WHY? The tag “not Nikita” refers to my favorite commercial — and most of us still remember it. Many were touched by the story of a grandfather and his granddaughter in this commercial, which tugged at the heartstrings of countless Filipinos. It was also through this ad that Karen delos Reyes got her break into showbiz. Despite her quiet and demure persona in the ad, the Karen who entered showbiz turned out to be very different — outspoken, fierce, and unapologetically real.

This bold Karen delos Reyes quickly stood out in the world of Philippine entertainment. Unsurprisingly, issues and controversies followed her. Some people described her as rude, snobbish, and moody. But in real life, Karen is a loving daughter and a reliable co-worker — she simply tends to be frank and true to herself.

But who really is Karen delos Reyes as a daughter and as a person?

Glomere Rose de los Reyes, better known by her screen name Karen delos Reyes, was born on September 29, 1984. She first rose to fame through a McDonald’s commercial in 2001. From there, her projects came one after another, especially with GMA Network. From 2002 to 2004, she was part of the GMA show Click, where she played the role of Weng. From 2004 to 2005, she also joined the cast of Mulawin where she portrayed Savana — often taking on antagonist roles that would become her trademark.

In 2005, she also appeared in Darna and Codename: Asero in 2008, then in the remake of Stairway to Heaven in 2009, among many other GMA shows and a few films. However, one of her most memorable appearances outside of commercials was in Survivor Philippines in 2010, where Karen’s true personality and character were revealed to the public.

On this reality show, many noticed Karen’s strong personality — perceived by some as rude or abrasive — which led her to be dubbed the “Taray Queen” (the “Snark Queen”) by some of her co-contestants. During that time, the title “Taray Queen” seemed fitting for Karen. She was reportedly the most outspoken among the celebrity castaways on GMA 7’s Survivor Philippines: Celebrity Showdown.

But according to Karen, what others called being “snarky” was just her being honest. She preferred to speak directly and express herself clearly. She admitted she didn’t get along with everyone on the island and that her boldness stood out during the challenges. Karen explained that when someone is outspoken or frank, others often mistake them for being rude or arrogant — but that’s not the case. She insisted she wouldn’t speak out if she had nothing meaningful to say.

Who could forget her heated exchange with the comedian Boobay on the same reality show? Just recently, Boobay mentioned in an interview with Boy Abunda that he and Karen had a falling out during Survivor Philippines. He even recalled an incident on Extra Challenge in 2012, where he was one of the co-hosts. Boobay intentionally mispronounced Karen’s last name as “de los Santos” instead of “de los Reyes” as a joke — referencing Karen’s role in the famous fast food commercial where her grandfather kept calling her “Gina” instead of her real name, Karen.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go as Boobay expected, and Karen apparently took offense. The tension rose until Marian Rivera, also a host on the show, stepped in to calm them down. However, as of now, both Karen and Boobay have made amends and there is no more rift between them.

Karen is currently still active with some projects under GMA 7 while prioritizing taking care of her child.

Now let’s go back to the commercial that first made Karen delos Reyes famous in 2001. The advertising agency Hemisphere Leo Burnett produced a TV commercial for their client McDonald’s, where a then-unknown Karen starred. The 45-second ad touched millions of Filipinos with its simplicity and emotional impact — despite having no special effects.

The scene was just a conversation between a grandfather and his favorite granddaughter, Karen. Due to his forgetfulness, the grandfather kept mentioning another grandchild’s name, “Gina,” even though he was talking to Karen. At first, Karen didn’t like it — she was clearly jealous. But in the end, she saw her grandfather cut his burger in half and said the now-iconic line:

“Para kay Gina, at para sa paborito kong apo… Karen.”
(“For Gina, and for my favorite granddaughter… Karen.”)

This touching ad became one of the most awarded commercials of that year. In 2002, it received the Pilak Award from 4As Philippines as one of the Top 25 Classic Ads from the Past 50 Years. It also won “Ad of the Year” at the Kidlat Awards presented by the Creative Guild of the Philippines in 2010, covering the years 1999 to 2010. It was the first Filipino ad to win the prestigious Gold Lotus award at AdFest — a unique award given to works that represent culture, religion, tradition, language, and insight.

Did you know there was supposed to be a part two of this commercial? The role of “Gina” would have been played by the talented singer Morissette Amon, who bears a strong resemblance to Karen delos Reyes. The second version would have featured a scene where Karen, Gina, and their grandfather finally meet.

However, this plan never pushed through because the actor who played the grandfather passed away in 2019 at the age of 96. He was Rudy Francisco, a former actor from Sampaguita Pictures. He eventually left showbiz to pursue his dream of becoming a lawyer and later became legal counsel for Sampaguita Pictures. One of his children is actor and entrepreneur Ares Francisco.