Joy Sumilang

Joy Sumilang, who claimed to be the daughter of former matinee idol Romeo Vazquez, was born in 1964. She was a rebellious teenager who left home at the age of 15, finding work as a sexy model/dancer at popular Manila girlie bars like Cafferino’s and Thunderdome. At the age of 21 she was discovered by reporter and eventual manager Roland Lerum in a gay bar in Quezon City. She appeared in her first bold movie, the aptly named Bold Star, in 1986. Joy was one of the most daring actresses of the 80’s era, appearing in many “Pene” scenes in which she engaged in actual sex on camera. Of course, what was shown in theaters was much tamer-

-than what was actually filmed and later released on DVD:

She starred in movies for 10 years, then left the business for good in 1996, traveling to Singapore, Dubai and the UK, and taking jobs as varied as cleaner, caregiver, nanny and food server in order to support her two growing children.