Actress Eugene “Mother Uge” Domingo is an institution in Philippine showbiz, no less.
As a prolific comedienne, her body of work showcases some of the strongest moments in Philippine comedy—and a social media user took the effort to round up her brilliant and laugh-out-loud scenes.
Interested in enrolling into Eugene Domingo studies? Get ready to be schooled.
First on the list that garnered thousands of likes on X (formerly Twitter) is her “welcome to Haven Resort” scene from “Paano Kita Iibigin” (2007) with Regine Velasquez and Piolo Pascual.
ABS-CBN restored this Joyce Bernal movie in 2022, giving way for Eugene to recreate the iconic lines once more during the promo to her co-stars’ delight.
Also among the rundown were her performances in film series “Ang Tanging Ina” (2003-2011) and “Kimmy Dora” (2009-2013), as well as movies “D’ Lucky Ones” (2006) and “Die Beautiful” (2016).
The thread would not have been complete without mentioning her masterful work in “Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank” 1 & 2 (2011 & 2016), and its eventual iWant Original Series in 2019.
One of the lasting cultural impacts of the first installment of the Marlon Rivera and Chris Martinez’ brainchild was the scene where Uge lectured on types of acting, namely: elevator, TV Patrol, and “as is, where is” acting.
In an old interview with Boy Abunda, the comedian revealed that it was Ai-Ai delas Alas who coined the term “elevator acting” when she observed Eugene’s rising and falling intonation at the filming of the “Ang Tanging Ina” franchise.
Eugene also explained during the interview that the over-the-top “TV Patrol acting” is best suited for prime-time dramas when viewers are usually busy with household chores.
“As is, where is” acting on the other hand, is picked up from independent filmmaking, wherein not all emotions need to be on display for the camera.
“Minsan, tulala ka lang. Napatitig ka lang, na-nonimate ka pa [ng award]”, she bantered.
Eugene now holds under her belt numerous recognitions from Asian Film Awards, Tokyo International Film Festival, and Box Office Entertainment Awards to name a few.
She recently graced She Talks Asia Summit 2024 in March, where she discussed breaking the stereotypes about love life, saying there is really no timeline in meeting your long-term partner.
Eugene is married to her husband Danilo Bottoni who she met during her 40s at an international film festival.
At the summit, when asked which genre she liked playing the most, Eugene answered comedy without thinking. She explained that drama tends to take a toll on her eating habits and mood, something that she had also said years prior.
“I’m really a character actress and I really find pleasure in doing comedy,” she said.
