This is what happened to Sarsi Emmanuelle, one of the Softdrink Beauties
Sarsi Emmanuelle, born Maria Jennifer Obregon Mitchell, was one of the Softdrink Beauties who became popular during the 80s.
She was discovered by the late starmaker Dr. Rey de la Cruz, an optometrist of her mother. “Rey approached me and asked me if I wanted to join showbiz. I thought there was no harm in trying so I took the opportunity,” Sarsi shared in a report of The Philippine Star.
Though she was raised with a decent upbringing and even studied in a Catholic school, at that time, Sarsi found her wilder side because her parents broke up. She had a relationship with a much older man when the showbiz opportunity knocked on her door.
Sarsi was launched as one of the daring stars during that era, along with Coca Nicolas, and Pepsi Paloma. They are better known as the Softdrink Beauties. She considered that undressing in front of the camera was merely a job. On the other hand, she proved that she was just more than a daring actress.
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At the height of her career, she was nominated for a Best Actress award for her performance in Boatman. Despite that success, she took a break during the early 90s and rumors came out that she attempted to kill herself. However, she clarified that she just wanted a normal life, away from the glitz and glamour of showbiz.
“I wanted to be able to do ordinary things again like shopping or riding a jeepney without creating a commotion. With my showbiz earnings, I tried going into different businesses, like selling jewelry or lending money, ‘yung 5-6. But most of those who borrowed money from me ran away without paying me back,” she shared.
Wanting to live a normal life, Sarsi worked as a cashier for a booth in a carnival fairground or “perya”. Last year, she got married after her civil ceremony 11 years ago. She now has nine children—four of her own, four from her husband, who was previously a widower, and one from their union, based on the article from Esquire.
Fortunately, her children now have their respective successful careers. After her stint as one of the Softdrink Beauties, Sarsi Emmanuelle’s last onscreen appearance was in 2006 for Raket ni Nanay. In 2004, she played the role of the adoptive mother of Bea Alonzo’s character in It Might Be You.
What can you say about this?
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Sarsi – or Jennifer, was my bus mate going to Makati Catholic School in the mid 70’s. They lived a block away from me. Interestingly, Maricel Soriano lived yet another block away.