Julia Montes

Mara Hautea Schnittka (MAR-ə how-TAY-ə SHNIT-kə), known professionally as Julia Montes (Tagalog: [ˈdʒulja mɔnˈtɛs]), is a Filipino actress. Known for playing strong female characters and romantic leads in a range of genres across film and television, she has received various accolades, including a FAMAS Award, two Gawad Tanglaw Awards, a PMPC Star Awards for Movies and a Box Office Entertainment Award. Yes! Magazine named her one of the most influential celebrities in Philippine entertainment. Montes made her screen debut on GMA Network's Sana ay Ikaw na Nga (2001) as a child actress and appeared in several television commercials. After her transfer in ABS-CBN, she initially played young versions of characters in several television series such as Hiram (2004), Ligaw Na Bulaklak (2008), I Love Betty La Fea (2008) and eventually became part of the gag show, Goin' Bulilit (2005-08). She spent the next few years playing supporting roles in various anthology shows and finally gained widespread recognition as Clara del Valle in the remake of Mara Clara (2010–11). It was followed by the teen drama series, Growing Up (2011). Montes rose to stardom after being paired with Coco Martin in the series Walang Hanggan (2012), as Katerina Alcantara, for which she was hailed as the Princess of Philippine Television at the 44th GMMSF Box-Office Entertainment Awards. She has since established herself as one of her generation’s most successful actresses in Philippine television, starring in a few more top-rating soap operas, most notable being Ikaw Lamang (2014) for which she won a Gawad Tanglaw Award for Best Actress, Doble Kara (2015–17) for which she won her second Gawad Tanglaw Award for Best Actress, Asintado (2018) and 24/7 (2020). In films, she made her debut in the family drama Way Back Home (2011). It was followed by the romantic drama A Moment in Time (2013), as Jillian Linden, for which she was nominated for the FAMAS Award for Best Actress, and the romantic horror Halik sa Hangin (2015), as Mia Generoso, for which she earned a nomination for the Young Critics Circle Award for Best Performance. Other notable appearances include the romantic comedy The Reunion (2012), the horror adventure The Strangers (2012), the independent drama Padre de Familia (2016) and romantic-drama Five Breakups and a Romance (2023).