If nobody can appreciate Charlene Gonzales, then he doesn’t know what beauty is. Indeed, this 5`10" mother, wife, model , and actress embodies charm, wit, and character.

Charlene Mae Bonnin Gonzales Muhlach was born on May 1, 1974, in Manila, Philippines. Her parents are Bernard Bonnin, a very popular Filipino actor during the 1970s, and Elvira Gonzales, a former model and beauty queen. The marriage, however, didn’t last long. Charlene has one older brother named Richard, a model in his own right.

Charlene was a nineteen-year-old student in the University of Sto. Tomas, taking up Bachelor of Science in Psychology, when she decided to join the prestigious beauty pageant called Binibining Pilipinas. Because of her unique beauty, which appears to be a cross between Filipino and Indian attributes, she was an instant hit and a crowd favorite. She also bagged the Best in Swimsuit as well as the Binibining Pilipinas Ms. Universe crown. This gave her an opportunity to compete among 70+ beautiful ladies all over the world. The affair was held in Manila.

The Miss Universe competition stirred controversies in Charlene’s life. For one, who could ever forget her high tide–low tide reply for the initial interview portion? Her winning as Best in National Costume also received negative criticism. Added to that, she wasn’t able to bag the award.

Nevertheless, this didn’t stop Charlene from being ushered into the entertainment arena. She soon found herself acting in TVs and films, such as Kalabog and Bosyo, Ikaw Naman Ang Iiyak, and Dyesebel where she played the lead role opposite Gary Estrada and Albert Martinez. On TV, she was Philippines’s Dance Empress and hosted Keep on Dancing. She also played the sweet and sometimes ignorant cousin of Agot Isidro in Oki Doki Doc.

Charlene was also famous in being associated with some of the country’s ultimate bachelors. She was linked to Dodot Jaworski, son of former senator and basketball player Robert Jaworski, where she learned to hone her talent in the sport. The grapevine states that even Troy was her former boyfriend. Yet nobody was able to guess that she’ll end up with Aga Muhlach , a certified ladies’ man and one of the finest actors in tinseltown.

Their love affair ended in a beautiful and serene wedding in one of the churches in Baguio City on May 28, 2001. Though lavish, it was well attended by the couple’s closest friends and family. What brought more surprise to the event was Aga’s revelation that Charlene was indeed pregnant to their twins, Andres and Atasha.

Moving forward, Charlene may have given up her dancing shoes in lieu of acting as a home expert in her new ABS-CBN show called At Home Ako Dito. Her face has graced giant billboards of all SM Department Store branches as well as the boob tube, with her commercials such as Lactacyd and Jollibee, together with her kids and husband.

Charlene tries to keep herself fit by engaging in cross-training in gyms as well as biking around their neighborhood whenever she still has time. She’s also fond of badminton.

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