Having seasoned actors John Estrada and Janice de Belen as parents could have been an easy ticket for Kailan Estrada to make it to the local entertainment industry. However, being the bold and independent young woman that she seems to have always been, she chose to do it on her own by not telling them about it until she finally did it.
With how her portrayals have always been remarkable ever since she made her acting debut in 2021, it’s probably unbelievable to realize that she has only been an actress for four years now, right? And as she continues to carve out her place in the teleserye landscape through another sure-fire performance in the newest ABS-CBN Studios series “What Lies Beneath,” let us first revisit via this Kapamilya Spotlight feature her notable television acts ever since she initially stepped into the entertainment scene.
From being a longtime fashion model, it eventually occurred to Kaila that she wanted to venture into acting and follow in the footsteps of her superbly talented parents. For a newcomer, she totally wowed everyone with her impressive performance as Raven Ramones in the drama series “Viral Scandal,” as it allowed her to showcase her brilliance as a dramatic actress.
She played the role of a politician’s daughter who may appear sophisticated on the outside yet is damaged on the inside, as she battled with alcoholism and yearned for her parents’ genuine love and attention. The expectations for her may have been really high because of her thespian parents and the actors she worked with in the series, but she was able to exceed them all with her noteworthy performance.
Kaila went on to prove that she’s definitely ready to take on any challenge that would be handed to her when she starred in two special narratives of “Maalaala Mo Kaya” in 2022. In only a year, she had already achieved what other actors had taken years to fulfill.
The first one was about the two-part special titled "Beauty Behind Bars,” which featured the life story of radio DJ, host, and “Pinoy Big Brother Kumunity Season 10” alumna Karen Bordador, who was arrested and charged for a drug-related case in 2016. The episode was hailed the National Winner for Best Single Drama, Telemovie, or Anthology at the Asian Academy Creative Awards.
And for the three-part finale special of the long-running drama anthology titled “Scarlet Women,” she was tapped to play one of the lead characters named Abby, an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who fell victim to human trafficking along with other Filipinas. Together with her co-stars Karina Bautista, Trina Legazpi, Meg Imperial, and Jenny Miller, they absolutely pierced our hearts with their compelling performance.
We may not have seen her work with either of her parents yet, but Kaila had the chance to serve as her mom’s younger counterpart in the 2022 series, “Love In 40 Days.”
In 2023, many of us surely rooted for her in the highly talked about series “Linlang,” wherein she played the role of Atty. Sylvia Lualhati. Her character may be admired for being a hotshot young lawyer and empowered woman, but her judgment wavers and her self-respect diminishes when it comes to her abusive and manipulative husband. Aside from her top-notch dramatic performance, her confrontation scenes with Kim Chiu were lauded as well because of how remarkable those were.
Her astounding portrayal of Sylvia won her the “Best Actress in a Supporting Role” in the 2024 Asian Academy Creative Awards.
It was also in 2023 when Kaila both enraged and endeared us as Bettina Tiu in the well-loved series “Can’t Buy Me Love.” She may be initially loathed for always picking a fight with her stepsister, Caroline (Belle Mariano), and making her life miserable ever since they were kids, yet she eventually gained her sympathies as we realized that she just represented the so-called “eldest daughters in an Asian household.”
Bettina’s final confrontation with her family in the finale week was indeed astounding, as she broke down and expressed her pent-up emotions and bitterness for feeling neglected despite her efforts to become the perfect daughter and sister. She was also revealed to be the real culprit behind the murder of Caroline’s mother, which was considered one of the explosive twists in the teleserye.
And in 2025, Kaila’s dream to become an action star finally came true when she was chosen to be one of the stars of the action-drama series “Incognito.” wherein she astonished us with her flair in doing stunts, handling guns, and hacking computer systems as the feisty Max Alvero. The teleserye was hailed the national winner for Best Drama Series at the 2025 Asian Academy Creative Awards.
With how she’s able to already prove her caliber and versatility as an actress in the previous television shows that she had starred in, we’re certain that Kaila is also going to slay as promising lawyer with a dark secret Erica Melendez, who is one of the lead characters in the upcoming Kapamilya crime drama series “What Lies Beneath.”
Show your love and support for Kaila by not missing an episode of “What Lies Beneath” once it begins airing on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), A2Z, and TV5 this coming October 20. You may also stream it in advance on Netflix and iWant.