Christopher Strauss de León
(born October 31, 1956), also known as Boyet, is a Filipino actor, filmmaker and politician. Often referred to as the "King of Philippine Drama", he gained stardom for his
leading man roles in numerous film and television productions including
period,
romantic drama and
thriller. His work, covering more than five decades, has received
various accolades, including eight
FAMAS Awards, two
Gawad Urian Awards, four
Luna Awards, nine
Star Awards, and eight
Metro Manila Film Festival Awards.
De León began acting as a teenager, winning the
FAMAS Award for Best Actor for his screen debut in
Lino Brocka's ''
Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang'' (1974). He gained wider recognition for his portrayal of a naive peasant in
Eddie Romero
Edgar Sinco Romero, (July 7, 1924 – May 28, 2013), commonly known as Eddie Romero, was a Filipino film director, film producer and screenwriter.
Early life
Romero was born on July 7, 1924. His father was José E. Romero, the first Philipp ...
's ''
Ganito Kami Noon... Paano Kayo Ngayon?'' (1976), earning him his second FAMAS for Best Actor. He won his first
Gawad Urian Award for Best Actor for his portrayal in
Ishmael Bernal's ''
Ikaw ay Akin'' (1978). De León continued to gain recognition and critical acclaim for his film work in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, with leading roles in ''Haplos'' (1982), ''Imortal'' (1989), ''Biktima, My Other Woman'' (both in 1990), ''Ipagpatawad Mo'' (1991), ''Gaano Kita Kamahal'' (1993), ''
Madrasta'' (1996), ''Nasaan ang Puso'' (1997), ''Bulaklak ng Maynila'' (1999), ''
Dekada '70'' (2002), ''
Mano Po III: My Love'' (2004) and ''
Magkaibigan'' (2008).
De León is cited by critics as one of the best Filipino actors of all time and was named one of the highest-paid Filipino actors in the 1980s. He is the recipient of many honorary accolades. He was awarded with the
FAMAS Circle of Excellence Award in 2005, a star on the
Eastwood City Walk of Fame in 2006, the Lino Brocka Lifetime Achievement Award by the
Golden Screen Awards in 2008 and the Lifetime Achievement Award in Acting at the
International Film Festival Manhattan in 2017. He achieved ''
Grand Slam'' in 1991, the second actor to win Best Actor in all
major award-giving bodies in the country. He is also one of the elite group of actors to be inducted into the Hall of Fame at the
FAMAS Awards (1993) and the
Metro Manila Film Festival (2019), in the Best Actor category.
Early life and education
De León is the son of actors
Gil de León and
Lilia Dizon (''née'' Claire Strauss). He is of
German Jewish descent from his maternal grandfather. On May 11, 1999, he was given
United States citizenship, passed to him through his mother from her father. He studied
fine arts
In European academic traditions, fine art (or, fine arts) is made primarily for aesthetics or creativity, creative expression, distinguishing it from popular art, decorative art or applied art, which also either serve some practical function ...
at the
University of the East in Manila.
Acting career
1974–1979: Breakthrough and stardom
At age 17, De León made his acting debut in
Lino Brocka's 1974 film ''
Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang''. The production was a success at the box office and earned De León his first acting award, as Best Actor at the
22nd FAMAS Awards. This helped open doors to more acting projects. The following year, he played the role of an
Igorot in
Gerardo de León's romance drama ''Banaue: Stairway to the Sky''. In 1976, De León starred in two productions. He portrayed a naive
''Indio'' in
Eddie Romero
Edgar Sinco Romero, (July 7, 1924 – May 28, 2013), commonly known as Eddie Romero, was a Filipino film director, film producer and screenwriter.
Early life
Romero was born on July 7, 1924. His father was José E. Romero, the first Philipp ...
's period drama ''
Ganito Kami Noon... Paano Kayo Ngayon?''. His performance was well received by critics, and he again won Best Actor, at the
24th FAMAS Awards and
second Metro Manila Film Festival. He subsequently played a
Japanese-Filipino military officer in
Mario O'Hara's period drama ''
Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos''.
The following year, De León appeared in two productions. He starred in Elwood Perez' ''Masarap, Masakit ang Umibig'', which earned him a Best Actor nomination at the
25th FAMAS Awards. He then appeared in
Mike de León's coming-of-age piece ''
Kung Mangarap Ka't Magising'', which premiered at the
third Metro Manila Film Festival. In 1978, he starred in two
Ishmael Bernal films, one of which was the drama ''Lagi Na Lamang Ba Akong Babae?''. This earned him his fifth Best Actor nomination, at the
27th FAMAS Awards. He next starred in the drama ''
Ikaw Ay Akin''. His performance received critical acclaim, winning him a Best Actor trophy at the
Gawad Urian Awards. In 1979, he starred in one of the first Filipino films on peasant oppression, ''Ang Alamat ni Julian Makabayan''.
1980s: Critical acclaim
After playing a series of dramatic roles, De León starred in Mike de León's musical comedy ''
Kakabakaba Ka Ba?''. Released in 1980, the film was praised for its satirical plot and good mix of music. The same year, he appeared in two more production: the drama ''Taga sa Panahon'', which premiered at the
sixth Metro Manila Film Festival, and ''
Aguila''. His portrayal earned him a Best Actor nomination at the
29th FAMAS Awards. In 1981, he starred in Elwood Pérez's ''Pakawalan Mo Ako''. His performance earned him his ninth Best Actor nomination, at the
30th FAMAS Awards. De León had three releases in 1982:
Ishmael Bernal's ''Relasyon'', for which he won Best Actor at the
Catholic Mass Media Awards as well as another nomination at the FAMAS Awards; the mystery drama ''Haplos'', for which he received his second Best Actor win at the
Metro Manila Film Festival; and finally, Lino Brocka's thriller drama ''
Cain at Abel''. The film was the first Filipino entry at the
San Sebastián International Film Festival, and De León received his third Best Actor nomination at the Gawad Urian Awards.
In 1983, De León appeared in Ishmael Bernal's drama film ''Broken Marriage'', which earned him Best Actor nominations from both
FAMAS and Gawad Urian. He appeared in three productions in 1985: the drama musical ''
Bituing Walang Ningning'', Mike de León's romantic drama ''
Hindi Nahahati ang Langit'', and
Carlo J. Caparas' ''God... Save Me!'' For this performance, De León received a Best Actor nomination at the
FAMAS. He began television work in 1986, with the
sketch comedy
Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches" or, "skits", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. While the form developed and became popular in ...
''
Goin' Bananas''. In 1987, he appeared in Lino Brocka's ''Maging Akin Ka Lamang'', which earned him his fourteenth Best Actor nomination at the
FAMAS Awards. The following year, he starred in the romantic drama ''
Kapag Napagod ang Puso''. Writing for ''
Manila Standard'', critic and director
Lav Díaz praised De León's complex performance, stating that the film was "another big step for Christopher de Leon
..toward greatness in the art of acting".
De León received his first Best Actor nomination at the
Luna Awards, and won Best Actor at the
FAMAS and Movie Magazine Awards.
Later in 1988, De León appeared in
Laurice Guillen's ''
Magkano ang Iyong Dangal?''. His portrayal was once again praised by critics, with Lav Díaz stating that his acting "almost reaches the point that whenever people watch a film
e Leonis featured in, he is now the one being watched instead of the film".
For the final year of the decade, De León starred in two productions, including the third instalment of the
anthology film, ''
3 Mukha ng Pag-ibig'' and
Eddie García's ''Imortal''. He won his third Best Actor award at the
Metro Manila Film Festival and received nominations from FAMAS and Gawad Urian in the same category.
1990s: Established leading man
De León starred in two Lino Brocka films in 1990, including ''Biktima'', for which he won Best Actor at the
Luna Awards and
Star Awards for Movies. He had a supporting role in the political thriller ''
Gumapang Ka sa Lusak'', which scored him a Supporting Actor of the Year win at the Star Awards and a nomination at the Gawad Urian in the same category.
He also appeared in the romantic drama ''My Other Woman'', for which he won Best Actor at the FAMAS, Gawad Urian, and Catholic Mass Media Awards.
This distinction made him the second Filipino actor to win Best Actor from all
major award-giving bodies in the country for two films. The following year, he worked again with
Laurice Guillen in her drama ''
Ipagpatawad Mo''. His critically acclaimed portrayal won him Best Actor again at FAMAS, Luna, and Star Awards.
In 1992, De León starred in
Joel Lamangan's ''Hiram na Mukha'', followed by the
biopic ''Gaano Kita Kamahal'' a year later. He tied with
Phillip Salvador as Movie Actor of the Year at the Star Awards and received Best Actor nominations at the Gawad Urian and Luna Awards. In 1993, De León started making appearances in the weekly anthology ''
Star Drama Presents''.
In 1995, De León starred in
Chito Roño's action thriller ''Eskapo''. The following year, he appeared in
Rory Quintos' ''
Sa Aking mga Kamay''. After making a cameo in the biblical drama ''
Kristo'', De León starred in the family drama ''
Madrasta''. His performance received praise, winning him top honors at the
Young Critics Circle and Star Awards.
At the
27th Box Office Entertainment Awards, he was hailed as the "Box Office King". The same year, he starred in the drama ''Nasaan ang Puso'', for which he won Best Actor at the
23rd Metro Manila Film Festival. In 1998, he played a priest in the action drama ''
Ama Namin''. The following year, he starred in the fantasy film ''
Wansapanataym: The Movie''. De León closed the decade with an acclaimed performance in
Joel Lamangan's ''Bulaklak ng Maynila''. His portrayal earned him Best Actor wins at Luna and the Metro Manila Film Festival, as well as nominations from Gawad Urian and the Young Critics Circle.
2000–2019: Further critical and commercial success
Between 2000 and 2010, De León only appeared in ten films and ventured further into television. In 2000, he hosted the Filipino edition of the
game show
A game show (or gameshow) is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment where contestants compete in a game for rewards. The shows are typically directed by a game show host, host, who explains the rules of the program as well as commentating a ...
''
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'' Veronique del Rosario-Corpus,
Viva Television president, revealed that he underwent training and workshops to prepare for his first hosting stint. He later received a nomination for Best Game Show Host at the ''
PMPC Star Awards for Television''. The following year, De León starred with an ensemble cast in
Laurice Guillen's ''
American Adobo'', which premiered at the
San Diego Asian Film Festival
The San Diego Asian Film Festival (SDAFF) is an annual film festival in San Diego
San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, ...
. In 2002, he starred in the romantic drama series ''
Ang Iibigin ay Ikaw'' as well as its sequel, ''
Ang Iibigin ay Ikaw Pa Rin'' (2003). The same year, he appeared with
Vilma Santos in the film adaptation of
Lualhati Bautista's novel ''
Dekada '70'', under the direction of Chito Roño. The film premiered at the
28th Metro Manila Film Festival. His performance earned him Best Actor nominations from Gawad Urian and Luna. In 2003, De León was among the council in the second season of ''
StarStruck''. He next appeared in the second instalment of ''
Mano Po 2: My Home'' and reprised his role in ''
Mano Po III: My Love'', in 2004. He also appeared in the drama series ''
Hanggang Kailan''. In 2005, he had a role in the third installment of ''
Now and Forever'', ''
Agos''. The same year, he was an antagonist in the fantasy drama ''
Darna''.
In 2006, De León played the role of a banking magnate in the romantic family drama ''
Maging Sino Ka Man'' and later reprised his role in the sequel, ''
Maging Sino Ka Man: Ang Pagbabalik'', which aired in 2007. He next starred with an ensemble cast in
Joel Lamangan's ''
Blue Moon''. De León then appeared in the pilot episode of the drama series ''
Pangarap na Bituin'', followed by a supporting role in ''
Kahit Isang Saglit'' (2008). De León also starred opposite
Angel Aquino in
Eddie Romero
Edgar Sinco Romero, (July 7, 1924 – May 28, 2013), commonly known as Eddie Romero, was a Filipino film director, film producer and screenwriter.
Early life
Romero was born on July 7, 1924. His father was José E. Romero, the first Philipp ...
's final directorial effort, ''
Faces of Love'' (2007). In 2009, he had supporting roles in the drama series ''
Lovers in Paris'' and ''
Sana Ngayong Pasko''. Later that year, De León appeared in the film ''
Mano Po 6: A Mother's Love'', which premiered at the
35th Metro Manila Film Festival.
2010s: ''Sa 'yo Lamang'', ''El Presidente'', and Lorenzo
In 2010, De León starred with an ensemble cast in Laurice Guillen's ''
Sa 'yo Lamang''. The film earned him a Best Actor nomination at the
29th Luna Awards. Also in 2010, he played the character of a black sorcerer in the fantasy film ''
Ilumina''. He next appeared in the anthologies ''
SRO Cinemaserye'' and ''
Maalaala Mo Kaya'', as well as making guest appearances in the dramas ''
Jillian: Namamasko Po'' and ''
Panday Kids''. In 2011, De León starred in the political drama ''
Sa Ngalan ng Ina'' and made guest appearances in the dramas ''
100 Days to Heaven'' and ''
Bantatay''. He also played a supporting role in the fantasy action series ''
Captain Barbell''. The same year, he played a special role in the romantic comedy ''
Catch Me, I'm in Love''. In 2012, De León portrayed General
Antonio Luna in the biographical film ''
El Presidente''. His performance received a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the
38th Metro Manila Film Festival. Also in 2012, he played supporting roles in the dramas ''
Dahil sa Pag-ibig'', ''
Pahiram ng Sandali'', ''
Kung Ako'y Iiwan Mo'', and ''
Luna Blanca''. In 2013, he produced the play ''Lorenzo'', a musical on the life of
Lorenzo Ruiz, with music by
Ryan Cayabyab and book and lyrics by Juan Ekis and
Paul Dumol. The play's maiden run was held in September 2013 at
DLS-CSB's SDA Theater.
De León had more supporting roles in
soap opera
A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...
s in the succeeding years. He was cast in main roles in several television series, such as ''
Muling Buksan ang Puso'' (2013), ''
The Legal Wife'' (2014), ''
Ikaw Lamang'' (2014), and ''
Beautiful Strangers'' (2015), earning Best Drama Supporting Actor nominations at the Star Awards for TV for the latter three. In that span, De León was in two films, including the action feature ''
Sa Ngalan ng Ama, Ina at mga Anak'' (2014) and the supernatural horror ''
Tragic Theater'' (2015). In 2016, he made guest appearances in ''
Ang Probinsyano'' and ''
Alyas Robin Hood'' as well as landing supporting roles in ''
Little Nanay'' and ''
Ang Panday''. That same year, he played an ex-military officer-turned-kidnapper in the suspense thriller ''
Dukot''. Supporting roles came in the following years, with ''
Kambal, Karibal'' (2017) and ''
Sana Dalawa ang Puso'' (2018). In that span, he also made film appearances in
Carlo J. Caparas' ''
Kamandag ng Droga'' (2017),
Raya Martin's ''
Smaller and Smaller Circles'' (2017), and Ruel Bayani's ''
Kasal'' (2018).
2020s: Continued presence in film and television

In 2020, De León played a supporting role in the drama series ''
Love Thy Woman''. He next appeared in an episode of the anthology series ''
I Can See You'', the following year. He also made a special appearance in the drama series ''
Huwag Kang Mangamba''. In 2021, De León had a supporting role in
Erik Matti's crime thriller ''
On the Job: The Missing 8''. In 2022, he played a supporting role in the action drama series ''
Lolong''. Before its premiere, De León revealed in an interview that he performed all of his stunts. In 2023, De León reprised his role in the psychological thriller ''
Cattleya Killer'', the sequel to the 1996 film ''
Sa Aking mga Kamay''.
Also in 2023, De León was cast as the main antagonist in the action drama series ''
Batang Quiapo'', based on the
1986 action-comedy film of the same name. The same year, he reunited with
Vilma Santos for their 25th film together, ''
When I Met You in Tokyo'', which premiered at the Metro Manila Film Festival.
Other ventures
Political career
In 2007, De León decided to run as vice governor of the province of
Batangas. He was supposed to be the running mate of incumbent vice governor Ricky Recto but instead ran with former Batangas police director Nestor Sanares; he lost to
Mark Leviste. He ran once more in 2010, this time for board member of the Second District of Batangas, which he won. Garnering the highest number of votes among those elected, he became Senior Board Member of Batangas. In 2013, he was a candidate for the 2nd Congressional District of the Province of Batangas but lost to Rep. Mandanas' chief of staff,
Raneo Abu.
Reception
De León has been named the most successful Filipino drama actor for three decades (1970s, 1980s, 1990s). He was one of the highest-paid film actors in the Philippines during the 1980s, with a salary reaching over ₱300,000 per film. In a 2001 interview with journalist Remy Umerez,
César Montano described De León as the most professional actor he had ever worked with, saying: "He comes to the set fully prepared and you better watch out if you don't know your lines well. He can memorize a revised script in the wink of an eye." Montano also praised De León's acting style, saying: "He has a very sharp memory and his approach to acting is infectious...Difficult scenes become easy to stage with seasoned actors like Boyet."
De León has starred in numerous critically acclaimed films that hold significance within
Philippine cinema. In 2006, six renowned film critics through the ''
Philippine Daily Inquirer
The ''Philippine Daily Inquirer'' (''PDI''), or simply the ''Inquirer'', is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines. Founded in 1985, it is often regarded as the Philippines' newspaper of record. The newspaper is the most awarded broad ...
'' listed ''
Gumapang Ka sa Lusak'' (1990) and ''
Dekada '70'' (2002) among the 21 best Filipino films in the last 21 years. In 2007, the ''
Philippine Entertainment Portal'' named three films, ''
Aguila'' (1979), ''Dekada '70'' (2002), and ''
Ganito Kami Noon... Paano Kayo Ngayon?'' (1976) on their list of top ten Philippine historical films of all time. In 2021, ''
Far Out Magazine'' named ''
Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos'' (1976) one of the ten essential films from the Philippines. In 2023, critics from the ''Philippine Entertainment Portal'' named De León among the best actors of the year for his role in ''When I Met You in Tokyo''.
Personal life
De León's first marriage was to actress
Nora Aunor
Nora Cabaltera Villamayor (May 21, 1953 – April 16, 2025), known professionally as Nora Aunor (), was a Filipino actress, producer and singer. Known for her leading roles with patriotic, feminist and Political sociology, socio-political th ...
. The couple, who eventually separated, had five children, including actresses
Matet and
Lotlot de León. De León's second marriage, to actress
Sandy Andolong, produced five children.
De León is a practicing
Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
.
On March 17, 2020, during the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, De León announced that he had been diagnosed with
the virus. He claimed to be
asymptomatic, and was not in contact with any
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
carriers.
He recovered and was released from hospital on March 24.
Acting credits and accolades
Among numerous accolades for his acting work, De León has won a total of eight
FAMAS Awards, two
Gawad Urians, four
Lunas, nine
Star Awards, and eight
Metro Manila Awards. In 1991, he became the second Filipino actor to achieve the "
Grand Slam", for his performances in ''Biktima'' (1990) and ''My Other Woman'' (1990), winning in the Best Actor category from all major Philippine award-giving bodies. De León has been inducted into the hall of fame of two of these: FAMAS (1993) and the Metro Manila Film Festival (2019), in the Best Actor category. For his contributions to
Philippine cinema, De León is also a recipient of several honorary accolades. In 2008, he was presented with the Lino Brocka Lifetime Achievement Award at the
Golden Screen Awards. In 2011, he was awarded the Ulirang Artista Lifetime Achievement Award by the PMPC Star Awards for Movies. In 2017, he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award in Acting at the
International Film Festival Manhattan. The same year, he was named one of the "People of the Year" by ''
People Asia'' magazine.
With more than 200 acting credits to his name, some of De León's most critically and commercially successful films, according to the review aggregator site
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
include ''
Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang'' (1974), ''
Ganito Kami Noon... Paano Kayo Ngayon?'' (1976), ''
Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos'' (1976), ''
Ikaw Ay Akin'' (1978), ''Kakabakaba Ka Ba?'' (1980), ''Relasyon'' (1982), ''
Kapag Napagod ang Puso'' (1988), ''My Other Woman'' (1990), ''Biktima'' (1990), ''
Madrasta'' (1996), ''Bulaklak ng Maynila'' (1999), ''
Dekada '70'' (2002), ''Pangarap Ko ang Ibigin Ka'' (2003), ''
Magkaibigan'' (2008), and ''
When Love Begins'' (2008). His television work includes the series ''
Ang Iibigin ay Ikaw'' (2002), ''
Hanggang Kailan'' (2004), ''
Maging Sino Ka Man'' (2006), ''
Kahit Isang Saglit'' (2008), ''
The Legal Wife'' (2014), ''
Ikaw Lamang'' (2014), ''
Beautiful Strangers'' (2015), ''
Lolong'' (2022), and ''
Batang Quiapo'' (2023–present).
Discography
* ''Mga Awit Pelikula ni Christopher de Leon'' (2006)
See also
*
List of Philippine actors
*
Television in the Philippines
*
List of people who won the Philippine movie grand slam
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:de Leon, Christopher
1956 births
Living people
20th-century Filipino male actors
21st-century Filipino male actors
ABS-CBN people
Christopher
Filipino actor-politicians
Filipino male film actors
Filipino male television actors
Filipino people of American descent
Filipino people of American-Jewish descent
Filipino people of German-Jewish descent
Filipino Roman Catholics
Filipino television directors
GMA Network (company) people
Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation personalities
Liberal Party (Philippines) politicians
Male actors from Manila
Members of the Batangas Provincial Board
University of the East alumni
Viva Artists Agency
Filipino male comedians
Filipino sketch comedians
Comedians from Manila