IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Celebrities born on Christmas, New Year’s Day
Kier Legaspi, LJ Reyes and Ivana Alawi. Image: Instagram/@kier_legaspi, @lj_reyes, @ivanaalawi
The holiday season means double celebration for some celebrities whose birthdays fall either on Dec. 25 or Jan. 1. To join in the festivities, let’s have a look at a few who turned a year older on Christmas or New Year’s Day.
DECMBER 25 CELEBRATORS
Ivana Alawi
Alawi turned 27 last Monday, Dec. 25, marking her birthday with a compilation of photos of some of the highlights of the year that has been.
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The “Batang Quiapo” actress also seems to have extended her celebration with a trip to Tokyo, Japan, last Dec. 29.
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LJ Reyes
Reyes celebrated Christmas and her 36th birthday with her blended family in the United States. The actress treated fans to glimpses of her intimate celebration with her kids Aki and Summer, her non-showbiz husband Philip Evangelista and his son, saying she “can’t ask for more in this lifetime.”
Image: Instagram/@lj_reyes
Image: Instagram/@lj_reyes
Bettinna Carlos
Carlos had a cozy 36th birthday celebration as she showed their family of four—her non-showbiz husband Mikki Eduardo, their daughters Gummy and Amina—snuggled up together in their bed.
The actress marked the occasion with a message of gratitude to God, and cheered for the start of her “birthday leave.”
Image: Instagram/@bettinacarlos.eduardo
Jimmy Buffett
Jimmy Buffett performs at the after party for the premiere of “Jurassic World” in Los Angeles on June 9, 2015. (File photo by MATT SAYLES/Invision/AP)
American singer-songwriter Buffett, who popularized beach bum soft rock with the song “Margaritaville,” would have turned 77 last Dec. 25.
Buffet died last September, months after rescheduling his concerts due to an undisclosed illness for which he was hospitalized.
Sissy Spacek
Sissy Spacek arrives for the screening of “Sam & Kate” at The Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 28, 2022. Image: AFP/Suzanne Cordeiro
Sissy Spacek, best known for her portrayal of the titular character in the 1976 horror film “Carrie,” turned 74 on Christmas day 2023.
The American actress has received numerous accolades throughout her decades of career, including an Oscars Award, Golden Globe Awards and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
JANUARY 1 CELEBRATORS
Kier Legaspi
Image: Instagram/@kier_legaspi
On the first day of 2024, Legaspi turned 51 years old. Legaspi’s most recent acting stint was in GMA TV series “Black Rider.”
Allan Paule
ALLAN PAULE
Paule was among the local stars whose birthdays ring in the new year. Paule’s acting career spans over three decades and among his recent projects are the TV series “Batang Quiapo” and the 2022 film “Nanahimik ang Gabi.”
Lee Sungmin
Sungmin. Image: K-Pop Herald
K-pop star Sungmin, who originally debuted as part of the boy group Super Junior, celebrates his birthday on Jan. 1. In 2024, the Korean singer turned 38 years old.
Ahn Sung-ki
South Korea’s actor Ahn Sung-Ki speaks during a press conference on gala presentation “Revivre” of the 19th Busan International Film Festival in Busan on Oct. 5, 2014. Image: AFP/JUNG YEON-JE
Veteran actor Ahn Sung-ki, best known for his films “Two Cops,” “Unbowed” and “The Divine Fury,” marked his 72nd birthday on Monday, Jan. 1. Ahn Sung-ki revealed in September 2022 that he has been battling blood cancer for over a year already.
Frank Langella
Frank Langella accepts the award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play in “The Father” during the 70th Annual Tony Awards at The Beacon Theatre on June 12, 2016, in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo / Getty Images via AFP)
Oscar nominated actor Langella just turned 86 years old. Some of his popular projects include “The Trial of Chicago 7,” “Robot & Frank,” “The Box” and “Frost/Nixon.”
Grandmaster Flash
US DJ and rapper Grandmaster Flash arrives for the MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on Sept. 12, 2023. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/ AFP)
Grandmaster Flash, one of the pioneering figures in hip-hop, celebrated his 66th birthday in 2024. Among the hits he is known for is “The Message,” which he produced along with his hip-hop group Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.
