Maui Taylor

Maui Taylor was born Maureen Rodriguez Taylor in England of Filipino descent, the youngest of four children. At the insistence of her father, a teenaged Maui returned to the Philippines to be raised with Filipino values. With older sisters in the entertainment field – one an opera singer and the other a choreographer – it was no surprise that Maui got into show business as well.

A cousin of Maui Taylor’s, who was in a dance troupe in the Philippines, introduced her into the business circles. Because of Maui’s exotic features, she was quickly cast as an actress despite having no prior experience or professional training. At 14, she was cast as on the Filipino TV soap opera, Anna Karenina, which was the first of many roles in television and film.

In 2002, Taylor garnered national attention after appearing on the cover of For Him Magazine, Filipino edition. Again, due to her striking features – youthful face and mature body – she became a sex symbol, which led to her starring role in the movie, Gamitan, at the age of 22. Gamitan had very strong sexual content and nudity, which was the first for the young actress, Taylor.

Maui also appeared in the movie, Hibla, with actress Rica Peralejo in 2002. Again, nudity and strong sexual content was used in the film, which earned a big box office draw for its scenery as well as its content.

In 2003, Maui Taylor starred in the sex comedy, Sex Drive, which was panned by critics despite making considerable money at the box office. Her next film, also in 2003, was The Last Virgin, in which Taylor played a mentally retarded girl. Maui endured rigorous training in order to act convincingly as a 10 year old girl who is raped. Maui held her own in the film with veteran Filipino actors Ara Mina and Jay Manalo.

The Last Virgin proved to be a controversial film, but performed well at the 2003 Manila Film Festival, winning Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress, Ara Mina. Maui Taylor had been nominated for Best Actress as well, which was a feat in itself.