Susan Roces
For over six decades, she defined the soul of Filipino cinema, moving from radiant ingenue to commanding matriarch with effortless grace.
1941–2022 (age 81)·Filipino actress·Birthday: July 28·The Silent Generation
Biography
Born Jesusa Sonora in Bacolod, Susan Roces was a force of nature who became the face of Philippine entertainment. She didn't just act; she embodied the hopes and dreams of a nation rebuilding after war. Her early career in the 1950s and '60s was a blaze of romantic comedies and musicals, where her luminous presence and genuine sweetness made her the country's undisputed box-office queen. But Roces refused to be typecast. As decades turned, she masterfully shifted gears, tackling complex dramatic roles and even horror, proving her depth and durability. Her later years saw her as a revered cultural figure, a television matriarch, and a sharp-witted commentator on national affairs, her marriage to fellow star Fernando Poe Jr. solidifying her place in the public's heart as part of the country's cinematic royalty. Her career was a living history of Filipino film.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Susan was born in 1941, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Susan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1941
#1 Movie
Sergeant York
Best Picture
How Green Was My Valley
Susan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1941Born
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1946Started school
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1954Became a teenager
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1957Could drive
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1959Could vote
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Turned 21
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1971Turned 30
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1981Turned 40
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 50
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 60
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 70
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 80
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2022Died at 81
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
Key Achievements
- Starred in over 130 films across a career spanning from the 1950s into the 21st century.
- Dubbed the 'Queen of Philippine Movies' for her unparalleled popularity and influence during the industry's golden age.
- Successfully transitioned her career from youthful romantic leads to acclaimed dramatic and horror roles in later decades.
- Received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS).
Did You Know?
Her screen name 'Roces' was suggested by a producer, inspired by the Roces publishing family.
She was the stepmother and mentor to actress and politician Grace Poe.
She famously turned down the role of Darna, a iconic Filipino superheroine, early in her career.
She was a competitive swimmer in her youth.
“I am not an actress who became a star. I am a star who became an actress.”
