The drama film Doll House continues to be a hit on Netflix.
Doll House tells the story of Rustin (Baron Geisler), a troubled rock band singer who sets out to reconnect with his long-lost daughter Yumi.
The young Yumi is portrayed by Althea Ruedas, while Mary Joy Apostol plays the grown-up version of the character.
Like Baron and Althea, Mary Joy’s performance has been met with positive feedback from viewers.
This is hardly surprising given Mary Joy’s impressive credentials before Doll House—a resume that already includes a critically-acclaimed film and a Best Actress award to boot.
Get to know more about Mary Joy and her showbiz journey with these fun facts.
PERSONAL DETAILS
Close friends and family endearingly call Mary Joy by her nickname, Majoy.
The actress is from Bulacan, and has a degree in tourism management from Bulacan State University.
ACTING DEBUT
Mary Joy was first seen in the 2012 short film Unawa.
A 13-year-old upstart at the time, she assumed the role of a young girl from a fishing village who goes to the city in an attempt to reconnect with her deranged mother.
Unawa was directed by Pamela Reyes, who co-wrote the script with Mikhail Red.
In casting the lead role, Pamela initially wanted someone who resembles Kathryn Bernardo. The director then stumbled upon Mary Joy.
“I realized I discovered a great, natural talent. She was marvelous in my short film,” Pamela told InterAksyon in 2017.
Pamela and Mikhail would also become instrumental in helping Mary Joy achieve a breakthrough in her acting career four years later.
BIG BREAK
Mary Joy was reunited with Pamela and Mikhail four years later, when she landed the lead role of Maya in the 2016 coming-of-age thriller film, Birdshot.
The movie was produced by Pamela and directed by Mikhail, who co-wrote the script with his cousin Rae Red.
Birdshot tells the story of a farm girl who unknowingly shoots a Philippine eagle. Two police officers are then assigned to track down the shooter. This happens alongside an ongoing investigation on the mysterious disappearance of a group of farmers on their way to Manila.
Mikhail said the film was inspired by a real-life story in 2008 of a farmer in Bukidnon who shot a Philippine eagle, unaware of its legal implications because of the bird’s critically endangered status.
To play the part effectively, Mary Joy had to learn how to hold a gun properly. She also trained alongside Bala, her canine co-star in the movie.
RECOGNITIONS AND NETFLIX
Mary Joy’s acting in Birdshot was given positive reviews by both viewers and critics.
Richard Kuipers of the U.S. entertainment publication Variety wrote: “Impressive newcomer Apostol has a magnetic screen presence and holds her own in the company of reliable pros [Arnold] Reyes and [John] Arcilla.”
Birdshot was first screened in Japan during the 2016 Tokyo International Film Festival, where it won Best Picture in the Asian Future category.
Mary Joy attended the screening and recalled the experience to InterAksyon: “I was so happy to be there. The people were so nice and warm and they so loved our film. I felt proud to be a Filipina when we won. We were all crying because we didn’t expect to win.”
The film went on to participate in more international festivals before making its Philippine debut as the opening movie at the 13th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival in 2017.
Birdshot was picked for the Ingmar Bergman International Debut Award at the Goteborg Film Festival.
Likewise, Birdshot was the country’s entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards in 2018.
Birdshot holds the distinction as the first Filipino-produced film to be made available worldwide on the popular streaming platform Netflix.
BEST ACTRESS
Birdshot also gave Mary Joy her first major acting award!
She bagged the Best Actress trophy at the inaugural ASEAN Film Awards held in Da Nang, Vietnam on November 29, 2017.
Mary Joy celebrated the special moment by posting on Facebook a short but sweet “thank you” addressed to the festival organizers.
PROJECTS AFTER BIRDSHOT
Birdshot certainly opened lots of doors for Mary Joy in the industry.
Mary Joy was a steady presence on the big screen, as she was seen in Simplicity (2018), Hospicio (2018), Heaven’s Waiting (2018), the horror flick Eerie (2018), the Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil starrer Alone/Together (2019), The Next 12 Days (2020), Mga Mata sa Dilim (2019), and the action film Resbak (2021).
TV viewers also saw her in the series Wagas (2018), The Bastards (2018), Ipaglaban Mo (2018, 2020), and Maalala Mo Kaya (2018, 2020).
She currently plays Queenie, the best friend of lead actress Kathryn Bernardo, in the hit series 2 Good 2 Be True.
LIKES AND FAVORITES
Mary Joy loves dogs and ice cream, according to a 2017 article by the Cebu-based newspaper, The Freeman.
She counts Toni Gonzaga and Maja Salvador among her favorite actresses.
Mary Joy dreams of working alongside top-caliber actors like Paulo Avelino, Ronnie Alonte, and John Lloyd Cruz.
She’s a homebody and appears unaffected by her burgeoning celebrity status.
“When I’m not at home, I’m in school, and when I’m not in school I’m in Manila working for acting projects or maybe auditioning,” Mary Joy said in an interview with The Freeman.
“Basta sa school or sa bahay, gusto ko lang na Majoy lang po ako. Yung simple lang, hindi ma-gimik, hindi sikat. Simple and normal lang talaga.”