home after weeks in the hospital following her recent medical procedures. She also announced that she will be doing a video podcast, #KrisPodcast, which she described as a birthday gift for her supporters once she gets medically cleared.