Jaclyn Jose dead at 60 years old: Gone too soon

Updated March 4, 2:24 p.m.

Award-winning actress Jaclyn Jose died on Saturday, March 2, at age 60. 

Her death was confirmed by PPL Entertainment Inc., her management. No cause of death was mentioned, however. 

“It saddens us to inform everyone of the untimely passing of Miss Jaclyn Jose. More details will be shared as soon as they are available. The Guck and Eigenmann families are requesting for everyone to please pray for the eternal repose of Miss Jaclyn Jose and for them to be allowed the respect and privacy to mourn her passing, and navigate these difficult times,” the statement read.

Jaclyn Jose | Image: Instagram/@jaclynjose

Jose, whose real name was Mary Jane Guck, was survived by her two children, daughter Andi Eigenmann, and son, Gwen Garimond.

The veteran actress, whose last appearance was as Jail Chief Supt./BGEN Dolores Espinas in the TV series, “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo,” was the first ever Filipino actor to win the Best Actress award at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival for her role in Brillante Mendoza’s “Ma’ Rosa.” In that critically-acclaimed film, she portrayed a mother who runs a small convenience store and gets entangled in the world of drug dealing to make ends meet.

She was also last seen in the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival film entry “Broken Heart’s Trip.” 

Aside from the prestigious Cannes award, Jose was also a recipient of local but equally prestigious trophies from Gawad Urian (5), Luna Awards (2), a FAMAS Award, and an MMFF award, under the tutelage of great directors such as Lino Brocka and Chito Roño.

Approachable actress

In her showbiz career that spanned about four decades, Jose’s notable contribution to the Philippine and film industries will always be held in high regard, but she was not one to be considered unapproachable by her peers or the younger generation of actors.

Jose said in an interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer last July 11 for “Deadly Love,” a series for a streaming platform, that her main goal was to deliver the scenes to the best of her abilities by making sure there would be no awkwardness between her and her costars.

“What’s the point of intimidating your co-actors just for the sake of it? I have to make them feel comfortable with me. That way, we can build chemistry and rapport,” she then said.

“I’m not the kind of veteran actor who’s unapproachable. Ako pa nga ang lumalapit. No shooting will happen if there’s awkwardness on set. I make everyone feel that we’re all the same and equal,” she said.