With the forthcoming return of Your Face Sounds Familiar for its third season, avid viewers are surely excited to see the one and only Mr. Pure Energy Gary Valenciano reprise his role as one of its brilliant and gregarious jury.
And before he gets fully reunited with his fellow judges Ogie Alcasid and Sharon Cuneta, let’s take a look back at some of his remarkable television stints as a Kapamilya through the years in this feature.
The 56-year-old award-winning performer may have been in the local entertainment scene for almost four decades now, but it was only in 2004 when his ABS-CBN journey began. His first regular gig in the network was in ASAP, wherein he continues to serve as one of its hosts and performers up to the present.
Not many of us know, but Gary also used to be an actor in the early years of his showbiz career and appeared in a slew of films in the 80s and 90s. And in 2007, he was able to once again showcase his acting chops when he starred in the “Bag” episode of Maalaala Mo Kaya.
In 2010, he and his fellow OPM icon Martin Nievera were tapped to be the hosts of the weekend musical gameshow Twist And Shout, which ran from July to October of that year.
Two years later, he was hired to be one of judges of The X Factor Philippines alongside Martin, Pilita Corrales, and Charice, and was in-charge of mentoring the groups who joined and was formed in the competition.
He may not be one of the coaches of The Voice Philippines, but he still had the chance to partake in its inaugural season as the trust adviser of Sarah Geronimo. They also thrilled us with their awesome duet of Zedd’s “Clarity” for the opening number of its Battle Rounds.
As the celebrity impersonation contest Your Face Sounds Familiar kicked off in 2015, Gary has been on-board as one of its judges. Together with his fellow judges they made our weekend night viewing habit more enjoyable through their witty comments and amusing reactions to the performances, as well as with their funny banters with the host and celebrity contestants.
It went on in the second season of the regular edition on that same year and in the first and second seasons of the Kids edition in 2017 and 2018, respectively.
In 2017, Mr. Pure Energy was named one of the hurados of It’s Showtime’s Tawag ng Tanghalan, and is sometimes appointed as the head hurado in certain days.
Being an all-around performer that he is, Gary was also tapped to become one of the judges of the reality dance competition World Of Dance Philippines, alongside Billy Crawford and Maja Salvador. It was the Philippine incarnation of the similarly named American reality contest dubbed as the “biggest dance competition in the world”.
Aside from reality shows, he also appeared in a few teleseryes not as an actor, but the voice behind their official soundtracks or the singer to the wedding scenes.
His cover of the classic OPM lovesong “Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin” became the theme song of the 2011 primetime series of the same title top-billed by Coco Martin, Maja Salvador, and Andi Eigenmann.
The following year, it wasn’t only the wedding vows of Daniel (Coco Martin) and Katerina (Julia Montes) in Walang Hanggan that tugged our heartstrings, but his live performance of Sa Dulo ng Walang Hanggan along with a choir as well.
Gary also lent his voice to not only one, but to four OSTs of the long-running action-drama series FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano. His version of “Anong Nangyari Sa Ating Dalawa”, “Kunin Mo Na Ang Lahat Sa Akin”, “Huwag Ka Nang Umiyak”, and “Ililigtas Ka Niya” indeed helped in rending our hearts during the dramatic and intense scenes.
Catch Gary on the much-awaited return of Your Face Sounds Familiar soon on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, and A2Z.