Long before they landed major roles in movies and TV, celebrities had their different kinds of stepping-stones. Some gained their pass to showbiz by starring in commercials while others took the common route of performing as extra before establishing a brighter career. In this video, Kapamilya stars tell us about their first-ever acting projects or television appearance that opened the doors to fame and glory.
Jane De Leon, now hailed as the millennial Darna, first appeared on a brief role in the hit morning series Be Careful With My Heart. Her showbiz initiation took her to an acting showdown with KathNiel as she played the role of Margaret, the woman who got in the way of the love story od Kathryn and Daniel’s characters.
Before she captivated us all with her heavenly beauty in Wansapanataym Presents Mr. Cute-Pido, Heaven Peralejo had her first acting gig as an extra in the horror-suspense film “Buy Now, Die Later”. In that movie, Heaven played as Cesca in the story titled “Dinig” and got to work with Alex Gonzaga and Vhong Navarro. The angelic actress teaches us humility, saying she may be a clueless newbie at that time but she’s proud to have started at the bottom. “Doon naman nagsisimula lahat,” Heaven muses.
Veteran actor Joko Diaz took on his first acting job at the age of four when he joined Rudy Fernandez and Dante Varona in the classic Jun Gallardo film, “Laya”. Following their footsteps, Joko himself became a household name in local action scene. We last saw him in the hit Kapamilya series Kadenang Ginto as the cruel Hector Mangubat.
Before conquering the world of pageantry and, later, showbiz, Maxine Medina first took a shot at being a model for print and TV advertisements. Her first television appearance was for a commercial that put her crying abilities to a test, a seeming warm-up for her current profession as an actress. “Pero totoong luha ‘yun ah,” says the Miss Universe Philippines 2016.
Hunk actor Rafael Rossell places his role as Oliver McFuller in the iconic teen series Tabing Ilog at the top of his acting resume. His showbiz career has blossomed since then, starring in different movies and teleseryes. He is currently seen on the rerun of the 2011 drama, 100 Days to Heaven as Bart, the brother of Dominic Ochoa’s character Bobby.
In 2006, Enchong Dee first appeared in the small screen as a guest in Boy Abunda’s former talk show, Homeboy. “I was 16 years old during that time, chubby cheeks and makapal na make-up,” jests the athlete-actor who managed to stay in the limelight through notable movie/television roles and endorsements.
The public first caught sight of Donny Pangilinan through a TV advertisement he starred in alongside his parents when he was just five years old. More than a decade later, Donny became one of showbiz’s millennial heartthrobs. He’s currently hosting the online show, iWant ASAP.
Who else’s acting debut do you still recall? Let us know in the comment section!