BB Gandanghari

BB Gandanghari (English: Ms. Beautiful King, born Rustom Cariño Padilla on September 4, 1967) is a Filipino transgender actor, model, entertainer, comedian, and director. She is the older sibling of actor Robin Padilla and younger sibling of Royette and Rommel Padilla, all of whom are actors. Gandanghari, then known as Rustom Padilla enjoyed success in Philippine films from the early 1990s before taking a hiatus in 2001. She returned to prominence in 2006 when she joined the Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition where she came out after 44 days. In 2009, she revealed she is a transgender woman and changed her name to BB Gandanghari (sometimes spelled BeBe Gandanghari), saying that the person whom the people used to know is already dead.

In an interview, Gandanghari stated the name is derived from the Filipino words Bb. (abbreviation of Binibini, an honorific equivalent to "Miss") and Gandanghari, a portmanteau of the words ganda (beauty) and hari (king), adding that the "Bb." refers to her motto "'Be' all that you can 'be'".

Background

Gandanghari entered show business as a matinee idol and later as an action star. He was also the presenter of Philippine franchise for Wheel of Fortune on ABC 5. After his hosting stint, Gandanghari left the Philippines and studied filmmaking in the United States.

Gandanghari appeared in the film adaptation of the comic book Zsazsa Zaturnnah (her first film role as a gay man) as the gay salon owner Ada (Adrian), the alter ego of Zsazsa Zaturnnah. He appeared in the television series La Vendetta on GMA 7 and the Happy Hearts, later appearing on the ABS-CBN teleserye, Eva Fonda.

In 2009, Gandanghari hosted the National Kidlat Awards on the resort island of Boracay in Malay, Aklan. She appeared again in SRO Cinema Serye: Rowena Joy.

Personal life

Gandanghari was born to Casimiro Padilla, Sr. (aka Carlos Roy Padilla) and Lolita Eva Cariño. She has seven siblings: three brothers and four sisters. Before coming out as a trans woman, Gandanghari married Carmina Villaroel in 1994; Gandanghari filed for annulment after several months, which was granted in June 2002.

She became one of the 14 housemates in Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Edition. On March 2, 2006, she came out of the closet on the show by telling fellow housemate Keanna Reeves that he was a gay man On day 45 of the competition, Gandanghari opted to voluntarily leave the house.

In January 2009, Gandanghari came out as a transgender woman. She plans to undergo sex reassignment surgery.[6][7] Her brother, action star Robin Padilla, at first said that he fully accepted the decision, but later he has recanted his earlier statements and admitted that he is still shocked and not on good terms with her. Their mother, and all of Gandanghari's brothers still call her Rustom.[8]

Gandanghari holds a B.A. in Economics from St. Louis University, Baguio City and studied Filmmaking at UCLA in 2010.

Source: wikipedia
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