‘He cast a young Shawie in a softdrink commercial, perhaps a training ground for the future Megastar’s successful career’
When movie producer and advertising maverick Tony Gloria passed away on March 25, 2025 at the age of 78, he left behind a body of work that demonstrated his unparalleled vision.
Mr. Gloria, or Mr. G as he was fondly called by the people he worked with, imbibed the independent spirit.
Mr. Gloria is credited for giving Sharon Cuneta a break in TV commercials. He cast a young Shawie in a softdrink commercial, perhaps a training ground for the future Megastar’s successful career in TV and movies. Society of Film Archivists’ (SOFIA) Ronald Rios pointed it out clearly, “Without Tony Gloria, there s no Sharon Cuneta.”
Filmmaker Mark Meily agreed. In a Facebook post, the director of “Crying Ladies” said of Mr. Gloria, “He saw the spark in a 13-year-old Sharon Cuneta and set her on the path from ‘Dear Heart’, to ‘P.S.I Love You’, and then to stardom.”
As a supervising producer at Viva Films, Mr. Gloria produced Sharon’s blockbusters “Cross My Heart,” “To Love Again,” “Dapat Ka Bang Mahalin?,” “Bukas Luluhod ang Mga Tala,” “Bituing Walang Ningning,” along with other Viva’s early hits “Working Girls,” “Bagets,” “Paano Ba ang Mangarap?” and many more films that strengthened the Viva brand – sleek, well-made, epic in scale yet appealed to a broad spectrum.
Through the years, Mr. Gloria would become braver and open to new artists.
When he put up his own advertising and movie outfit called Unitel Straightshooters Inc., the move opened doors for new talent such as filmmakers Mark Meily, Rianne Hill Soriano and Veronica Velasco, and musical director Vincent de Jesus.
“Back in 2003, it was Tony G. who first laughed at my ‘Crying Ladies’ pitch and said, ‘Yes, gawin natin.’ He was a man of trust, vision and boundless generosity…. But Mr. G’s trust wasn’t just for me. He extended it to so many storytellers, dreamers, and artists,” Mark said of Mr. Gloria on Facebook.
Las Vegas Filmmaker of the Year Rianne Hill Soriano recounted on Facebook that she, too, was a recipient of Mr. G.’s kindness. He helped her make her thesis film and subsequent projects by sharing with her Unitel’s technical and production resources.
Rianne revealed, “For my second 35mm project, (Mr. G) was there again in full support from the 35mm short ends that I could use to finish my project to the telecine transfer and the colorgrading of the final film….”
Before Veronica Velasco helmed the Cinemalaya 2009 Best Picture “Last Supper No. 3,” she got her break in 2006 through Mr. G who produced her debut film “Inang Yaya” starring Maricel Soriano.
“I was a line producer (at Unitel) but he believed me when I said I wanted to be a writer. When I wrote ‘Inang Yaya’, it was Mr. G who not only asked Maricel Soriano to play Norma, but also made sure the film was produced. My life changed because of that,” said Veronica.
Vincent de Jesus admitted he was heartbroken when he learned of Mr. Gloria’s passing. The producer is the reason Vincent now has a thriving career as a musical director and composer. Mr. G offered him a job writing jingles and creating music for movies “Crying Ladies,” “Santa Santita,” “La Visa Loca,” “Babae sa Septic Tank,” “I Doo Bidoo” and the 2024 MMFF entry “Isang Himala.”
Yet for Vincent, Mr. G’s contribution to the industry was more than the creatives he guided and developed. His real legacies are the Unitel films that were ahead of their time. Vincent said, “These films he pushed for broke the mold, crazy-out-of-the-box ideas yet were truthful, intelligent, sophisticated.”
Mr. Gloria was also one of the prime movers of Nowhere To Go But UP, a group of alumni from his alma mater, the University of the Philippines, that was formed to support UP’s student-athletes.
In 2022, he backed the candidacy of UP alumni Leni Robredo for president and Francis Pangilinan for vice president by being part of the group Mga Tagagawa ng Patalastas for Leni-Kiko.
Clearly, Mr. G. loved the advertising and entertainment industries, his school and his country. Nowhere To Go But UP gave him a touching and accurate tribute when they declared, “Mr. Tony Gloria’s legacy includes innovation, creativity, and unwavering dedication to his craft. He leaves a body of productions that will continue inspiring future generations. His passing is a big loss to all who knew him… and the countless individuals whose lives he touched throughout his illustrious career.”
