Iza Calzado, a Filipina actress, TV host and model is born Maria Isadora Ussher Calzado on August 12, 1982. Her father Lito Calzado, a Filipino, is a choreographer and TV director while her mother, the late Mary Ann Ussher was of Irish-Spanish-Filipina descent. Her parents named her after the famous dancer Isadora Duncan. Iza has a brother named Dash who is a member of the Pinoy rap group Legit Misfitz. Iza finished her secondary education at Miriam College in the late 1990’s. She then pursued a course in Fine Arts at the University of Santo Tomas.
Before entering into show business, Iza Calzado worked as a dub artist for a Mexican telenovela. She started out as a guest star in the show Click and later on gaining recognition which led her to further guesting and roles. Her biggest breaks in Philippine showbiz would include teaming up with an Argentine actor Segundo Cernadas in a telenovela in GMA 7, Te Amo, Maging Sino Ka Man and in the teleserya, Encantadia, taking the role as Amihan a queen goddess. According to Iza the turning point in her career was when she played the role of Mary Grace in the movie Milan under Star Cinema.
Iza Calzado also starred in movies like Moments of Love, Batanes: Sa Dulo ng Walang Hanggan where she worked with a Taiwanese actor Ken Zhu. She also starred in the hit drama series Impostora. Iza was also praised and acclaimed in the movie The Echo, an English film based on the horror film Sigaw. Another filmed she starred was the movie One True Love which was released on November, 2008. In 2009, she again starred in the movie All About Eve and was the host of the prestigious pageant Binibining Pilipinas 2009. In the year 2010, Iza began appearing in a show Healthy Cravings on QTV-11 with Chef Jeremy Favia. In the same year Iza also appeared in Party Pilipinas and in Pilyang Kerubin and she co-hosted a show,The Sweet Life on QTV-11. In 2012 she also hosted the talks how, Showbiz Exclusive which is a segment on GMA News TV. Her last sitcom as a contract artist for GMA was on the sitcom, Andres de Saya.
At present she is under a three year exclusive contract with ABS-CBN. She hosted the second season of the show, The Biggest Loser: Pinoy Edition and replaced Sharon Cuneta. She also appeared in the show Maalaala Mo Kaya to celebrate a decade in showbiz. Iza also co-starred in the hit movie When A Man Loves A Woman with actor John Lloyd Cruz and actress Sarah Geronimo. Iza is known and considered as one of the most beautiful actresses in Philippine Cinema.
Iza Calzado to her colleagues in the Philippine movie industry, Maria Izadora Ussher Calzado was born August 12, 1982. She is a Filipina actress, TV host and model, and a former talent of GMA 7 homegrown contract artists. It was only recently that Iza decided to sign an exclusive contract with ABS-CBN and a non-exclusive contract with Star Cinema. That happened after 10 years of being a talent at GMA 7. Her name was inspired by a dancer, Isadora Duncan. She was born to parents Lito Calzado, a famous choreographer and TV director and to Mary Ann Ussher, of an Irish-Spanish-Filipina descent. Iza had one brother, Dash Calzado who is a member of Legit Misfitz, a Popular Pinoy rap group. She went to Miriam College in her high school days and earned her degree in Fine Arts at Univesity of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines.
She worked as a dubber for Mexicanovela before entering showbiz industry. Iza began as a guest teen star in the TV show “Click,” which paved the way for other more roles. She also appeared in the drama “Kung Mawawala Ka,” as Phoebe Valiente and starred in her first soap opera entitled “Te Amo, Maging Sino Ka Man,” together with Segundo Cernadas, and Argentinian actor as her leading man. In “Encantadia,” she played Amihan, the Queen of goddesses in 2005. Iza played the role of Divina Buenacer in “Moments of Love,” with Dingdong Dantes and Karylle in 2006. She also appeared in “Batanes: Sa Dulo NG Walang Hanggan,” under Ignite Media Films in 2007 opposite Taiwanese actor Ken Zhu under the direction of Adolf Alix. She was also a cast in “Impostora.”
Iza Calzado won the “Model Star Award,” from the Korea Asia Model Award Festival in January 2008. She was also the lead star in “The Echo,” and English remake of the horror film “Sigaw.” In November of 2008, she also starred in ‘One True Love,” and in 2009, in “All About Eve.” Aside from being an actress, Izza is also a host. She hosted the 2009 Binibining Pilipinas Pageant.
She was also in the QTV-11 TV show entitled “Healthy Cravings,” opposite Chef Jeremy Favia in 2010. Iza was also in “Party Pilipinas,” at GMA 7. Her first bikini appearance was in her TV series “Beauty Queen,”opposite TJ Trinidad as the leading man role.”Pilyang Kerubin,” followed up “Beauty Queen,” also opposite TJ Trinidad. She was a co-host opposite Lucy Torres on QTV-11 in the TV show “The Sweet Life.” Iza was also given the chance to do some hosting jobs in “Showbiz Exclusives,” on GMA News TV. She appeared in the comedy show “Andres de Saya,” her last show under GMA 7.
Iza Calzado decided to transfer and sign a three-year exclusive contract with ABS-CBN Network and will be hosting the second season of “The Biggest Loser: Pinoy Edition.” She had appeared in “Maalaala Mo Kaya,” in celebration of her 10th year in Philippine show business. Iza is a member of the numerous talents in “ASAP,” an ABS-CBN Sunday variety show.Her first teleserye was ‘Kahit Puso’y Masugatan,” which also starred Gabby Concepcion, Andi Eigenmann and Jake Cuenca. Iza is currently in a relationship with a Filipino-British named Ben Wintle.
