National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Nora Aunor passed away on April 16, as confirmed by her son Ian De Leon on a Facebook post. She was 71 years old.
“She was the heart of our family — a source of unconditional love, strength, and warmth. Her kindness, wisdom, and beautiful spirit touched everyone who knew her. She will be missed beyond words and remembered forever,” De Leon said on his post. As of the time of writing, the cause of her death was not disclosed.
On March 5, she withdrew her party-list bid, citing two reasons, one of which was due to health concerns. “Pinaalalahanan din ako ng aking mga doktor na umiwas sa stressful situation kagaya ng pangangampanya; Nawala na rin ang aking tiwala sa tao na nagkumbinse sa akin na sumali bilang pangalawang nominado,” she told Inquirer Bandera in a statement.
A LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE
Aunor’s name is synonymous with acting excellence; her performances have been lauded with awards and citations throughout her career, which runs close to 60 years.
She began as a winner of Tawag ng Tanghalan, a talent competition, in 1967, making her first television appearance in singer Pilita Corrales’ show An Evening with Pilita. Her initial career was a mix of romantic pop songs and teenybopper roles. She first appeared in the 1967 Sampaguita Pictures film All Over the World, which paved the way for her long and storied career as one of the best actresses in the country, often called the “Superstar” of Philippine Cinema.
Aunor has been featured in nearly 200 films, frequently working with acclaimed filmmakers like Mario O’Hara, Lino Brocka, Ishmael Bernal, Joel Lamangan, Brillante Mendoza, and Aldolf Alix. “Si Direk Lino kasi, at saka si Mario O’Hara halos magkapareho ng style,” she told CNN Philippines in 2016. “Pero mas down-to-earth ’pag gumawa si Lino. [’Yong] Anak Ka ng Ina Mo, isa ’yon sa paborito kong pelikula nga pala, ’yong kami ni Lolita Rodriguez.”
Her most memorable films include Himala, Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos, Minsa’y Isang Gamu-Gamo, Andrea, Paano Ba Maging Isang Ina?, The Flor Contemplacion Story, andThy Womb. Her last film was the 2024 horror film Ang Mananambal, directed by Alix.
“I lost a family,” Alix said on his Facebook post, with a photo of him and the late actress.
Recalling Aunor’s work in Himala as Elsa, screenwriter and National Artist Ricky Lee remembers how she made her character into something tangible and believable.
“In the restored version, you see the small steps Nora takes to develop her character,” Lee told Rogue Magazine in 2012. “Maliliit ’yong steps but you can see how intelligent she is. Most people were complaining at that time that the other actresses, like Vilma Santos, did more acting in their films than Nora. But she was Elsa all the way, and she was preparing for the scenes later. Hindi naman p’wedeng sa simula pa lang mag lalabas na. Hindi effective ’yong mangyayari. In the end, that’s the vision of the script and the director: go minimal, walang borloloy, and to the point.”
Aunor’s legacy as a film producer was celebrated in 2024 when the film Bona , which she produced and starred in, was screened once again at the Cannes Film Festival. The film also premiered at the Directors’ Fortnight section of the film festival in 1981.
“The actor’s performance is searing in its expressive simplicity, all the way up to the magnificent final revolt,” wrote Mannon Dunand at the Cannes Film Festival website.
The film remains one of the Superstar’s best performances. “Aunor channeled the force of their feelings to create a great performance, easily the best she has given for arguably the most famous of Filipino directors,” wrote film critic Noel Vera.
