It is said that an actor’s career, especially if he/she is in ABS-CBN, will not be complete if he/she doesn’t appear at least once in the longest-running drama anthology in the country, Maalaala Mo Kaya. In the past 31 years that it has been on-air, it has served as a launchpad for some actors in the industry who are either just beginning their careers or their journeys as Kapamilyas.

Thus, the talented actors we listed in this feature are indeed lucky enough to have their acting and/or Kapamilya debuts in MMK. Read on to find out who they are!

Romnick Sarmenta

After appearing in a slew of films and a few television shows, Romnick was tapped to star in the pilot episode of MMK in 1991, titled “Rubber Shoes.” He portrayed the role of an ambitious young man whose street-sweeper father, played by veteran actor Robert Arevalo, struggled to give him everything that he wants and the comfortable life they dream of.

Gerald Anderson

Fresh from his remarkable Pinoy Big Brother stint, Gerald landed his first-ever role in the iconic program through the “Bus” episode in 2006. This was one of his first projects alongside his former loveteam partner Kim Chiu. They played the role of Eric and Kate, who grew up as best friends, but had to hide their closeness because of their parents’ feud.

JM de Guzman

Prior to headlining his first-ever teleserye in a starring role Angelito: Ang Batang Ama, JM was able to show his dramatic chops through the 2011 episode “Pasaporte”. It recounted the life of Jay, a young man who’s determined to give his family a better life as soon as he graduated from college. After resigning from his job in Macau, he grabbed the opportunity offered to him by an old acquaintance, which was a teaching job in Beijing.

However, upon meeting his employer in Bangkok, he got the greatest shock of his life upon learning that he’s going to serve as a drug mule by the members of the notorious West African Drug Syndicate.

Paulo Avelino

Following his transfer to ABS-CBN in 2011, one of Paulo’s first projects was the MMK episode “Liham,” which he co-starred opposite KC Concepcion. It chronicled the inspiring story of a strong and independent woman who fought for love and pursued her dreams, yet came at the cost of losing her family.

Enrique Gil

Prior to scoring his big break in Forevermore in 2012, Enrique starred in the two-part episode titled “Sapatos” and “Diploma”. These episodes told the life story of politician Juan Ponce Enrile, from his boyhood up to his harrowing experiences during World War II and incredible career as a statesman.

James Reid

Due to the rising popularity of his teamup with former on-and-off-screen partner Nadine Lustre, James made his MMK debut via the “Stuffed Toy” episode in 2015.

It depicted the love story of his ex-PBB Teen Clash of 2010 housemate Yong Gopez with his then-girlfriend Carmina. Nadine portrayed Carmina, a girl who wanted to experience romance that’s just like the ones she read in novels and fairy tales. And this fantasy was shattered by the reality that bit her when she got in a relationship with Yong, played by James. As she feared an unhappy ending just like what happened to her parents, she asked for a series of signs that would prove that Yong is indeed her “Mr. Right”.

Joshua Garcia

Around a year after his memorable PBB stint, Joshua was cast in the “Itlog” episode in 2015, alongside talented actors Dominic Ochoa, Arjo Atayde, and Assunta de Rossi.

The chilling narrative followed the story of how his character Pablo and his family faced tragedy after helping a stranger named Simon, compellingly played by Arjo, who turned out to be a cult member.

RK Bagatsing

After appearing in a slew of indie flicks and TV series, RK landed his first-ever MMK gig via the “Surfboard” episode in 2018. Aside from his innate acting prowess, his role in this episode was particularly memorable for he only had one arm in the latter part of the narrative.

It followed the story of Harry, a young man who overcame different challenges in life, including being an amputee after a vehicular accident, through his passion in surfing.

Ogie Alcasid

He may already be an established OPM legend and appeared in a number of TV shows and films ever since he started in the late 80s, but Ogie, who became a certified Kapamilya in 2016, was able to prove how a talented dramatic actor he also is through the “Flyers” episode.

This featured the story of his character Carlo Magno, a man who persistently pursued his dream of making a career in puppetry. Amidst the ups and downs, he found strength and courage in his ever-supportive wife Cecil, played by Vina Morales, especially when he met his downfall after he fell prey to a big company.

Richard Gutierrez

More than a year after his transfer to ABS-CBN in 2017 and his first-ever Kapamilya teleserye stint via La Luna Sangre, he was tapped to be the leading man of Elisse Joson in the “Hot Choco” episode in 2019.

It followed the love story of his character Tito with Elisse’s Sha, who, despite the 22-year age gap between them and their societal status, had developed an undeniable connection and got into a relationship.

Each of these Kapamilya actors told stories that have surely inspired anyone to be strong and never give up in life. Were you able to catch these episodes, Kapamilya?