Maria Margarita Amada Fteha Isidro, known professionally as Agot Isidro, is a Filipina actress. She is the fourth of the six children of Jose Isidro, an architect, and Palestinian mother Edwarta Fteha. She graduated from the University of the Philippines Diliman with a bachelor's degree in interior design. Isidro also pursued Fashion Buying and Merchandising at Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, where she graduated as magna cum laude. She also has a master's degree in communication from the Ateneo de Manila University. Isidro started as a back-up singer together with her sisters Olive Cruz and Tina Isorena in The Sharon Cuneta Show. She was urged by Johnny Manahan or Mr. M to fill in for then pregnant Melissa de Leon in the noon time show 'Sang Linggo nAPO Sila. She was like a breath of fresh air and people started noticing her, hence, the moniker "Crush ng Bayan" or "the people's crush" and also as the "Julia Roberts of the Philippines". She is best known for her role as Ingrid Martinez in the 2009 hit television series, Tayong Dalawa. In 2012, she transferred to GMA Network and signed an exclusive contract in Kapuso Network, her first major project was the television series of GMA Network entitled, One True Love. She later returned to her original home network, ABS-CBN in 2013 as she makes a comeback project via Muling Buksan ang Puso, starring Julia Montes, Enrique Gil and Enchong Dee.
Early life
Isidro grew up in Marikina along with her parents and siblings. She is the youngest among the girls and considered herself as "daddy's girl". Growing up, she never saw herself as beautiful because of her ethnic features as a child. Isidro was skinny, dark-skinned, black hair, and has knobby knees compared to her siblings who were light-skinned and has brown hair. Because of her looks, she was teased a lot by her siblings and relatives, which left her emotionally scarred. After graduating college in UP Diliman, she left home and pursued a degree in Fashion Buying and Merchandising in the prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. New Yorkers were fascinated by her ethnic features, which gave Isidro a boost of confidence and self-esteem. Living alone, she felt homesick and struggled to make ends meet with her allowance given by her parents. However, Isidro was determined to prove that she could live alone in the Big Apple. She focused on school and graduated magna cum laude. When she entered show business at age 25, she was like a breath of fresh air to the Filipino audience. Her beauty and talent stood out and was given the title as "crush ng bayan" or "people's crush" because of her girl-next-door persona. Isidro continued to rise as a talent and was given numerous projects including recording albums, movies, television, and theater. Up to this date, she is considered to be one of the most beautiful women and best dressed celebrity in the Philippines.
Isidro made her theatrical debut in August 2003 with Honk!, a musical inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Ugly Duckling." Isidro played Ida, the mother of the "ugly duckling" played by Rajo Laurel. The musical was under Trumpets Production and was directed by Chari Arespacochaga. Honk! was held at the Meralco Theater on August 1 till September 7, 2003. After her Honk! debut, Isidro starred in Atlantis Production's "Baby The Musical" in August 2004. She played Pam Sakarian, a basketball coach in her 30s opposite Jett Pangan, who played her husband Nick Sakarian. The story involves the couple's struggle to conceive after being married for two years. The couple found out that Pam was pregnant but later realized that it was the wrong Mrs. Sakarian, Nick's sister-in-law. The play was directed by Bobby Garcia and was held at the Meralco Theater.
