Bela Padilla

Krista Elyse Hidalgo Sullivan (born May 3, 1991), better known by her stage name Bela Padilla (Tagalog pronunciation: [paˈdɪlja]), is a Filipino actress, host, singer, writer, and director.

Quick Facts Born, Nationality ...

Bela Padilla
Padilla performing at MMDA Anniversary in 2016
Born	Krista Elyse Hidalgo Sullivan[1] (1991-05-03) May 3, 1991 (age 33) Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines
Nationality	Filipino
Other names	Krista Valle Krista Sullivan
Occupations	Actress television host singer director writer
Years active	2007–present
Agents	Star Magic (2007–2010) GMA Artist Center (2010–2015) Viva Artists Agency (2015–present)
Height	1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
Family	Padilla family

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She is best known for her roles in television dramas on GMA-7 and ABS-CBN, as well as critically acclaimed films such as 100 Tula Para Kay Stella (with JC Santos) and Meet Me in St. Gallen (with Carlo Aquino). She is also recognized for her performances in The Day After Valentine's and On Vodka, Beers, and Regrets. In 2022, she made her directorial debut with the film 366 (opposite Zanjoe Marudo and JC Santos), produced by Viva Films. Additionally, she wrote the screenplay for Joyce Bernal's film Last Night, starring Toni Gonzaga and Piolo Pascual. Aside from her acting career, she has continued to develop her skills in writing and directing for future projects.

Krista Elyse Hidalgo Sullivan was born to British father Cornelius Gary Sullivan and mother Margarette Cariño Hidalgo ("Meg"). Her mother, Meg, is a first-degree maternal cousin of Robin Padilla. Her father was divorced from his first wife. She has three elder half-siblings in England from her father's first marriage, as well as an elder brother from both of her parents. She first attended a Montessori-style international school in Forbes Park, Makati, before attending the foreigners' class at Colegio San Agustin – Makati.^[2] Padilla took up journalism as an elective in senior high school.^[3] Padilla was a classmate of Lovi Poe.^[4]

Padilla's maternal grandmother (mother of Meg) is the sister of Eva Cariño-Padilla, wife of actor-director and former Camarines Norte governor Roy Padilla Sr..^[5] She is the niece, by second-degree consanguinity, of actors Rommel Padilla, Robin Padilla, and BB Gandanghari,^[6] and second cousin to RJ and Daniel Padilla (sons of Rommel), as well as Queenie Padilla and Kylie Padilla (daughters of Robin).^[7] She is a practicing Jehovah's Witness.

Padilla was discovered by ABS-CBN talent scout Jet Valle during one of his field trips. Valle introduced her to ABS-CBN, where she joined Star Magic Batch 15 and adopted the stage name "Krista Valle." Her debut television role came in 2004 in the teen drama series Star Magic Presents: Abt Ur Luv Ur Lyf 2. She later changed her stage name to "Krista Sullivan" when she transitioned to a freelance acting career. In 2009, she appeared in a minor role in the TV series Totoy Bato, and shortly after, she became a regular cast member of Lokomoko High on TV5.

In 2010, Padilla left Star Magic, signed with manager Claire dela Fuente, and moved to GMA. With this move, she also adopted the name "Bela Padilla." She starred in the 2011 fantasy series Machete alongside Aljur Abrenica. That same year, she won the Miss Friendship and Media's Darling awards at the 2011 Asian Super Model Contest, held in Guilin and Nanning in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China.^[8]

Padilla made headlines in 2012 when her FHM Philippines magazine cover for the March issue was pulled due to accusations of racism.^[9][10] Later that year, she starred in the titular role in the afternoon drama series Magdalena: Anghel sa Putikan. In 2013, she starred opposite Richard Gutierrez in the primetime series Love & Lies.

After a return to ABS-CBN in 2015, Padilla joined the action-packed series FPJ's Ang Probinsyano alongside Coco Martin. Two years later, in 2017, she headlined the drama series My Dear Heart and starred in the romantic film 100 Tula Para Kay Stella, which became the highest-grossing film at the first Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino.

Padilla took the lead role in the 2019 crime drama series Sino ang Maysala?: Mea Culpa. She also starred in the Philippine adaptation of the Korean film Miracle in Cell No. 7, which was an official entry to the 2019 Metro Manila Film Festival. The film went on to earn ₱543 million at the box office, making it one of the highest-grossing Filipino films of all time.^[11]

In 2024, Padilla made her return to television as a guest host on the noontime variety show It's Showtime.^[12][13]

On November 24, 2021, Padilla revealed that she had relocated to the UK.^[14] She is currently in a relationship with her Swiss boyfriend, Norman Bay. She first introduced him to the public in October 2020 through an Instagram post, in which she captioned, "the one I met in St. Gallen," in reference to her previous movie Meet Me in St. Gallen.^[15]