Rio Locsin Biography: Husband, Ethnicity, Movies, Net Worth, Height, Age, Instagram, Children

Maria Theresa Rosario Garcia Nayve, professionally known as Rio Locsin, is a Filipino actress celebrated for her bold, sensual, and fiercely independent screen persona during the golden era of Philippine cinema in the late 1970s and 1980s.

Discovered as one of the original “Regal Babies,” she became famous for daring roles in films like Manila by Night and Insiang, earning the nickname “Avatar Girl” for her exotic beauty and fearless performances.

Profile

• Full Name: Maria Theresa Rosario Garcia Nayve
• Stage Name: Rio Locsin
• Born: 3, October 1961
• Age: 64 years old
• Birthplace: Candelaria, Quezon, Philippines
• Nationality: Filipino
• Occupation: Actress
• Height: 1.65 m
• Parents: Charito de León
• Siblings: Unknown
• Spouse: Ernesto “Padim” Israel (m. 1993)
• Partner: Ramon Revilla Sr. (ex)
• Children: Paula Tantay, Joses Israel, Jabba Tantay
• Relationship: Married
• Net Worth: $6 million

Early Life and Education

Maria Theresa Rosario Garcia Nayve was born on October 3, 1961, in Candelaria, Quezon province, to actress Charito de León, a well-known dramatic actress of the 1950s and 1960s.

Raised partly in show-business circles, she was discovered at age 16 by Regal Films matriarch Mother Lily Monteverde while accompanying her mother to a movie set.

She finished high school at St. Joseph’s College in Quezon City and briefly took up Interior Design at the Philippine Women’s University before fully committing to acting. She is of pure Filipino heritage and raised Roman Catholic.

Career

Rio Locsin burst into stardom in 1978 with daring roles in Ishmael Bernal’s Manila by Night (City After Dark) and Lino Brocka’s Insiang (1976, released widely later), earning critical acclaim and her first FAMAS Best Supporting Actress award at just 17.

Throughout the late 1970s and 1980s she became one of the boldest actresses of her generation, starring in sensual dramas such as Butterfly (1979), Soltero (1984), and the iconic Mapagsamantalang Asawa (1981).

She worked with every major director of the era—Bernal, Brocka, Mike de Leon, and Mario O’Hara—and earned multiple Best Actress nominations for films like Andrea, Paano Ba ang Maging Isang Ina? (1990) and Working Girls (1984).

After marrying in 1993, she took a long break from show business to raise her children, returning in the early 2000s with mature supporting roles in television and film. She gained a new generation of fans through teleseryes such as Pangako Sa ‘Yo (2000), Sa Puso Ko Iingatan Ka (2001), and the highly rated 2010 remake of Mara Clara.

In recent years she has appeared in acclaimed series like The Broken Marriage Vow (2022), Senior High (2023), and Linlang (2023), proving her dramatic power remains undiminished.

Rio Locsin continues to be a sought-after character actress in both mainstream and independent projects. With over 150 films and dozens of television appearances, she has received lifetime achievement awards from FAMAS and Gawad Urian and is widely admired for her grace, professionalism, and enduring beauty.

Social Media

• Instagram Handle: @riolocsin
• Facebook Handle: Rio Locsin

Personal Life

Rio Locsin was in a long-term relationship with actor and former senator Ramon Revilla Sr. from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s, during which she gave birth to her first two children, Paula and Jabba Tantay.

In 1993 she married businessman and former basketball player Ernesto “Padim” Israel, with whom she has a son, Joses. The couple has kept a low-profile but stable marriage and resides in Quezon City.

Filmography

• Insiang (1976)
• Manila by Night (1980)
• Soltero (1984)
• Mapagsamantalang Asawa (1981)
• Working Girls (1984)
• Andrea, Paano Ba ang Maging Isang Ina? (1990)
• Mumbaki (1996)
• Manila (2009)
• In My Life (2009)
• Senior High (2023, TV series)
• Linlang (2023, TV series)

Net Worth

Rio Locsin has an estimated net worth of $6 million, built from her iconic film career during the 1980s, residuals from classic movies, real-estate holdings in Quezon and Batangas provinces, and steady income from television appearances over the past two decades. Her careful investments and modest lifestyle have kept her financially comfortable.