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Heart Evangelista’s rise to stardom: before modelling for Louis Vuitton and becoming first lady of Sorsogon, the Filipino icon starred in kids’ TV shows and then worked her way up

Heart Evangelista before and after the fame. Photos: @iamhearte/Instagram
Heart Evangelista before and after the fame. Photos: @iamhearte/Instagram

  • She’s as fond of Hermès Birkins as Nita Ambani and grew up in a wealthy family, but Heart Evangelista is no spoiled rich kid
  • She’s been in the public eye since age 13 with roles in My First Romance and Beautiful Strangers – now she boasts millions of followers on Instagram and YouTube

It’s been 23 years since Heart Evangelista began her rise to stardom in the Philippines. First spotted acting on a kid-friendly show called G-mik, she’s gone on to become an influencer, TV host, singer, model, philanthropist, and even a painter. She boasts an impressive 7.6 million followers on Instagram and 2.3 million subscribers on YouTube.

So how did she get there, and what were the events and milestones that got her on her way?

She comes from a wealthy background

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Heart Evangelista as an adorable toddler before the fame. Photo: @iamhearte/Instagram
Heart Evangelista as an adorable toddler before the fame. Photo: @iamhearte/Instagram

Evangelista is the daughter of Reynaldo Evangelista Ongpauco, the F&B magnate behind the Barrio Fiesta Group of restaurants in the Philippines. Meanwhile, her mother’s family owns a sugar cane plantation in the Philippines Camarines Sur province. As a teenager, she even lived in the US for a while – in other words, she definitely didn’t have a bad start in life!

Heart Evangelista with her father, restaurant owner Reynaldo Evangelista Ongpauco. Photo: @iamhearte/Instagram
Heart Evangelista with her father, restaurant owner Reynaldo Evangelista Ongpauco. Photo: @iamhearte/Instagram

Growing up in such a well-off family, it’s perhaps no surprise that she also got a head start in the glamour stakes. According to her latest video on YouTube, Evangelista said that she received her first ever Hermès Birkin bag from her father at 22 years old.

She began her career at age 13 

Heart Evangelista with her fellow G-mik cast members – all were considered up-and-coming stars at the time. Photo: @janusdelprado/Instagram
Heart Evangelista with her fellow G-mik cast members – all were considered up-and-coming stars at the time. Photo: @janusdelprado/Instagram

Nevertheless, Evangelista clearly isn’t a slouch. Her career in the spotlight began with her appearance on G-mik – a youth-oriented TV show – at the age of just 13. She played the role of Missy Sandejas and was introduced onto the programme alongside a handful of others as a young, up-and-coming talent.