Snooky Serna

Snooky Serna (born Maria Milagros Sumayao Serna on April 4, 1966) is a Filipina film and television actress, the multi-awarded Filipina broadcast journalist, television news anchor, senior field correspondent, public affairs show host, radio anchor and newspaper columnist.

She is currently a Chief Correspondent for the Integrated News and Current Affairs Division of Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation while Snooky current anchors the flagship news program Express Balita airing on IBC and AM radio DZTV for her radio program Dear Snooky.

Early life
Being the daughter of actors Von Serna and Mila Ocampo, she started acting early in life via her 1970 landmark debut Wanted: Perfect Mother, where she immediately captured the hearts of Filipino audience as a cute, sweet and smart-talking four-year old. That same year she earned her first acting nomination from FAMAS Awards as Best Child Performer for My Little Angel. Trained by acclaimed director and National Artist, Lino Brocka, Snooky showed promise as dramatic actress and later proved to be a fine one. In 1972, she won her first FAMAS Award as Best Child Actress for the film 'Sana Mahalin Mo Ako'.

Career
In her teens, she was launched as one of the original Regal Babies (promotional term coined for group of teen movie stars under contract with Filipino film production giant Regal Films) and groomed as a leading actress in various loveteam-inspired flicks with then heartthrobs Gabby Concepcion and Albert Martinez. She also starred in more daring films like Strangers in Paradise, Experience, Bata Pa Si Sabel, and Teenage Marriage.

Often pitted against then-rival Maricel Soriano, she made numerous blockbuster movies with her in the '80s like Underage, Schoolgirls, Story of Three Loves and Anak ni Waray vs. Anak ni Biday, among others. She also had her share of TV shows including the weekly musical variety Always Snooky and the weekly drama feature on Regal Drama Presents: Snooky in ABS-CBN.

As a mature actress, she tackled roles which earned acting nominations from various award giving bodies. She was also in Kapag Napagod Ang Puso with Christopher de Leon and Inagaw Mo Ang Lahat Sa Akin (Harvest Home - official Philippine entry to the 1995 Oscars) but unfortunately was snubbed during awards night. Her other major films include Aabot Hanggang Sukdulan, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, Hahamakin ang Lahat with Vilma Santos, the fantasy films Blusang Itim, Rosa Mistica, and Madonna: Ang Babaing Ahas. It was with Koronang Itim, that she finally won Best Lead Actress trophy. She has starred in over (80) films from 1970 to 2004.

Riddled by both personal problems and issues with her film studio, including her bout with anorexia nervosa, Snooky was prodded to concentrate on family and motherhood in the late 90's. Upon her comeback, her works mostly concentrated on TV. Initially, she had a short stint as a newscaster and as host forIBC 's magazine show Travel and Trade. More recently, she's been in various top-rating soap operas in rival stations GMA Network and ABS-CBN, notably Marina, Captain Barbell and Habang Kapiling Ka where she again was awarded a best actress trophy for TV drama performance from PMPC in 2003. Her recent films include Anak Ka Ng Tatay Mo, Captain Barbell and the still unreleased Bituin, Buwan at Araw with Nora Aunor.

As of 2011, Serna is now joined IBC through IBC News and Current Affairs to anchor for the network's flagship news program Express Balita on IBC. Also, Serna offered a public affairs show Snooky premiered on IBC in 2012. Serna also maintains a career in public service talk radio through DZTV Radyo Budyong, an IBC's AM band radio station. Dear Snooky, a public service talk show anchored solo by Serna, airs daily Mondays thru Fridays at 10am to 11am over radio DZTV Radyo Budyong.

On December 17, 2012, Snooky for the news anchor, together with a world-renowned anchor Anthony Pangilinan and former ABS-CBN news anchor Henry Omaga-Diaz were relaunched in the station's flagship primetime news program Express Balita, currently airind daily at 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm from Mondays to Fridays.

Personal life
Serna was married to actor/model Ricardo Cepeda for over 12 years, with their marriage ending in annulment in January 2006. They have two daughters, Sam and Sachi. Recently, she got married to Niño Mendoza (vocalist of a Filipino Alternative Rock band), from whom she is currently separated.

She is trying to become active in the entertainment business once again and very recently grabbed the limelight by making the disturbing revelation that an actor sexually assaulted her when she was in her teens.

Serna is also a member of the Iglesia Ni Cristo since 2011.

Awards, Honors, Recognition and Nominations
Since her early twenties when she started her career Serna has received many awards from various award-giving bodies for television here and abroad. Some of these are the Gawad CCP Para saTelebisyon, Community Outstanding Young Achievers Awards, Catholic Mass Media Awards, KBP Golden Dove Awards, PMPC Star Awards, ANAK TV Awards, UPLB Gandingan Awards, USTv Awards, Ateneo de Davao Awards.

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 * 1995: Colgate with daughter Sam TV
 * 1990: Women of de Leon Print