Susan Roces is a renowned Filipino actress who was born as Jesusa Porificacion Sonora on July 28, 1941. She is known in the Philippine show business as the Queen of the Philippine movie and fondly called as Tita Susan or Manang Inday in the showbiz industry. She is the widow of the popular actor Fernando Poe, Jr. to whom she has an adopted child, Grace Poe Llamanzares who was a former MTRCB Chairman and who is now a Philippine Senator. She was born in Bacolod City and her siblings are Teresita, Benita, Jose Maria and Rosemarie. She studied at the Sagrado Corazon de Jesus in Iloilo City during her preparatory years and then went to the St. Louis University for her primary education, Loreto College for her elementary and then to the La Consolacion College for her secondary years in school.
Susan Roces was born to a French American mother and of Spanish and Chinese descent father. She has also come from a family with a background in the show business, with her sister Rosemary and niece Sheryl Cruz as actresses. She is a fan of Gloria Romero which was the reason why her uncle brought her to visit the Sampaguita Studio during her Manila visit so she could meet Gloria in person. She was then approached by Dr. Jose Perez who is the owner of the Sampaguita Studios who offered her the opportunity to become a famous actress that she is one now. In fact, Susan is an iconic figure in the show business. Apart from being named as the Queen of Philippine movies, she is one of the ardent figures who call for the resignation of the former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who allegedly cheated her deceased husband Fernando Poe during the Presidential election.
Her first love team was Luis Gonzales where they were paired in the movie Boksingera. She was then paired with other Filipino actors like Jose Mari Gonzales, Juancho Gutierez, Eddie Gutierrez and Romeo Vasquez. Her marriage with Fernando Poe is highly respected and admired because they managed to maintain an enduring family life as a married couple in the show business. When she married Fernando Poe in 1968, she eventually took her career into a retirement as she prefers to become a full time wife. She no longer accepted television appearances and movies. She was later on prodded to agree on taking the role of a Filipina wife of a Chinese businessman portrayed by Christopher De Leon in the movie Mano Po 2 under Regal Films.
