Angelika Dela Cruz

Maria Lourdes Egger dela Cruz-Casareo, better known by her screen name Angelika Dela Cruz (born October 29, 1981), is a Filipino actress and singer.

Angelika dela Cruz started acting at the age of seven when she appeared in the 1988 film Nagbabagang Luha.

She was credited as Sunshine dela Cruz.

She gained notice when she won Best New Actress of the year award at the PMPC Star Awards for Movies for her very first movie Nights of Serafina.

ABS-CBN saw her potential as an actress and she plays her role as Joyce in the second book of Mara Clara with Judy Ann Santos and Gladys Reyes.

She was also cast in other youth-oriented movies such as Istokwa with Mark Anthony Fernandez and was launched as the lead star in Huwag Mo Nang Itanong and Seventeen... So Kaka.

She received critical acclaim in the movie Manananggal ng Manila which she starred alongside Alma Concepcion, Tonton Gutierrez, Eric Fructuoso and Aiza Seguerra.

She was once again able to work with Judy Ann Santos in the primetime drama series Esperanza which made her a household name.

In the series, she was first paired with Spencer Reyes however, the production staff later on paired her to actor Jericho Rosales.

Her team-up with Rosales made its way to the big screen via Magandang Hatinggabi a horror movie produced by Star Cinema and other television projects such as the teen-oriented horror series !Oka Tokat, Star Drama Theater anthology, Maalaala Mo Kaya and F.L.A.M.E.S. They also became regulars in ASAP and Magandang Tanghali Bayan.

After working with ABS-CBN, dela Cruz tried her luck in ABS-CBN's rival GMA Network.

The network cast her in shows including primetime mini-series Di Ba't Ikaw, noontime variety show SOP and action-fantasy series Pintados.

She was able to showcase her acting ability by playing the lead role in the mini-series Liwanag ng Hatinggabi with award-winning actress Lorna Tolentino and in Umulan Man o Umaraw.

Her breakout role came when she was cast as the lead star of the primetime television series Ikaw Lang ang Mamahalin.

The show became a huge success and crowned her as the Soap Opera Princess of GMA.

She also appeared in the teen-oriented show Click but due to her rising popularity, she was pulled out from the show.

After the success of Ikaw Lang ang Mamahalin, she once again headlined another primetime drama entitled Habang Kapiling Ka opposite Victor Neri who played Erica Malvarosa.

She started her career in 1995, and has since appeared in television shows and movies.

Originally with ABS-CBN from 1995 to 1999 and again from 2003 to 2007, she became a contract artist under GMA Network in 1999 until 2003, and again since 2007.

Dela Cruz's acting career was started with ABS-CBN in 1996 in the primetime drama Mara Clara and Esperanza in 1997 until 1999, both starring Judy Ann Santos.

In 2000, she earned a Best Supporting Actress nomination for the movie Deathrow, an official entry to the Metro Manila Film Festival.

She also played the lead in the action-drama movie Hari Ng Selda alongside Robin Padilla and the comedy film S2pid Luv with rapper Andrew E..

Both were under Viva Films.

She later left the network and transferred to GMA Network to do other primetime dramas such as Ikaw Lang ang Mamahalin from 2001 until 2002, Habang Kapiling Ka as a lead actress in late 2002, Sana'y Wala Nang Wakas from 2003 to 2004, and then 2005 the award-winning ensemble cast of Ikaw ang Lahat sa Akin in 2006.

She became a lead antagonist in the revival of Bituing Walang Ningning opposite Sarah Geronimo, which saw her potential as an antagonist as she did her last soap with the network in Prinsesa ng Banyera.

She was given more primetime and afternoon dramas on GMA Network.

Angelika Dela Cruz was born to a Filipino father Ernie Dela Cruz and an Italian-Austrian Mother Angelica Egger.

She has a younger sister, Mika Dela Cruz, who is also an actress, and two brothers, Erick and Edward.

Her outstanding performance in the series gave her a Best Actress nomination at the 2003 PMPC Star Awards for TV.

Dela Cruz also took part and matured in movies.

After her contract with GMA expired in 2003, dela Cruz moved back to ABS-CBN and teamed-up with her former on-and-off screen partner Jericho Rosales in the TV series Sana'y Wala Nang Wakas with Diether Ocampo and Kristine Hermosa.

The series became one of the most watched shows in primetime and its popularity has reached abroad.

dela Cruz who played an optimistic and talented young lady who became romantically involved with the character played by Jericho Rosales was applauded by both viewers and critics.

After the success of Sana'y Wala Nang Wakas, dela Cruz was cast in another primetime television drama called Ikaw Ang Lahat Sa Akin where she shared the screen with Star Magic's brightest talents such as Claudine Barretto, John Lloyd Cruz, Shaina Magdayao and Bea Alonzo.

She also appeared as one of the main hosts of the showbiz-oriented talk show Entertainment Konek and Sunday variety show ASAP.

In an episode of Showbiz Central, de la Cruz revealed that she had married Orion Casareo in August 2008 and was expecting a child.

She gave birth to Gabriel Casareo on March 22, 2009, via caesarian section.

Edward was one of the lead singers of the boy band "Freshmen", and died in a vehicular accident on June 7, 2010.

She is currently the Chairwoman of Barangay Longos in Malabon.

In 2015, she gave birth to her second son.