Comedy and drama are definitely two different genres that both require great talent in order to impeccably pull off a certain scene and effectively create a deep, lasting impact to the viewers.
As we all know, it’s indeed one thing for actors to excellently entertain the audience with their comedic skills, but it’s certainly another thing to bring the viewers to tears with their equally commendable acting prowess in drama. Thus, let’s meet the 10 Kapamilya comedians who absolutely impressed us with their dramatic performances in Maalaala Mo Kaya.
Jhong Hilario
When we talk about a multi-talented artist, one name that would probably pop into our heads is him. We have seen Jhong do breathtaking stunts in various action series, deliver his hilarious lines in It’s Showtime, and heat up the dance floor during his performances. But we cannot forget how the Your Face Sounds Familiar Season 3 contender astonished us with his impressive dramatic chops with his every appearance in the long-running drama anthology.
The “Rehas'' episode was one of the most iconic stints that he did, wherein he compellingly portrayed a mentally-challenged man named Joel, who was one of the children of veteran actress Gina Pareño’s character.
Alex Gonzaga
Alex always has her own sense of humor that leaves many people with laughter and good vibes. It’s apparent with how a lot of people love her humorous content on her vlogs, wherein she effortlessly delivers her comic lines and banters with her guests.
However, aside from being a very good comedienne, she has also proven her dramatic chops through her first-ever MMK appearance in 2013. She played the role of Pinky, a goal-oriented woman who had to endure all the abuse and maltreatment of her cousin towards her just to fulfill her dream of finishing her studies.
Melai Cantiveros
It seems like humor really runs in the blood of Pinoy Big Brother alumna and Big Winner as she has been putting a smile onto our faces and making us laugh with her humorous utterances ever since her victorious stint in the reality show. A lot of opportunities knocked on her door as soon as she went out of the famous house, which gave her the chance to explore and hone her talent in different aspects, including acting.
Melai discovered that aside from her simple, jolly, and funny personality, she could also be a good drama actress. She was able to prove it when she portrayed several roles in MMK, such as an OFW named Joanna, who sacrificed being away from her family to work abroad and be able to provide for them. Her real-life partner, Jason Francisco, was the one who played her husband in that episode.
Rufa Mae Quinto
We have definitely known Rufa Mae for her signature lines “todo na ‘to” and “go, go, go”. We have always seen her as someone who has this energy beyond maximum level in her television appearances. But in case you missed it, she’s already able to exhibit her dramatic prowess when she did a heavy drama in MMK by portraying the mother of identity theft victim.
Yamyam Gucong
Yamyam is known for his funny and cheerful personality. And after his stint in the reality show, he got to share his life story in an episode of MMK and show his acting skills as he portrayed himself. We didn’t only see how strong Yamyam has been despite all the challenges that came in the way, but we were also impressed by how good he can be in drama.
Brenda Mage
As we all know, the fast-rising comedian became popular after his stint in the “Miss Q & A” segment of It’s Showtime, wherein he didn’t fail to make the madlang people and the hosts laugh with his hilarious utterances. And even before joining the contest, Brenda was already known by many because of his funny vlogs on social media.
But little we did expect that Brenda could also move us and touch our hearts, until he portrayed himself as he shared his inspiring life story on MMK.
Empoy Marquez
Without a doubt, Empoy is among the talented comedians in the local entertainment industry. Even just with his hilarious facial gestures, he can already make all of us laugh.
But we have somehow forgotten this because of his commendable dramatic prowess in the MMK episode wherein he portrayed Dong Corpuz, the famous taho vendor in the University of the Philippines-Diliman who is also a devoted father and a loving partner. Because of his commendable drama acting prowess, the audience almost forgot in this episode that Empoy was actually a great comedian.
Joey Marquez
The veteran actor has already taken on countless roles – may it be for comedy or drama – both on television and film. Among those is MMK, wherein he made several appearances in some of its tear-jerking episodes of the show.
Vice Ganda
Last, but definitely not the least, is award-winning comedian, host, and actor Vice Ganda who has been known and admired because if his unmistakable humor. While we probably couldn’t recall when he actually did a drama project since he has always been associated with comedy, but he’s already able to showcase his dramatic performance in the Holy Week Specials of It’s Showtime and in MMK.
In 2009, the Unkabogable Star didn’t only share his own life story, but also impressed us with his acting chops as he portrayed himself in a very stirring and heart-rending episode that also starred Malou de Guzman, Al Tantay, and Mel Martinez, to name a few.
Which comedian surprised you with their dramatic performances on Maalaala Mo Kaya?