Iza Calzado

Maria Izadora Ussher Calzado is a Filipino actress and television presenter. Known for her roles in blockbusters and independent films, particularly drama, psychological thriller and horror, she has received a selection of accolades, including an Osaka Asian Film Festival Award, an Asian Television Award, a Gawad Urian, a Luna Award and three Metro Manila Film Festival Awards, in addition to nominations for five FAMAS Awards. Calzado, daughter of choreographer and actor Lito Calzado, initially played bit roles in two films as a child actress, including Lino Brocka's Kung Tapos Na Ang Kailanman (1990). She took a long break from the show business and returned in the early 2000s through stints in commercials. She played a supporting role in the soap opera Kung Mawawala Ka (2002) and landed her first leading role in the romantic drama Te Amo, Maging Sino Ka Man (2004). She gained early recognitions for her roles in Milan, Sabel and Sigaw, winning the Gawad Urian for Best Supporting Actress for the latter. Calzado made her breakthrough by playing one of the leads in the fantasy action Encantadia (2005). She went on to star in several commercially successful films, including Moments of Love (2006), Ouija (2007), Starting Over Again (2014) and Etiquette for Mistresses (2015). Her starring roles in Impostora (2007), All About Eve (2009), Beauty Queen (2010), Hawak Kamay (2014), A Love to Last (2017) and Ang sa Iyo Ay Akin (2020) established her as a leading actress in soap operas. She also received widespread critical acclaim for her performances in Dukot (2009), Mga Mumunting Lihim (2012), Haunted Mansion (2015), Bliss (2017) and Culion (2019). Calzado served as one of the jury at the 4th Hanoi International Film Festival and a member of the committee at the Cinemanila International Film Festival in 2010.