Maria Katrina Irene Grace Morales-Halili (born January 4, 1986) is a Filipino actress. She began her career after finishing as a finalist on the reality talent search StarStruck (2003). She was the first Filipina to be named by FHM Philippines as the world's sexiest woman twice, in 2006 and 2008. Her performances in Darna (2005 & 2009), Majika (2006), Marimar (2007), the International Emmy nominated Magdusa Ka (2008), Destiny Rose (2015), Sa Piling ni Nanay (2016), The Stepdaughters (2018), Prima Donnas (2019), Unica Hija (2022), and Mommy Dearest (2025) established her as one of the leading actresses in soap operas, mostly portraying antagonist roles. In 2024, Halili won Best Supporting Actress at the Emirates Film Festival for her role in AbeNida (2023).
Early life and background Katrina Halili was born and raised in El Nido, Palawan, the hometown of her mother. Her father is from Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija.
Katrina Halili is an alumna of the StarStruck talent search and the cover girl of magazines such as FHM and Maxim Philippines. She was voted as FHM Philippines''' sexiest woman for the year 2006 and in 2007. She is the first StarStruck contestant to top the FHM Philippines' 100 Sexiest list and the first Filipina celebrity to have won the title twice in a row. She is a four-time FHM covergirl (2005, 2006, 2008 and 2015). With 123,000 votes, she placed 2nd in 2008.
She gave birth to her daughter named Katrence Lawrence Halili Cadevid by Kris Lawrence on September 18, 2012.
She is co-parenting Lawrence's second child Lyric Lawrence (with a non-showbiz girlfriend) born on October 4, 2019. Halili's non-showbiz partner Jeremy G. Guiab, former vice mayor of Wao, Lanao del Sur succumbed to a heart attack at age 53 on January 29, 2024.
Career 2003–2008: Career beginnings Halili started her first soap drama way back 2004 (Forever in My Heart) where she played Janelle Bernabe, the antagonist to the character of Jennylyn Mercado. Since then she played supervillain roles in two famous GMA fantaserye, Darna and Majika. In April 2007, she was one of the main cast in Lupin, where she played a good character, Ashley Calibre. However the same year she was pulled out from the show to play the famous villainous role of Senyora Angelika Santibañez in the remake of Marimar, but the character was changed into a young who will compete with Marimar for Sergio's love and extremely ruthless character, this is also her first pure evil role as she killed many people in the series compared to her past roles as she only committed attempted murder. This made Katrina more famous as she was given her first lead role after Marimar this was the 2008 Magdusa Ka, she portrayed Christine, a headstrong waitress and prostitute who turns out to be a rich lass but was opposed by the evil Millet (played by Iwa Moto). Katrina said she was challenge for her new role because she always played heartless characters in the past.
In the same year, she was given another lead role in Gagambino. But in May 2009, she was involved in a controversy surrounding a leaked video of her then partner, forcing her to temporarily go on hiatus from the showbiz industry. In June 2009, she returns to acting to play the villain role of Fedra Perez in Rosalinda.
2009–2010: Darna, Langit sa Piling Mo, Beauty Queen
In 2009, Halili was given another antagonist role in Darna, she played Serpina, a snake woman and one of the primary rival of Darna. Next is Langit sa Piling Mo, she played another main antagonist role as the scheming and manipulative Aurora. She later played an antagonist role in Beauty Queen. In Kaya ng Powers, she played an ex-syndicate member.
2011–2012: Continued success In 2011, she rose to fame again as she played the role of Lynette in Munting Heredera, again she is the main antagonist of the series but later was killed. In 2012, she once again played a villain role as Emmie in My Beloved. She reunited with Marimar (2007) lead casts, Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes. Halili's character in this series is similar to her obsessed and murderous Angelika character in 2007 Marimar. However Halili and Rivera has another feud when Katrina started tweeting, she wanted to kill Emmie's character because someone is insecure and hateful to her. She said that this person also hated her five years ago.
2013–present: Villainous and protagonist roles In 2013, Halili played two main antagonist roles in two TV series, in Indio, she played the goddess of greed who wanted to kill the protagonist of the series. Another series is Magkano Ba ang Pag-ibig?, she played Margot, the scheming and hard-hearted sister of Lualhati who killed her mother out of anger, she also hated Eloisa.
In 2014, she played a protagonist role, a good character role in Niño as Hannah. In 2015, she played a villain role in The Rich Man's Daughter. Later Katrina Halili played the main villain role as Jasmine in Destiny Rose, Jasmine is the evil cousin of Joey who made his life miserable as hell. In the finale episode Jasmine tried to kill Joey/Destiny Rose by burning him but failed.
Later in 2016, Halili played another main antagonist role in Sa Piling ni Nanay as Scarlet, the socialite evil mother of Katherine who tried to kill Ysabel and even her daughter as a revenge. Scarlet is the one who killed Matilda and many characters. She is also the source of Ysabel's misfortune. She is a wicked mother as she uses her daughter to usurp the Mercado family's wealth and never loved Katherine.
In 2017, Halili played another main antagonist role in D' Originals as Yvette, the social climber sexy-tary-turned-mistress of Lando who tried to kill Lando and Josie because of her vengeance. Although Yvette is the one who started the fight as she uses Lando to usurp his wealth and brutally confront the legal wife, Josie. Jaclyn Jose played protagonist Josie who also played the antagonist role of Senyõra Angelica Santibañez in the 2015 Marimar, which was originally played by Halili in 2007.
In February 2018, Halili played the main villain role of Isabelle in The Stepdaughters, Isabelle hates Mayumi from the start and does many evil things to her including her loved ones. Isabelle also killed her unborn half-sister and tried to kill her own father and orchestrated kidnappings and serial murders in the series. In the end she kidnaps Mayumi and tries to kill her by burning her face but failed.
In November 2018, Halili joined the series Pamilya Roces, she played Maisa, the villainous daughter of Virgil, a seductive and ruthless serial killer who wants revenge for her mother's death.
In 2019, she played her first anti-hero role in TODA One I Love where she played Georgina, a mysterious rich character who hates the evil Mayora Dyna and plotted to kill her husband. Georgina firstly appeared as a cold-hearted and seductive woman but in reality she is kind and was a victim of the latter's cruelty as Dyna and the Generoso's killed her father. Now she helps Gelay to stop Mayora's evil things and expose her secrets. She later played another protagonist role in Prima Donnas as Lillian Madreal, the surrogate mother of the triplets, Mayi, Ella, and Lenlen. Late 2022, she portrayed Diane Sebastian, the doting mother of Bianca and Hope Sebastian, in the series Unica Hija.
In February 2025, Halili played as Emma Joseco the good-hearted mother of Mookie Caparas, in the series Mommy Dearest''.
Filmography Film Year Title Role 2004 Kilig... Pintig... Yanig 2005 Sablay Ka na Pasaway Ka Pa Raven 2006 Gigil Chynna Super Noypi Annys 2007 Shake Rattle and Roll 9 Engkanto 2008 Romantic Island(Korean Movie) cameo One Night Only Jasmine 2009 Sundo Kristina Dalaw Daisy 2011 My Neighbor's Wife Cameo 2015 Child Haus Rose 2016 Higanti Dolly 2018 Mga Anak ng Kamote Iyong 2019 KontrAdiksyon Yvonne Acosta 2023 AbeNida Nida/Cecile
Television Year Title Role 2003 StarStruck Herself / Hopeful 2004–2009 Bitoy's Funniest Videos Herself / J4K Host2004–2005 Joyride Vicki Forever in My Heart Janelle Bernabe2005 Mars Ravelo's Darna Carol / Black Darna Now and Forever: Ganti Alexa 2006 Majika Juno 2006–2007 Atlantika Princesa Ruana / Helena2007 Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang: Ang Prinsipeng Unggoy Princess Ameris Lupin Veronica Arkanghel a.k.a. Ashley Calibre Magpakailanman Elaine 2007–2008 Marimar Senyora Angelika Santibañez / Angelika Aldama2008 MariMar: Rewind (Filipino Version) Angélica de Santibañez (voice only) Sine Novela: Pablo S. Gomez' Magdusa Ka Christine Salvador Doliente-Henson Obra: Katrina Halili Various roles 2008–2009 Carlo J. Caparas' Gagambino Lucy Gutierrez / Lady Mantisa"Gagambino", pasok sa GMA-7! journal.com.phDennis Trillo will have Katrina Halili and Nadine Samonte as leading ladies in "Gagambino" pep.ph2009 Dear Friend: Magkaribal Kim Rosalinda Fedra Perez 2009–2010 Mars Ravelo's Darna Serpina / Babaeng Anakonda / Valentina2010 Carlo J. Caparas' Panday Kids Amazona Wenoa Langit sa Piling Mo Aurora Ty Kaya ng Powers Carlotta 2010—2011 Beauty Queen Dorcas Rivas 2010—2012 Party Pilipinas Herself / Co-host / Performer 2011Spooky Nights: Ang Manananggala: Battle of the Half-Sisters Stella Munting Heredera Lynette Sarmiento-Montereal Spooky Nights: KaLAbit Iya2012 Spooky Valentine: Masahista Noemi / Melissa My Beloved Emilia "Emmie" Montecastro 2013 Indio Burigadang Pada Sinaklang Bulawan One Day Isang Araw Yaya Maxima Sunday All Stars Herself / Performer 2013–2014 Magkano Ba ang Pag-ibig? Margarita "Margot" Cruz 2014 Niño Hannah Sagrado-Ibarra2015 Maynila: Totoy's True Lab Leslie The Rich Man's Daughter Maria Louella "Wila" Mateo 2015–2016 Destiny Rose Jasmine Flores 2016–2017 Sa Piling ni Nanay Scarlet Morato-Mercado2017 Wagas: Ang Babaeng May Kambal Ahas Conchita D' Originals Yvette BenitezRoad TripHerself / Guest Wagas: Drug Runner Tintin Tadhana: Third Wife Laisa Wagas: One Life to Give Imelda Papin Dear Uge: Mr. + Mrs. + Ex Mayette Kambal, Karibal Nida Generoso2018 The Stepdaughters Isabelle Salvador Imbestigador Margie Inday Will Always Love You Herself Dear Uge: Basta Dubber, Sweet Lover Gloria Imbestigador: Teacher Mhai Mylene "Teacher Mhai" Durante Pamilya Roces Maria Eloisa "Maisa" Renacia Quirante / Maisa Sampaguita 2019 TODA One I Love Georgina Ferreira / Gregoria "Oriang"Magpakailanman: Mahal Ko ang Asawa ng Ama Ko Mikaela Wagas: Ang Lihim ni Isadora Maya Tadhana: Akin ang Anak Ko Susan 2019–2022 Prima Donnas Lilian Madreal-Claveria2020 Magpakailanman: Husband for Sale Rochelle 2021 Dear Uge: GangstaSistah Red PepperMagpakailanman: Asawa at Kabit sa Isang Bubong Leah 2022 Tadhana: Hanggang Kailan Victoria Terra-Dorata 2022–2023 Unica Hija Diane Sebastian 2023 Wish Ko Lang: Paluwagan Sara Magpakailanman: The Power of Love Baby 2023–2024 Black Rider Rona Marie Ana "Romana" Nadela-Tolentino 2023 Magpakailanman: Save my Children Quirly Galache 2024 Recipes of Love: Tortang Talong with Tuna Gemmalyn Lilet Matias: Attorney-at-Law Lydia Soriano 2025 Mommy Dearest Emma Espiritu-Joseco It's Showtime Herself 2025–2026 Sanggang-Dikit FR Lt. Charlie Samson 2025Magpakailanman: Karibal noon, Beshie ngayon Marie 2026 Magpakailanman: Amo ko, mahal ko! Juliet Kamao Nadia Panganiban-Batumbakal Tadhana: Akin Ang Lahat Raquel
Awards and nominations + Award Year Nominated work Category Result Emirates Film Festival2024AbeNidaBest Supporting ActressBest EnsembleStar Awards for Television2018The StepdaughtersBest Drama ActressToFarm Film Festival2018Mga Anak ng KamoteBest Actress
Listicles +Name of publisher, name of listicle, year(s) listed, and placement result Publisher Listicle Year(s) Result FHM100 Sexiest Women in the World2004No. 82005No. 142006No. 120072008No. 22009No. 52010No. 620112012No. 162013No. 272014No. 312015No. 15Top 25 Sexiest Women of the Decade2000-2009PlacedYes! Magazine100 Most Beautiful Stars2010Placed
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