Lilia Cuntapay (born January 3, 1935) is a Filipina actress. She is most likely known for her debut role in the Filipino horror film series Shake Rattle and Roll. She also starred in her first leading role, Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay which won her as Best Actress in the 2011 CinemaOne Originals Digital Film Festival. She is dubbed as the "Queen of Philippine Horror Movies" due to her participation in many horror films.

Biography

Early life
Cuntapay is a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Education and taught in the primary levels in a school in Tuguegarao. After quitting teaching, Cuntapay ventured in the buy-and-sell trade. She also worked as an office staff in the National Police Commission.


Film and television
Cuntapay was among the 40 actors trained in the first batch of acting workshops for LVN Pictures and conducted Lori Reyes and Peque Gallaga.

In 1991, Cuntapay played the spooky yaya (nanny) of Kris Aquino's character in Shake Rattle & Roll 3. A year later, at the age of 40, Cuntapay retired from Napolcom and found herself playing, under Gallaga, the character of "aswang" for the first time—a role she would later be typecasted.

In 2009, Cuntapay appeared as an albularyo in the ABS-CBN afternoon TV series Precious Hearts Romances Presents: Bud Brothers. She was featured in the Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho 2009 Halloween Special. She appeared as Rosanna, a role which she shared with Maricar Reyes, in the Midnight DJ "Kwentas ng Mangkukulam" episode. Cuntapay was also cast as Miley Cyrus in Lokomoko High's spoof of the Party in the USA music video. At the end of the year, she had a minor role in the film Nobody, Nobody But... Juan -- an entry to the 2009 Metro Manila Film Festival.

Cuntapay played an old lady in The Last Prince and a fairy disguised as an old lady in the "Inday Bote" episode of Wansapanataym both in 2010 and played Upeng in the mini-series Sa Ngalan ng Ina, the first offering of TV5's TV5 Miniserye series in the latter part of 2011.

For her upcoming biopic, Cecille Miller played the young Lilia.


Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay and onwards
Cuntapay played herself in the indie mockumentary Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay—described as a bittersweet fictional account on Cuntapay's life as a Philippine showbiz extra.—an entry to the 2011 Cinema One Originals and directed by Antoinette H. Jadaone. The film won six awards in the 2011 Cinema One Originals Digital Film Festival, including a Best Actress award for Cuntapay.