Jaclyn Jose Dies: Cannes Award-Winning Filipino Actress Was 60

Filipino actress Jaclyn Jose, best known for her role in Brillante Mendoza’s indie feature Ma’ Rosa, which nabbed her the Best Actress gong at Cannes, has died. Jose — who was born Mary Jane Guck — was 60. 

Jose’s reps at PPL Entertainment confirmed the news with a statement on their Instagram account, stating the actress died “on the morning of March 2, 2024, due to myocardial infarction or a heart attack.”  

“We would like to thank everyone who has extended their prayers and condolences thus far. As our family is trying to come to terms with this unfortunate incident, please provide us the respect and privacy to grieve,” the statement said. “We hope this will put all speculations to rest.” 

Jose’s daughter Andi Eigenmann, an actress best known for working predominantly in the Philippines, shared a statement alongside PPL Entertainment’s announcement. 

“Her undeniable legacy will definitely forever live on through her work, through her children, grandchildren, and the many lives she’s touched— as her life itself was her greatest obra maestra,” Eigenmann wrote. 

Jose’s career spanned four decades. She first broke through with performances on local soaps like Familia Zaragoza and Mula Sa Puso. She went on to become one of the most respected performers in the Philippines. In 2017, she was honored by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts for her achievement in Cannes. In 2023, she was awarded the Movie Icon Award by The Society of Philippine Entertainment Editors.

Some of her other film credits include The Flor Contemplacion Story (1995), Patay Na Si Hesus (2016), and Service (2008). She is still the only Filipino to win the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress for Ma’ Rosa. The festival shared a tribute to Jose on X this morning. 

“On learning of the death of Filipina actress Jaclyn Jose, the Festival de Cannes remembers her face beaming with emotion when she received the Award for Best Actress in 2016 in Brillante Mendoza’s Ma’Rosa. A beautiful portrait of a woman embodied with grace and humanity,” the statement read.