Esmeralda Tuazon, born in 1961, was the second of six children in an impoverished family. To help her family's financial struggles, she started selling chewing gum. She then attended Rajah Soliman High School, where she was eventually discovered by producer Baby Martinez of MBM Productions through a mutual friend.
Tuazon's big break came with her role in Bitayin Si Baby Ama (1976),a film that catapulted Rudy Fernandez to stardom. Her subsequent film, Alas (1976),alongside Jun Aristorenas, earned her minor roles in several other movies before she took a hiatus from the film industry for almost a year.
In mid-1977, Tuazon returned to the movie scene as a contract star of Jesse Ejercito's Seven Star Productions. She rapidly gained visibility in the 1970s with films such as Dabiana (1977),Miss Dulce Amor, Ina (1978),Atsay (1978),Menor de Edad (1979),Gabun: Ama Mo, Ama Ko (1979),Bedspacers (1979),and Swing It, Baby (1979).
Tuazon's acting career continued to flourish in the 1980s with her roles in Nang Bumuka Ang Sampaguita (1980),Langis at Tubig (1980),Sugat Sa Ugat (1980),Goriong Butete (1980),Tondo Girl (1981),Pusong Uhaw (1982),and Waywaya (1982).
Throughout her career, Tuazon has received numerous awards and nominations for her performances. She won Best Actress awards for Brutal (1980) from the Film Academy of Movie Arts & Sciences (FAMAS) and Metro Manila Film Festival, as well as for Celestina Sanchez A.K.A. Bubbles (1988) from the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP),Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMA),and Metro Manila Film Festival.
Tuazon has also received Best Supporting Actress awards for Jaguar (1979) from the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino ("Gawad Urian Awards"),Narito Ang Puso Ko (1992) from the URIAN and FAP, and Anak (2000) from the FAP. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Mano Po (2002) from FAMAS.
Tuazon and Phillip Salvador, along with the late director Lino Brocka, represented the Philippines at the 1980 Cannes Film Festival, where Jaguar was showcased at the Directors' Fortnight.
