The Stars of Mara Clara and where They are now

Mara Clara is the groundbreaking drama series of ABS-CBN and was a top-rater that time. The story of Mara and Clara warmed the heart of the viewers and it lasted for almost five years running from August 17, 1992, to February 14, 1997. It was the longest daytime series on Philippine television. Mara Clara paved way for Judy Ann Santos’ superstardom and it also catapulted Gladys Reyes to becoming a “Primera contravida”.

Are you still familiar with the story plot of Mara Clara? The story is about two girls who were deliberately switched at birth. They lived a life that’s not meant for them. Mara (Judy Ann Santos) had to grow up in a poor family while Clara (Gladys Reyes), was able to enjoy a life that’s not meant for her. The show aired its first episode on August 17, 1992; twenty-seven years ago.

You may be wondering where they are now.

Judy Ann Santos

She had starred in some movies and another series, Ula; Ang batang Gubat. Director Emil Cruz tapped her to play the lead role in Mara Clara in 1992 as the real daughter of Juan Rodrigo and Beverly Vergel. She was a very young teenager when she played the role of Mara.

She starred in several teleseryes after that which led to her being the “teleserye queen”. She’s married to fellow actor, Ryan Agoncillo who became her leading man in one of her TV series. They are now blessed with three children; Yohan, Lucho, and Luna.

Gladys Reyes

Gladys Reyes started as a child actress and has starred in several movies. Her biggest break came when she was given the contravida role in the TV series, Mara Clara. The rest was history for her and she had played a variety of roles in both ABS-CBN and GMA-7.

She is now married to another Mara Clara star, Christopher Roxas and they have three kids; Gianna Aquisha, Gian-Christpoher, and Grant-Calin. She is currently a part of GMA-7’s Madrasta.

Wowie de Guzman

He was the boy who was caught in between Mara and Clara but ended up being the partner of Mara. The Wowie-Juday loveteam started in this show. They were also partners in the series, Esperanza, among other movies. They were real-life sweethearts for a while. He transferred to GMA-7 in 1999 where he became one of the casts of Umulan Man o Umaraw and Click.

Wowie got married in 2012 and became a widower in 2014 after his wife died while giving birth.

Angelika dela Cruz

Angelika was one of the friends of Mara in the series where she played the role of Joyce. After her stint in Mara Clara, she was also included in Esperanza where she played as the youngest sibling of Juday. She transferred in GMA-7 before the show ended so her role was killed.

She played lead roles in several GMA-7 teleseryes and went back to ABS-CBN after a few years. In 2008, she returned to GMA-7 and has been with the Kapuso network since then. At present, she is a part of Daddy’s Girl; sitcom starring Vic Sotto and Maine Mendoza.

She’s also a public official in Longos, Malabon where she’s the Barangay Captain since 2013. She’s married to Orion Cesareo and has been blessed with two kids.

Christopher Roxas

Christopher’s relationship with his wife now, Gladys, blossomed in this show. They walked down the aisle in 2004 and is now blessed with 3 kids. After his stint in the TV series, he started plating character roles in other teleseryes.

They have their restaurant which is called, Estrella.

Paolo Contis

The show was one of Paolo’s first TV shows. In Mara Clara, he was Jepoy. He played one of the most trusted helpers in Clara’s household. He played one of the lead roles in the 1999 series, Tabing Ilog.  He transferred to the kapuso network in 1999. He got married to Lian Paz and had two children; Xalene and Xonia. They are separated now and he’s with LJ Reyes where he has another child, Summer Ayana.

Agatha Tapan

She played the role of Denise in the series and also starred in the Trudis Liit remake. She eventually left the showbiz world to continue her studies. She worked in ANC as a Business Development Analyst in 2010. She got married to Romel Galiza in 2015 and is now a Financial Wealth Planner.

Juan Rodrigo

He was one of the favorite father role choices in ABS-CBN and he played the real father of Mara. After Esperanza, he also played the role of Claudine Barretto’s father in Mula sa Puso.

He’s still active in showbizness and is currently in the Kapuso series, Sahaya.

Beverly Vergel

The show marked her first and last teleserye ever. She played the role of Almira and the real mother of Mara.

Beverly had a production background, directing and writing for GMA TV shows. She focused on becoming an acting coach and became an executive director in ABS. She also became a managing director of several acting workshops in ABS.

She is now living in Canada but still works in people development industry.

Susan Africa

She played the role of Susan; the real mother of Clara who was always abused by her husband as played by the late Eruel Tongco. Her role in the series paved the way to other mother roles in other telesryes like Tabing Ilog and Saan Ka Man Naroroon in 1999, Huwag Ka Lang Mawawala in 2013, and many more.

She is the widow of the late Spanky Manika and they had three children; Eli, Miguel, and Mika. She is at present a part of Kadenang Ginto.

Dan Fernandez

Dan played a very important role in the series because he was the one who knew the truth about the identities of Mara and Clara. He had a diary in the series which contains the secret that he and Gary (Eruel Tongco) was hiding; the switching of the babies. He is now the Congressman of Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

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