From being the “Miracle Boy” we admired so much in the 2009 hit drama series May Bukas Pa, Zaijian Jaranilla is now capturing our attention as one of the most sought-after young actors of his generation not only because of his handsome looks, but of his promising acting chops, too!
Those who were able to follow his showbiz career would know that he started off in the kiddie gag show Goin’ Bulilit in 2008, and went on to portray the young counterparts of male lead stars in the series I Love Betty La Fea and Komiks Presents Tiny Tony.
He immediately got his breakthrough in May Bukas Pa as he played Santino, a young orphan adopted by priests who has the ability to talk directly to God and help people by either healing them or giving them nuggets of wisdom. It succeeded to dominate the primetime block throughout its one-year run, with Zaijian receiving much acclaim for his compelling performance.
Subsequently, Zaijian was offered the lead characters in the dramas Noah (2010), Ikaw Ang Pag-Ibig (2011), Lorenzo’s Time (2012), and Hawak Kamay (2014). These were in addition to his frequent stints in the anthologies Wansapanataym and Maalaala Mo Kaya.
He then went on to take on significant roles in The Story Of Us (2016), Bagani (2018), Almost Paradise (2020), Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin (2021), The Broken Marriage Vow (2022), and Mars Ravelo’s Darna (2022), which proved that he’s indeed very much ready to break away from his image as Santino and sign up for edgier and challenging roles that would further showcase his versatility as an actor. Besides, he also expressed his enthusiasm to be in a loveteam, too!
In his Magandang Buhay interview in September 2022, he talked about his realizations as an actor who grew up in the industry.
“Mas naging passionate lang po ako kasi bukod sa nakakatulong ako sa family ko, nakikita ko r’on ‘yong purpose ko sa sarili ko. Sa tulong din ng mga nakakasama ko na mga artista, marami po akong napupulot ng mga aral, [gaya ng] sobrang importante po ng pakikisama lalo na sa showbiz industry, ‘yong professionalism, at ‘yong pagpapakumbaba. ‘Yon po ang mga natutunan ko,” he told the momshie-hosts.
As we’ve witnessed him grow right before our eyes, let’s look back on Zaijian’s handsome evolution through the years in this gallery!