Kapamilya Snaps: 13 versatile actresses who slayed their action scenes in teleseryes

Gone are the days when women were just damsels in distress waiting for their knight-in-shining-armor to come and save them because now, we are all capable and courageous enough to fend and fight for ourselves.

And that doesn’t only happen in real life, but onscreen, too, as we’ve witnessed our beloved leading ladies take on action and fight scenes in teleseryes that they star in, such as the famous femme fatales we listed in this Kapamilya Snaps feature!

Ivana Alawi

Among the newest additions in the ever-growing ensemble cast of FPJ’s Batang Quiapo, Ivana is able to prove that she’s definitely more than just the beautiful and sexy actress and content creator that we all love.

As she plays the role of the badass Bubbles, viewers are impressed with her performance, especially when her character figures in a nail-biting skirmish against the authorities in her first-ever mission with Tanggol (Coco Martin) in a recent episode. This made fans dub her a “potential action star”.

“Hindi siya madali, pero I’m very thankful kasi I’m supported by such a strong team. Tsaka may training talaga, hindi naman nila ako sinabak na gano’n lang. May mga training din,” Ivana said in a TV Patrol interview.

Dimples Romana

Just when we thought that we’ve already seen various facets of Dimples as an actress through the years that she’s been in showbiz, avid Kapamilya viewers were surely shocked when we saw her brandish guns and do fight scenes in The Iron Heart.

Aside from taking firing lessons from her husband Boyet Ahmee who’s a gun enthusiast, she revealed in an Instagram post that she actually underwent Muay Thai training in preparation for her role as Selene Larisa.

She gave us glimpses of the behind-the-scene happenings during their filming on Instagram and captioned one of her reels, “Fighting like a girl in high heels, power suits, lingerie, hair flipping and all.”

Sofia Andres

From endearing us with her teeny-bopper and dramatic roles, Sofia stepped out of her comfort zone when she starred as the Sea Region (Taga-laot) warrior Mayari in the 2018 fantaserye Bagani.

And in 2022, she leveled up her game when she took part in the Kapamilya series The Iron Heart, wherein she was able to further astonish us with how she did her fight scenes realistically and flawlessly as the fierce Nyx del Rosario.

Sue Ramirez

She might have played characters that are palaban yet need some rescuing because they’re in distress, but Sue had the chance to be the heroine who can save not only herself but also other people through her role as Captain Lourdes Bacalso in A Soldier’s Heart (2020). There, she’s able to show that women have a place in the military and can even hold significant positions to protect the country.

The in-demand actress toughened up even more for her portrayal of Venus in The Iron Heart. In a media interview, Sue said about her character, “I feel na ‘yon na ‘yong pinakamatinding fight scene na ginawa ko.”

Jane de Leon

After playing supporting characters in previous projects she got cast in, Jane was given the wonderful opportunity to take on the highly coveted role of the legendary Pinay superheroine Darna in the action-packed TV adaptation of Mars Ravelo’s Darna in 2022 in which she did an impressive job of portraying both Narda and Darna.

But prior to her biggest break to date, she was able to showcase her skills in doing fight scenes through her remarkable stints in the “Medal” episode of Maalaala Mo Kaya in 2020, as she depicted the life story of Pinay boxing champ Nesthy Petecio, and in FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano, wherein she got to show off her fighting and gun-handling skills as Police Captain Lia Mante.

Janella Salvador

Another actress to veer away from teeny-bopper and “lovable” roles is Janella, who completely astonished us when she accepted the role of Valentina in the 2022 incarnation of Mars Ravelo’s Darna. Aside from terrorizing us with her frightening appearance and her snake friends, she also stunned us with her unique and gripping ways of toppling down the enemies of the fierce villain.

Sylvia Sanchez

Age is definitely just a number for Sylvia, who is able to showcase her versatility and prowess as a dramatic actress in the decades that she’s been in showbiz. And as she made her teleserye comeback via the well-loved primetime series Senior High, she’s able to prove that she can also do some action as she takes on the role of Northford’s dutiful security guard Lydia.

The veteran actress previously shared in an interview that she’s eager to take on action projects that would further showcase her versatility and would enable her to offer something new to viewers. She stated, “‘Wag n’yo lang ako ikahon sa luha-luha… Gagawin ko lahat para magulat din kayo.”

Kathryn Bernardo

While there’s no doubt that she can slay in both drama and romance, Kathryn was able to show a new side of herself in the 2017 action-fantasy series La Luna Sangre, wherein she played the role of Malia, a.k.a. the “Chosen One”, who underwent intense training and overcame various challenges to defeat the king of vampires Supremo (Richard Gutierrez).

Aside from her physical transformations, she also stunned us with her flair in doing fight scenes, which we had not seen from her before.

Julia Montes

In the two decades that she’s been in showbiz, Julia has already proven her skillfulness as an actress. As she’s able to take on mature roles at an early age, she also got the opportunity to explore various genres, which includes action. She has already starred in several action-oriented series in recent years, namely, Asintado (2018), 24/7 (2020), and FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano (2021).

As part of her preparations for these projects, she learned how to handle a gun, ride a motorcycle, and perform choreographed fight scenes with the help of her real-life sweetheart Coco Martin.

Angel Locsin

In the two decades that she’s been in showbiz, we all know that Angel cannot only do drama and comedy, but can slay in action, too! And we’re able to see that through her notable stints in Lobo (2008) as the titular character Lyka Raymundo, in Imortal (2010) as the werewolf Lia Ortega, in La Luna Sangre as Jacintha Magsaysay (2017), and in The General’s Daughter (2019) as and the tough military nurse and spy Rhian Bonifacio.

While other actors would have a stunt double, it’s truly unbelievable to find out that Angel did many of her daring stunts in these action-packed dramas.

Lou Yanong

It might have taken her quite some time to get her big break in showbiz after her remarkable stint in Pinoy Big Brother Otso, but it was definitely worth the wait for Lou as she got cast in The Iron Heart, wherein she’s able to impress us with her portrayal of Rhea, Selene’s (Dimples Romana) head of security.

In a previous interview, the “Rampa Sister of Mandaluyong” shared that she felt empowered whenever she did action scenes.

Meryll Soriano

Just like her famous auntie, the Diamond Star Maricel Soriano, Meryll also began her acting career as a child star. Through the years, we’re able to witness her growth not just as a human, but also as an actress as she takes on challenging roles that highlight her versatility as an actress. And in her most recent acting project The Iron Heart, she’s able to exude girl power through her character Juno.

Fans were rooting for Juno after witnessing her emotional journey, as well as for being one of the courageous members of the elite group Apollo 5. And she definitely did not disappoint in doing her fight scenes.

Ryza Cenon

Last, but definitely not the least, is Ryza, who is another actress to take part in the world-class action drama The Iron Heart. Through her portrayal of the ruthless Circe, she’s able to prove that women can be tough villains, too.

Before that, she had already showcased her action chops in previous projects that she did, such as The General’s Daughter (2019), wherein she played the role of 2nd Lt. Jessica "Jessie" de Leon-del Fierro.

These Kapamilya actresses have indeed astounded us with their portrayals of badass heroines and villainesses in teleseryes. At the same time, they also set as true inspirations for us in real life as among the champions of women’s empowerment. Keep on slayin’, ladies!