Jay Manalo (January 30, 1973) is a Vietnamese-born
Filipino actor and model.
Early life
Jay Manalo was born on January 30, 1973, in
Vietnam
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
but was raised in
Tondo, Manila
Tondo is a district located in Manila, Philippines. It is the largest, in terms of area and population, of Manila's sixteen districts, with a census-estimated 654,220 people in 2020. It consists of two congressional districts. It is also the se ...
, Philippines. He was born to Eustaquio Manalo and a
Vietnamese mother.
Career
After he won as 1st runner-up of SM Man of the Year he became a model/endorser of Blowing Bubbles.
Movies
His film debut was through the action movie ''Brat Pack'' in 1994. He became a lead in his second film, ''Paracale Gang'', which was released in 1996 and followed by the movie ''Urban Rangers''. That same year, he did a switch from action to sexy roles when he starred in the movie ''Gayuma'' opposite Amanda Page. Possessing boyish looks and an oozing sex appeal, he became a staple of sexy movies in the Philippines, with the film ''Totoy Mola'' pushing him to sexy stardom.
After ''Totoy Mola'', he played lead in "bold flicks" like ''
Kool Ka Lang'', ''Kaliwat Kanan, Sakit sa Katawan'', ''Bayad Puri'', ''Bawal na Halik'' and ''Balahibong Pusa''. By the turn of the century, his roles had become more serious and dramatic. His recent performances have been well received by movie critics, and he has won a number of acting awards in the Philippines. Some of his noticeable portrayals are in the films ''Prosti'', ''
Bayarán'', ''Ang Huling Birhen sa Lupa'', ''Hubog'', ''
Aishite Imasu 1941: Mahal Kita'' and ''
Mano Po 3: My Love''. He ventured into other film genres, having starred recently in comedies such as ''I Will Survive'' and ''
Ako Legal Wife'' and in fantasy / horror films such as ''
Gagamboy
''Gagamboy'' is a 2004 Philippine superhero comedy film co-written and directed by Erik Matti. The screenplay written by Dwight Gaston was based on an original story written and developed by Matti, Gaston, and Roselle Monteverde-Teo. The film s ...
'', ''
Feng Shui
Feng shui ( or ), sometimes called Chinese geomancy, is a traditional form of geomancy that originated in ancient China and claims to use energy forces to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment. The term ''feng shui'' mean ...
'', and his latest film ''Barang''.
He voiced Simakwel in ''
Urduja
Urduja was a legendary warrior princess recorded in the travel accounts of Ibn Battuta (1304 – possibly 1368 or 1377 AD). She was described to be a princess of ''Kaylukari'' in the land of '' Tawalisi''. Though the locations of ''Kaylukari'' an ...
'' who was the titular character's fiancé. The film also stars
Regine Velasquez
Regina Encarnacion "Regine" Ansong Velasquez-Alcasid ( ; born April 22, 1970) is a Filipino singer and actress. She is considered one of the most influential figures in Philippine popular culture and is known for her vocal range and beltin ...
,
Cesar Montano
Cesar Demontaño Manhilot (born August 1, 1962), known professionally as Cesar Montano (), is a Filipino actor, film producer, film director and aspiring politician.
Montano started in show business as a commercial model.[Eddie Garcia
Eduardo "Eddie" Verchez Garcia (; May 2, 1929 – June 21, 2019), colloquially known as Manoy, was a Filipino actor, television personality, and filmmaker. Widely regarded as the greatest Filipino actor of all time, Garcia appeared in nearly ...]
and
Johnny Delgado.
His latest movie role was in 2011's
Shake, Rattle & Roll 13
''Shake, Rattle & Roll 13'' (titled onscreen as ''Shake Rattle Roll 13'') is a 2011 Filipino horror anthology film produced by Regal Entertainment, and the thirteenth installment of the ''Shake, Rattle & Roll'' film series. It is directed by ...
as Mar in the episode, Rain Rain Go Away.
He is also known for his role as Tiago in a
Vivamax movie, Selina's Gold, and his famous quote, “Bawasan mo ang pagsasalsal, para may oras ka sa gawain!!”.
Television
Jay Manalo has been part of the cast of
soap operas
A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originated from radio dramas original ...
. His TV career started with the top-rated soap in 1997, ''
Mula sa Puso'', (ABS-CBN) which starred
Claudine Barretto. He followed it up with other appearances in soaps like ''
Pangako Sa 'Yo'' (ABS-CBN) and ''
Kung Mawawala Ka'' (GMA Network).
His breakthrough role in television is his portrayal in the soap opera, ''
Vietnam Rose'' in
ABS-CBN
ABS-CBN is a leading Philippine media and content company. It serves as the flagship media brand of ABS-CBN Corporation, a subsidiary of Lopez Holdings Corporation. Once the country's largest free-to-air television network, ABS-CBN has since ...
in 2005. He plays Miguel, a Vietnamese businessman who was Carina's (played by
Maricel Soriano) first love. Though the performances of the cast were well-cited by critics, the ratings were disappointing. After ''Vietnam Rose'', he was included in the cast of GMA's TV adaptation of ''
Bakekang''. He played Christoph, an actor and a love interest of the lead role, Bakekang, played by
Sunshine Dizon and Valeria, played by
Sheryl Cruz. ''Bakekang'' became one of the top-rated shows in the Philippines. He recently starred in his new action-adventure series on GMA titled ''
Zaido: Pulis Pangkalawakan'' as Drigo, a Filipino version of Hessler of ''
Shaider''.
Personal life
Jay's father was Eustaquio Manalo a musician and his mother is Vietnamese. They moved to Thailand when he was three and eventually moved to Manila. By the time he was five, his parents had separated. His mother was forced to leave him.
He has a younger half-brother, Julius Manalo, who was born to Eustaquio and a Korean mother. Julius currently works as a
policeman.
Despite being married, Manalo has admitted that he has twelve children with six different women.
Bomb joke
Manalo was briefly detained in July 2007 for making a bomb joke at
Ninoy Aquino International Airport
Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA ; ; ), also known as Manila International Airport (MIA), is the main international airport serving Metro Manila in the Philippines. Located between the cities of Pasay and Parañaque, about south of ...
on his way to take a flight to
Puerto Princesa
Puerto Princesa (, American Spanish: , European Spanish: ), officially the City of Puerto Princesa (Cuyonon language, Cuyonon: ''Siyudad i'ang Puerto Princesa''; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in th ...
,
Palawan
Palawan (, ), officially the Province of Palawan (; ), is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is located in the region of Mimaropa. It is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of . The capital and largest c ...
.
Filmography
Film
Television/digital series
References and sources
*
*
*
*
*
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Manalo, Jay
1973 births
Living people
ABS-CBN people
GMA Network (company) people
TV5 Network people
Filipino male child actors
Filipino male television actors
Filipino people of Vietnamese descent
Male actors from Manila
Musicians from Ho Chi Minh City
Male actors from Ho Chi Minh City
Models from Ho Chi Minh City
People from Tondo, Manila
Star Magic
Viva Artists Agency
Vietnamese emigrants to the Philippines
Vietnamese people of Filipino descent
Filipino male film actors