In the four decades that he’s been in the industry, Albert Martinez has relentlessly astounded us with his notable acting talent, which made him one of the most in-demand actors up to the present. And three years since he last starred in an ABS-CBN series, he’s about to make his comeback through the upcoming action-drama series The Iron Heart.

But before we get to witness another sure-fire portrayal from him, let’s take a look back first on his glorious and noteworthy journey as a Kapamilya actor in through the years via this Spotlight feature.

It was in 1980 when Albert Martinez kicked off his career as a promising teen actor and had appeared in a number of films, as well as starred in his first-ever teleserye. But it was only in 1985 when he had his ABS-CBN debut 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 remakes of classic series Maria Flordeluna and Princess Sarah, both shown in 2007, 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 Fritz Martinez, a man entangled in a complicated love triangle; 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), who 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 2009.

In 2010, he was the gang leader and philanderer Frank Crisanto in the romantic-family series Kung Tayo’y Magkakalayo. He then took on the role of the young counterpart 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 in the well-loved series 100 Days to Heaven as one of the guises of Tagabantay. On that same year, he became one of the headliners of the crime drama Nasaan Ka Elisa?, breathing life to Mariano Altamira, the conservative and perfectionist father of the titular character.

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 witnessed 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 61-year-old veteran actor in two different sides 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).

In 2019, we saw him in two different teleseryes almost at the same time. First was in Kadenang Ginto, in which he played Robert Mondragon, then in The General’s Daughter, wherein he was Marcial de Leon.

Are you excited as us to see what his character is going to be in The Iron Heart? Well, you better not miss his special appearance once it begins this November 14 on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live and A2Z.