Every weekday, we see him as the strict yet endearing patriarch of the Mondragon Family, Robert, in the afternoon soap opera Kadenang Ginto who sincerely loves his wife and adoptive daughter, as well as the family of his unica hija.
While this highly talked-about family drama is currently on-going, he is bestowed another character with seemingly parallel personality – Marcial de Leon – in the newest and first teleserye offering of ABS-CBN this 2019, The General’s Daughter.
But before we witness another sure-fire portrayal from him starting January 21, let’s take a look back on his glorious and noteworthy journey in the Kapamilya network through the years.
It was in 1980 when Albert Martinez kicked off his career as a promising teen actor and had appeared in a number of films and starred in his first-ever teleserye. But it was only in 1985 when he had his first appearance on ABS-CBN through his guesting in the sitcom Oki Doki Doc.
After a decade, he snagged his first full-time role in the network when he was tapped to be one of the top-billers of the Piolo Pascual and Judy Ann Santos-starrer Sa Piling Mo, playing the antagonist and the third wheel to the premier on-screen loveteam Benicio Chuatoco. Since then, he has become one of the most omnipresent figures on the Kapamilya channel as he is bestowed projects after projects in the coming years.
In 2006, he landed on his first-ever fantaserye Komiks Presents: Da Adventures of Pedro Penduko as the father of the titular character Juan Penduko. It was succeeded by his remarkable stints in the 2007 remakes of classic series Maria Flordeluna and Princess Sarah as the daddy of the titular characters – General Leo Alicante and Captain Christopher Crowe, respectively.
A year after, he took part in four shows, in which he was able to amaze us with his versatility as an actor – Sineserye Presents: The Susan Roces Cinema Collection: Patayin sa Sindak si Barbara as a man entangled in a complicated love triangle Fritz Martinez, Palos as Salvatore, I Am KC: Yes Sir! as the pleasant boss Ed Martinez, and Kahit Isang Saglit as the primary antagonist Ronald Dimaandal.
The illustrious actor-director showed again his impeccable portrayals of villains in his succeeding TV projects.
He was the debauched and ruthless mayor of the fictional town Bagong Pag-asa Enrique Rodrigo (or also known as Gonzalvo Policarpio), and was later on revealed as the biological father of the popular lead character Santino (Zaijian Jaranilla) in the acclaimed primetime drama May Bukas Pa.
In 2010, he was the gang leader and philanderer Frank Crisanto in the romantic-family series Kung Tayo’y Magkakalayo and the young version of the domineering and adulterous patriarch of the Sebastiano Clan, General Jaime Sebastiano in the 2011 Coco Martin and Maja Salvador-starrer Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin.
Albert’s kontrabida streak subsided in 2011 in his special appearances in the Pinoy adaptation of the Korean drama Green Rose as Darren Lee and the well-loved series 100 Days to Heaven as one of the guises of Tagabantay. On the same year, he became one of the headliners of the crime drama Nasaan Ka Elisa?, breathing life to the conservative and perfectionist father of the titular character Mariano Altamira.
He was then tapped to play King Anand Wangchuck, the biological father of the female lead Mikay/Princess Areeyah (Kathryn Bernardo) in the 2012 teen drama Princess and I.
In 2013, we once again witness his flair as an effective antagonist when he took on the character of Samuel Alejandro, the “Haring Aswang” and the real dad of the titular characters in the fantasy-action series Juan Dela Cruz and its spin-off My Little Juan.
After his stint in the 2014 incarnation of Dyesebel as Prinsipe Tino, the loving and selfless merman father of the titular character played by Anne Curtis, we next saw him in the romantic drama Sana Pa Bukas Ang Kahapon portraying Leo Romero, the supportive husband of the main female protagonist Emmanuelle (Bea Alonzo).
We saw the 57-year-old veteran actor in two different lights in 2015 as he took on the roles of an endearing bida and an infuriating baddie in two remarkable teleseryes of that year. In All Of Me, he was Manuel Figueras, a devoted doctor and a loving husband to his deceased wife Dianna (Ina Raymundo) and his second partner Lena (Yen Santos). Meanwhile, in FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano, he was greatly despised and admired because of his portrayal of drug syndicate leader and Ricardo “Cardo” Dalisay’s (Coco Martin) ultimate rival on its first season.
He later on captivated us with his notable special participations in three primetime series – in La Luna Sangre as the Moonchasers headmaster Theodore “Prof T” Montemayor, in The Good Son as the doting dad to his sons, and in Bagani as the brave Agos, the father of Lakas (Enrique Gil) and most trusted confidant of the Taga-Disyerto’s chieftain Alab (Lito Pimentel).
Then Kadenang Ginto came to him last year and now, we are looking forward on seeing him in his another impeccable performance in The General’s Daughter.