Heeding the clamor of many Filipinos in PH and abroad who thirst for more Piolo Pascual features, KUBO has a special treat to our dear readers for the first week of 2024: the Top 10 firsts that shaped the multi-awarded actor’s career. From his humble beginnings as an accidental bit player to his ultimate prince charming image and his recent out-of-the-box roles, Piolo has proven that he is more than just a pretty face; he is a talented and passionate thespian.
While you hope and wait for his 49th Metro Manila Film Festival films to come to theaters in your part of the world, you can watch Piolo in these movies and TV series with remarkable firsts that catapulted his career to soaring heights:
1. First lead role in a horror film and first multiple roles in a movie: MALLARI (2023)
Associated with mostly romantic and drama genres, Piolo recently challenged himself by starring in his first-ever horror film, Mallari, inspired by the life of the Philippines’ first documented serial killer, Fr. Juan Severino Mallari, who murdered 57 parishioners during the 1800s in Magalang, Pampanga. In Mallari, Piolo portrays three different characters in one movie for the first time: Fr. Juan Severino Mallari; Johnrey Mallari, a documentarist in the 1940s; and Jonathan, a doctor at the present time.
KUBO attended the Mallari grand media conference, where Piolo shared, “I did not expect to play three characters, for the record. But as an actor, it’s your job to always push yourself to do something different, and I guess for my growth as well as my evolution, I want to be able to give myself that challenge so that I can become better.”
Piolo is the first choice for the role, according to its production team, but the actor shares that he initially turned it down until “I Googled it and found out he existed. That’s when I realized it’s gonna be based on a true story. It was hard because it’s three roles…but living the character, nakakatakot, it was scary. I didn’t have nightmares, though. It was fun, I really enjoyed doing something like this.”
Photo courtesy of Mentorque Facebook page
With Mallari’s unusual twists and plot, the three characters will inevitably meet and have a face-off, and such scenes are what Piolo found most difficult and taxing. “I think the most physical thing is to fight with yourself. Physically, I was boxing myself and I had to do it twice. And also not [just] scenes but days. It was hard going to the set [everyday] because you are portraying not one but three [men] in three timelines, and there were a lot of technical aspects in place,” he said. “It was really hard but what made it easy were the vision of my director (Derick Cabrido); the story of Sir Enrico (Santos), napakalinaw (very clear); and the biggest blessing for me, having an acting coach, Tita Angie Castrence.”
Piolo elaborated on his rigorous but important sessions with his acting coach: “We were talking about every scene because there are a lot of days [when] I was doing three characters all in one day, so [I] have to be specific. And [I] have to know the journey of each character. For me, malinaw ‘yung pagkakaiba ng tatlong characters (the difference among the three characters was clear), but it was really hard.”
Mallari is the official entry of Mentorque Productions to the 49th Metro Manila Film Festival, and it is distributed by American studio Warner Bros. In the recently concluded MMFF awards ceremony Gabi ng Parangal, Mallari won Best Musical Score, Best Visual Effects, Best Supporting Actor for JC Santos, and was named the festival’s 3rd Best Picture.
Apart from Mallari, you may also watch Piolo in another MMFF 2023 entry, the historical film GomBurZa, where he plays Fr. Pedro Pelaez, who led the secularization movement during the Spanish colonization and inspired his mentee and one of the martyrs, Fr. Jose Burgos. “With GomBurZa, (Director) Pepe Diokno called me and said I cannot picture anyone [else as] this character, which is Fr. Pedro Pelaez. So sa akin, ‘yung mga ganitong oportunidad bilang aktor, nakakataba ng puso (for me, these opportunities as an actor make my heart swell with gratitude). I’m just really thankful for the opportunity to play these characters,” shares Piolo. GomBurZa won Best Sound, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Actor, the Gatpuno Antonio Villegas Award, and was named 2nd Best Picture.
You have until Jan. 7 to catch Piolo in Mallari and GomBurZa in cinemas if you’re in PH. If you’re US-based, you might get the chance to catch these films that are expected to join the Manila International Film Festival in Los Angeles, USA starting January 30, 2024.
2. First lead role in a theater musical: IBARRA (2023)
With Noli Me Tangere being his favorite novel, Piolo couldn’t let the opportunity to play Crisostomo Ibarra pass. He joined the Tanghalang Una Obra musical play Ibarra, where he performed for several nights last June 2023 at the GSIS Theatre in Pasay City.
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“I was really blessed with the opportunity to portray certain roles na historical and it’s not intentional. So the projects that came along, nagkataon na magaganda talaga and mahirap tanggihan (they happen to be really good and hard to refuse), so I really had to make time for each,” shared Piolo when commended for taking on historical roles, particularly in Ibarra, GomBurZa, and Mallari. This marks the first time Piolo had been involved in three historical or period projects in one year.
With director Frannie Zamora at the helm, the production of Ibarra was highly recognized in the recently concluded 36th Aliw Awards. To think this was his first stint as a professional theater actor (he was a member of Teatro Tomasino theater guild when he was an undergrad at University of Santo Tomas), Piolo was named Best Lead Actor in a Musical and Entertainer of the Year. Ibarra also won Best Ensemble Performance, Best Musical Director and Best Composer for Joed Balsamo, Best Director for Frannie Zamora, and other acting awards.
3. First-ever Filipino Netflix Original series: REPLACING CHEF CHICO (2023)
Replacing Chef Chico is the first Filipino-produced romantic series on streaming platform Netflix, where Piolo stars with Alessandra de Rossi and Sam Milby. Under the direction of Dan Villegas, this eight-episode series revolves around Hain, a Filipino restaurant that serves Pinoy dishes distinctly curated for guests. Hain is on the verge of closure and given only six months to return to its previous glory. However, Head Chef Chico (Sam), who refuses to change anything about Hain, figures in an accident and falls into a coma. Sous Chef Ella (Alessandra) had no choice but to take over, with operations consultant Raymond Soler (Piolo) by her side.
“I have this big opportunity to choose the roles that I can play, and this time around, with the streaming platform, mas broad na ‘yung mga roles na puwede mong tanggapin, so madali nang mag-diversify nowadays (there are more roles to choose from, and it’s easy to diversify),” Piolo remarked about this project.
Find out what’s cooking in Replacing Chef Chico on Netflix.
4. First youth-oriented show/variety show and first TV appearance: THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT (1993)
Did you know that Piolo was part of That’s Entertainment? Born Piolo Jose Pascual, the actor used his nickname PJ when he joined the youth-oriented program That’s Entertainment in 1993. A member of the Wednesday Group, Piolo stayed in That’s Entertainment, his first TV show, for a year.
In an interview posted on Jeepney TV YouTube Channel, Piolo revealed that he joined the cast of That’s Entertainment after a friend of his introduced him to the late Kuya Germs (German Moreno), Philippine showbiz’s legendary host and talent development icon. Watch how Kuya Germs discovered Piolo here:
5. First film: THE VIZCONDE MASSACRE STORY (GOD HELP US!) – 1993
Piolo recounts his first acting stint in an interview with Korina Sanchez saying, “The very first film that I did was Vizconde Massacre… My dad wasn’t able to find a replacement for Jussi Leino in the Maureen Hultman case. They were gonna do a reenactment with Carlo J. Caparas. It was my high school graduation and my dad was calling on the landline—and I had a small party with my friends and family—sabi niya, ‘Anak, you have to be here because my talent didn’t come.’ So that was my first experience.” (Ed’s note: Piolo’s dad, Philip Victoriano Pascual, was a casting director.)
Vizconde Massacre Story (God Help Us!) is based on the gruesome murder of the Vizcondes in 1991 inside their home. It stars Kris Aquino, under the direction of Carlo J. Caparas, who added scenes based on the Roland Chapman-Maureen Hultman shooting incident, where Leino, played by Piolo, was a survivor.
6. First TV series and first “kontrabida” role: SA SANDALING KAILANGAN MO AKO (1998)
Sa Sandaling Kailangan Mo Ako was a weekly mini-series that tackled love, friendship, and betrayal. With renowned director Olivia Lamasan at the helm, this drama series is Piolo’s first TV project, where he plays the role of Rafael Enriquez, who belongs to an affluent family in the province. He’s the best friend of the main character, Ruben (Marvin Agustin), a poor but intelligent young man. Both belatedly learn that they are half-brothers who have fallen in love with the same woman. The series also stars Kristine Hermosa and G Töngi.
You can watch Piolo in Sa Sandaling Kailangan Mo Ako on IWantTFC.
7. First daily primetime TV series: ESPERANZA (1999)
Piolo joined the primetime series that stars Judy Ann Santos in 1999, playing the role of a detective named Brian, who serves as a spy for his lawyer girlfriend exacting vengeance against Esperanza and the people around her. Little did Brian know that he would fall in love with the kindhearted but unfortunate Esperanza, who is searching for her family after learning she’s an adopted child. The series ran for two years, from 1997 to 1999. He reprised the role in Esperanza: The Movie that same year.
In Esperanza, people noticed the great chemistry between Judy Ann and Piolo, which later led to their box office hit movie Kahit Isang Saglit (2000). It was followed by the launch of their love team in the primetime series, Sa Puso Ko Iingatan Ka (2001-2003), where Judy Ann and Piolo play married couple Patricia and Jordan.
Watch the first episode of Esperanza here:
8. First lead role in a film: LAGARISTA (1998)
Piolo’s first starring role in a film is for Lagarista, directed by Mel Chionglo and written by Ricky Lee. The sexy film follows film biker Gregory as he transports film reels shared by movie houses. He lives with his grandfather who has dementia. To make ends meet, Gregory tries to earn additional income by giving “extra service” to its patrons. Lagarista also stars Janna Victoria, Cherry Pie Picache, and Pen Medina.
9. First award-winning movie: DEKADA ‘70 (2002)
Multi-awarded film Dekada ‘70 is based on the novel by Lualhati Bautista, who is also the film’s screenwriter, under the direction of Chito Roño. Set during the Martial Law years, the film follows the struggles of the Bartolomes, a family of seven who belong to the middle class. Piolo plays the eldest son, Jules, who has an undying love for his country, leading him to join the communists. Unfortunately, Jules gets arrested, imprisoned, and tortured. Worse, the family suffers more grief from the untimely death of one of the children.
Dekada ‘70, which also stars Vilma Santos, Christopher de Leon, Marvin Agustin, and Carlos Agassi, has earned numerous awards, including a grand slam for Piolo as Best Supporting Actor and Vilma as Best Actress.
Dekada ‘70 is available on AppleTV.
10. First action movie: ON THE JOB (2013)
In this Erik Matti masterpiece, Piolo plays the role of NBI agent Francis, who works with police officer Joaquin (Joey Marquez) as they investigate a drug dealer’s murder case. It leads them to discover the prison gun-for-hire scheme, where inmates Daniel (Gerald Anderson) and Mario (Joel Torre) are temporarily released from their cells to be assassins and then returned behind bars as if nothing happened.
On The Job, which debuted at the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes, has earned numerous awards in PH and abroad. For his performance in this movie, Piolo received the Fernando Poe Jr. Memorial Award for Excellence at the 62nd FAMAS Awards.
Watch On The Job on Amazon Prime.
Because we know you love Piolo, here’s a bonus item:
First lead role in a K-drama adaptation: LOVERS IN PARIS (2009)
Based on the hit 2004 Korean series, Lovers in Paris is a light romantic tale that follows the intertwined lives and loves of three people in the middle of Paris: Carlo (Piolo), a wealthy businessman; Vivian (played by Piolo’s ex-girlfriend, KC Concepcion), a working student; and Carlo’s nephew, Martin (Zanjoe Marudo), who falls in love with Vivian at first sight. The Lovers in Paris Philippine adaptation aired on ABS-CBN’s primetime block.
Watch full episodes of Lovers in Paris on ABS-CBN Entertainment’s YouTube Channel.
