Jennylyn Mercado

Early and personal life

Jennylyn Mercado was born on May 15, 1987, to a mother who was a duty-free store beauty consultant. Mercado had opened up about her stepfather who abused her as a child. He burned her skin with cigarette butts. Her mother, who was working in Dubai at that time, immediately flew back to the Philippines not to help her daughter, but to bail out Mercado's stepfather, who was in jail for abusing his four-year-old daughter. After the incident, her aunt took her away from them and raised her, eventually adopting Jennylyn as her legal daughter.

Mercado grew up in Parañaque, Metro Manila. She spent her senior high school year at the Augustinian Abbey in nearby Las Piñas.

Mercado's life story was featured in the weekly drama anthology Magpakailanman on October 14, 2004. She is now the official spokesperson of the Bata Foundation (Christian Mission Services), a non-government organization.

In 2008, at age 21, Mercado announced that she was pregnant. Her ex-boyfriend Patrick Garcia distanced himself upon learning of her pregnancy, was announced as the father of her child. On August 16, 2008, she gave birth to her child, a son, via Caesarian section.

She is the niece of television reporter, Abner Mercado. Her cousins are Cherie Mercado (news and radio anchor for News5), Charee Pineda, and Eliza Pineda who both work for the ABS-CBN channel.

In 2007, Mercado and fellow actor Patrick Garcia admitted their relationship which lasted for a year after Mercado got pregnant. In 2010, Mercado and fellow actor Dennis Trillo became a couple until they broke up in 2011. In 2011, Television host and actor Luis Manzano admits dating Mercado during an interview in ABS-CBN talk show Showbiz News Ngayon. They eventually broke up in 2014. After working together again in 2015 Mercado and Trillo are rumored to be in a relationship again but neither confirmed nor denied their status.

Activism and other endeavours

Aside from being a performer/entertainer, Mercado is also a political activist. She works with the Philippine women's organization GABRIELA.

She is also an aspiring triathlete for engaging in sporting activities. She took jujitsu and Muay Thai lessons in her free time. "They built up my muscles. I looked heavy onscreen," Jennylyn recounted. "I realized that I needed cardio exercises to slim down." She discovered running and biking, which soon led her to join duothlon competitions in Alabang and Laguna. She is also a diver to inspire people to be environment friendly.

2002: Career beginnings

Mercado started as a recording artist with Alpha Records in 1999 through the recommendation of her voice coach, Susanna Pichay. She was in Nonoy Tan's singing group, G4. Unfortunately the group never released an album because two of the four members dropped out. However, the group was able to record two songs. After G4, Mercado went into commercial modeling and landed a stint with Bambini cologne and a Pond's television advertisement. She was also part of the Elite Circle of 10 Modeling Search where she competed with StarStruck co-finalist, Dion Ignacio.

In 2002, Mercado's debut appearance was in ABS-CBN's TV series Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay topbilled by Bea Alonzo and John Lloyd Cruz where she played a very minor role.

2003-2007: Starstruck and career breakthrough

A year later in 2003, she joined the reality show StarStruck She and Mark Herras won, receiving 1,000,000 pesos plus exclusive contracts from the GMA Network. After winning StarStruck, she starred in the Encantadia, I Luv NY, Now and Forever titled Dangal, Super Twins, Sine Novela: Paano Ba Ang Mangarap?, SRO Cinemaserye: Suspetsa, Ikaw Sana and Sine Novela: Gumapang Ka Sa Lusak.

She released her first album, Living the Dream, containing original compositions by Vehnee Saturno, and a carrier single titled "Kahit Sandali". In May 2006, Mercado released her second album Letting Go which included the single "Sa Aking Panaginip" by Vehnee Saturno. Her first major concert was held on May 15, 2006, at the Music Museum in Greenhills. In January 2010, under Viva Records, she released her third album, Love Is... Jennylyn Mercado. Due to her popularity, she held a birthday concert at the Music Museum, titled I Am Woman in May 2009. The concert was sold-out.

2007-2014: Career expansion

Her first films included So Happy Together and the teen-flick Let the Love Begin but her most acclaimed film performance was a Filipino period piece, Rosario. Jennylyn's acting career is handled by Becky Aguila and Viva Entertainment, Inc., where she joined her Starstruck co-alumnus Cristine Reyes. Her singing career is managed by VIVA Records. Her contract with VIVA ended in 2011 and did not renew, although she joined Cristine Reyes. On 2013, Jennylyn signed back with Regal Entertainment. Jennylyn Mercado has also signed up with PolyEast Records for her singing career which she hopes would help in her bid to reinvent herself as singer.

Mercado recently branched out into television hosting, hosting the Philippine reality series Protégé: The Battle For The Big Break with co-hosts Ogie Alcasid and Dingdong Dantes. She is also in the GMA-7 Sunday talk show, Showbiz Central.

In 2013, she made a movie comeback with Regal Entertainment with a Romance film The Bride and the Lover. Her contract with PolyEast Records ended that year. In 2014, she played the role of a woman who has a split personality through Rhodora X. According to her, this was the most challenging role she has ever played. She released her fifth album through GMA Records in late 2014.

At the end of 2014, Mercado confirmed to take part of the 2014 Metro Manila Film Festival in which her entry, originally offered to singer-actress Angeline Quinto, English Only, Please was chosen as one of the eight official movies for the film festival. It became a success despite having less promotions than the other movies included. It was referred to as a "sleeper hit" by the critics. Mercado played the role of Tere Madlansacay, a Filipino tutor from the Philippines. This success established her as a movie star.

2015-present: Career resurgence

In 2015, after Mercado's box office hit English Only, Please with actor Derek Ramsay in 2014, she was awarded as the MMFF 2014 Best Actress for the recently concluded film festival.

A few months later Mercado finally grabbed her first win for the controversial FHM Philippines' 100 Sexiest Woman after beating Andrea Torres and Ellen Adarna, after Marian Rivera (which excluded on the list along with Rookies Tricia Santos and China Roces) vactates the title. Before she leaves Philippines for New York for PreNup film with Sam Milby, publisher Aeus Reyes and Allan Altera with GMA News reporter Nelson Canlas surpries Mercado and give a plaque. And finally on July 11, Mercado ramps for the two part FHM 100 Sexiest party at the SMX Convention Center, SM Mall of Asia.

In late 2015, Mercado starred in primetime series My Faithful Husband in GMA Network which aired in August 10, 2015. She was known here for playing the role of Melanie "Mel" Fernandez-Dela Paz. Despite its success the network did not extend it due to the conflictinh schedule of Mercado in which at that time was shooting 2 movies namely The Prenup and Walang Forever. The series earned the lead actors multiple acting awards and nominations here and abroad.

After Walang Forever's commercial success Mercado earned yet another MMFF Best Actress award in 2015 proving her appeal once more in the movie industry for two consecutive years.

In February 2016, with the apparent success of her Metro Manila Film Festival 2015 entry Walang Forever with Jericho Rosales, Mercado was gunning to be the new box office queen.

Through her social media accounts, she made an announcement about her upcoming project. She confirmed that she is working on a new film with one of the best known actors in the Philippines John Lloyd Cruz. The film was produced by Star Cinema and eventually became another box office hit for Mercado. It earned P16 million for the opening day, the highest opening day gross for any of Mercado's past movies and at that time was the highest opening day gross in 2016. It went on to be one of the highest-grossing films in 2016.

After the movie's success, it cemented Mercado as one of the most successful actresses and most sought after leading ladies in the Philippines for more than a decade in show business. With the success of her first project in Star Cinema, a rival film company of her home network, rumors started as to whether she will renew her contract with GMA Network or not after expiring in May 2016.

On July 4, 2016, after months of contract negotiations, Mercado's camp and GMA Network has come to an agreement with the contract and thus renewed it once again. As part of the contract Mercado hosted the GMA comedy-singing show Superstar Duets which is a first in the Philippine television. She was later tapped to play the role of Steffi, originally played by South Korean actress Jun Ji-hyun for the Philippine remake of the hit Koreanovela My Love from the Star which is expected to air in 2017.