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Before she became Ara Mina, she was Hazel Reyes, born on May 9, 1979. Her mother was a former actress, model, and beauty queen. She was also Danica Gomez and Dara Mina. Reyes was actually her stepfather’s surname. Her biological father was Chuck Mathay, a representative of Quezon City.
Ara Mina won the Golden Screen Award in 2004 for Best Actress in a drama in the Philippines. Since 1998, Mina has been a regular cast member of Bubble Gang, a sketch comedy television show in the Philippines. Her sister Cristine Reyes is also an actress with GMA Network. She had to leave GMA and her show Bubble Gang due to ABS-CBN's exclusive contract and having her show Prinsesa ng Banyera as Angelika de la Cruz' replacement for her role.
Ara wanted to become part of the entertainment industry, perhaps inspired by her mother. At an early age of 7, she was already joining pageants sponsored by her school, where her usual talents will either be singing or acting. However, it was only in her stint in That’s Entertainment, hosted by German “Kuya Germs” Moreno, that she got the first taste of show business. She was 13 years old then. Like any other alumna of the youth-oriented show, she was trained in numerous artistic crafts, like singing, acting, dancing, and hosting. Yet despite her exposure, her career never took full flight.
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Then sexy roles started pouring in. Hardly thin but very voluptuous, Ara Mina was considered very appealing and sensual by a variety of directors. She also decided to keep her present name, which was derived from the names of her other two sisters. She started appearing in numerous X-rated movies, such as Init Sa Tag-ulan, Sagad Sa Init, Pahiram Kahit Sandali, Tatlo Magkasalo, Banatan, Phone Sex, and Maldita. She was also a famous covergirl for a number of men’s magazines in the Philippines such as FHM.
But Ara Mina is known to be a very patient and determined woman. Her luck turned positive when she was offered the role of a Chinese woman named Richelle Go who was in love with a Filipino man (played by Richard Gomez ) in Mano Po. She was able to bag a Best Actress Award for her subtle yet very strong performance. This was followed by her portrayal as a woman who’s lost faith in religion in Ang Huling Birhen Sa Lupa, which shares a similar plot with Himala of Ishmael Bernal.
Ara Mina is also a regular cast of Bubble Gang, GMA 7’s comedy show, which is on its way of celebrating its 10th year anniversary. She was able to showcase her comic side, which could be far-fetched from the roles she currently plays in other TV shows and in the movies. She’s also a singer too, whose first single Ay Ay Ay Pag-ibig became an instant hit among the masses with its catchy lyrics and tune. Meanwhile, she considers her second album, Moving On, as her way of going past all the intrigues that may be surrounding her private life, including a public spat with Aiko Melendez, the erstwhile wife of her then beau Jomari Yllana. Her third album will be released soon.
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