She was one of the most captivating faces in Philippine cinema. But more than her physical attributes, Dawn became famous because of her childlike innocence yet strong acting prowess. She can transform from a party brat to a cheating woman or someone who’s desperately asking for the love of the man of her dreams.
Dawn Zulueta was born Marie Rachel Taleon Salman on March 4, 1969. Her father was Jose Fazil Taleon, while her mother was Jewish and named Maria Cleofe Salman. She used to have an average childhood, attending classes at Karilagan and in Assumption College as well as Colegio de Santa Rosa.
However, such a pretty face, combined with height, would never go unnoticed. She later appeared on a television commercial, where she caught the eye of the owners of Viva Films, Mina Aragon and Vic del Rosario. They were the ones who were able to convince Dawn to try out show business.
Thus, from Rachel, she became Dawn and appeared on her first movie entitled
Nakagapos na Puso, which was released in 1986. This was soon followed by
One Day Isang Araw,
Paano Tatakasan ang Bukas,
Bondying: The Little Big Boy,
Bakit Iisa Lamang ang Puso,
Hindi Pahuhuli ng Buhay,
Pangarap na Ginto, and
Kasalanan Bang Sambahin Ka, to name a few. She won Best Supporting Actress awards from FAP and FAMAS, respectively, for
Una Kang Naging Akin. Her first Best Actress Award was for
Hihintayin Kita Sa Langit, opposite Richard Gomez who became her real-life sweetheart for sometime. During 1993, she flew all the way to Bangkok, Thailand, to represent the same movie in the Fourth Asean Film Festival. She also appeared in a number of suspense and crime stories such as the
Maggie dela Riva Story, where she was personally handpicked by Maggie herself.
She also appeared on television, starting with
Okay Ka, Fairy Ko, where she briefly played the role of Faye. She also played queen for
Encantadia in 2006 and Ruth Abelgas in
Lastikman in 2007.
Just like any other showbiz personalities, Dawn also has her own share of stories. There was a time when she and
Sharon Cuneta were not on speaking terms because of
Richard Gomez . During a shoot in her commercial with a well-known shampoo, she and another socialite
Gretchen Barretto had been exchanging nasty remarks. The stories eventually landed in several pages of magazines, tabloids, and newspapers.
Today, though, Dawn is a picture of perfect bliss. She’s currently married to Anton Lagdameo, who is a business scion and a congressman in Davao del Norte, and had a one-year-old son, Jacobo. She also took some rest away from the limelight in order to live a normal life as a housewife in quiet Davao and to try conceiving a child. The movie Filipinas was her comeback movie. She is also the spokesperson for wellness products such as Myra 300-E and Marie France, who helped her gain back her pre-pregnancy weight. During her spare time, she shuttles from Manila to Davao and vice versa, as well as assist her husband on various community programs.
