Pokwang

Pokwang was born Marietta Subong on August 27, 1970[1] in Iloilo City.[5] Her family hails from Antipolo, Rizal. Her father was a drunkard and her mother had difficulties in raising Pokwang and her 11 other siblings.[6] Pokwang was the seventh born among her siblings.[7]

Pokwang prefers to use herself as a subject of her jokes rather than other people. She also does not do "green jokes" (Filipino parlance for sexual innuendos), which are deemed unsuitable for young audiences as she enjoys being a comedian also watched by children.[6]

Pokwang has also impersonated other people as part of her job as a comedian. Among the people she has impersonated were Dionisia Pacquiao such as for an episode in Banana Split[10] and Anabelle Rama.[8]

In 1993, Subong married a Japanese national who she had met while she was working abroad in Japan. The union produced a son, who later died due to a congential brain ailment. The couple had become estranged for over a decade. In 2009, after 16 years, Subong’s estranged husband contacted her in an effort to reconcile after he found out he had cancer. He also requested to view the grave of his son, to which Subong replied “He has forgiven you, he’s an angel now.”.[11]

In 1996, she entered into another relationship again with a Japanese national. Though they did not marry, the union produced daughter Ria Mae. Subong has since not spoken to her daughter's father, but harbors no ill will toward him, stating she is open to her daughter one days meeting with him. He found out about Subong's celebrity status via mutual friend and through international media channels.[12] In May 2014, Subong reestablished contact with Rie Mae's father in an effort to have him appear at Ria Mae's debutante ball for her 18th birthday. Subong later revealed that she was aware of her former partner's marriage to a Korean national and that he had started a family with her.[13]

Subong had a British suitor but in June 2013 it was reported that he decided not to pursue. Subong speculated that the reason for this was that she was "playing hard to get", but insists that she remains friends with the Briton.[14]

On 20 January 2015, Subong entered into a relationship with American actor Lee O'Brian, whom she worked with in the film Edsa Woolworth which was released in theaters in that same month.[15] Subong became pregnant, but miscarried after three weeks.[16] By September 2016, Subong had been introduced to O'Brian's relatives and the two began talking about marriage. Nuptial planning was delayed as Subong's priority at the time was her project Till I Met You.[17] On June 16, 2017, Subong announced on Twitter that she was seven weeks pregnant with O'Brian's child.[18][19]

On 18 January 2018, Pokwang gave birth to her third child (first with Lee) in Antipolo city, naming her Malia Francine O'Brian.

• Pokwang at IMDb