John Arcilla
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Romeo John Gonzales Arcilla (born June 24, 1966) is a Filipino
actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...
. He became the first Filipino and the first
Southeast Asian Southeast Asia is the geographical southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Australian mainland, which is part of Oceania. Southeast Asia is ...
actor to receive the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice International Film Festival (2021) for his performance in '' On the Job: The Missing 8.'' That role also earned him Best Actor at the Gawad Urian Awards (2022). Arcilla has appeared in various film and television roles, including
Antonio Luna Antonio Narciso Luna de San Pedro y Novicio Ancheta (; October 29, 1866 – June 5, 1899) was a Filipinos, Filipino army general and a pharmacist who fought in the Philippine–American War before his assassination on June 5, 1899, at the age ...
in '' Heneral Luna'', Hagorn in ''Encantadia'', Carlos Fiero in ''Dirty Linen'', President Eleazar Sagrado in '' Pamilya Sagrado'', and Renato Hipolito in '' FPJ's Ang Probinsyano''.


Early life and education

John Arcilla was born in
Quezon City Quezon City (, ; ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read and pronounced in Filipino language, Filipino as Kyusi), is the richest and List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 c ...
,
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
, to Dominador Gil Alemania Arcilla and Eustaquia Gonzales, a descendant of former President
Manuel L. Quezon Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina (, , , ; 19 August 1878 – 1 August 1944), also known by his initials MLQ, was a Filipino people, Filipino lawyer, statesman, soldier, and politician who was president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1 ...
. After the martial law declaration in the Philippines in 1972, Arcilla and his family moved to his mother's hometown of
Baler, Aurora Baler (, , , ; ), officially the Municipality of Baler (; ), is a municipality and capital of the province of Aurora, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 43,785 people. History Spanish colonial period In 16 ...
. He began to show an interest in acting at the age of seven. He was a member of the community-based Philippine Educational Theater Association - Metropolitan Teen Theater League (PETA-MTTL). In 1986, he graduated from Saint Joseph's College of Quezon City (SJCQC). He was also an acting scholar of the Actors Workshop Foundation under
Laurice Guillen Laurice Ilagan Guillen-Feleo (born January 31, 1947) is a Filipino actress, film and television director, and college professor. Early life and acting career Guillen studied at St. Theresa's College, Cebu City, earned an AB English degree be ...
, Johnny Delgado, and
Leo Martinez Leo Martinez (born March 7, 1945) is a Filipino actor, comedian and director. Martinez also served as Director General of the Film Academy of the Philippines. Personal life He is married to Gina Valenciano (sister of Gary Valenciano), and has chi ...
from 1987 to 1990.


Career


1988–1996: Theater debut and early television work

Arcilla was a member of Dulaang Unibersidad ng Pilipinas from 1988 to 1989 and was trained by the stage director and National Artist for Theater, Tony Mabesa. From 1989 to 1990, Arcilla worked as a casting director for Foote, Cone & Belding. From 1991 to 1997, Arcilla was a resident actor and senior member of Tanghalang Pilipino Actor Company, the resident theater of the
Cultural Center of the Philippines The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP; ) is a government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC) established to preserve, develop and promote Arts in the Philippines, arts and Culture of the Philippines, culture in the Philippines.Presid ...
. At the Cultural Center, he played lead roles in several productions, including '' Orosman and Zafira,'' '' Walang Sugat'', and Ryan Cayabyab's Rizal musical trilogy: '' El Filibusterismo'' (1993), '' Noli Me Tángere'' (1995), and ''Illustrado'' (1996). Arcilla was also part of the main cast of '' Rama at Sita'', a 1999 Filipino musical adapted from the Indian epic ''
Ramayana The ''Ramayana'' (; ), also known as ''Valmiki Ramayana'', as traditionally attributed to Valmiki, is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics ...
''. In 2000, Arcilla became a guest actor with Repertory Philippines, playing Valentin in '' Kiss of the Spider Woman''. Arcilla has also been in various television commercials for brands, including
Tide Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide tables ...
and Gold Eagle, as well as for companies such as the
National Steel Corporation The National Steel Corporation (1929–2003) was a major American steel producer. It was founded on October 1, 1929 through a merger arranged by Weirton Steel with the new Great Lakes Steel Corporation, which was then in the process of construc ...
and the Development Bank of the Philippines. Arcilla became widely recognized after appearing in a 1994 commercial for Purefoods with the slogan "" ("Just coffee, dear"). This led to his involvement in more projects outside of the theater. Arcilla appeared in various television shows in 1987, including the variety show '' Goin' Bananas'' as a "gag artist," as well as in the drama anthologies '' Lovingly Yours, Helen'' and ''Star Drama Theater Presents.''


1993–2009: Career expansion and recognition

One of Arcilla's early film appearances was as a
photojournalist Photojournalism is journalism that uses images to tell a news story. It usually only refers to still images, but can also refer to video used in broadcast journalism. Photojournalism is distinguished from other close branches of photography (suc ...
covering the release of political detainees in Lino Brocka's '' Orapronobis'' (Fight for Us, 1989). Arcilla had a larger role in Raymond Red's first full-length feature, ''Bayani'', in 1992, where he played General Mariano Noriel, a member of the War Council that oversaw
Andrés Bonifacio Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro (, ; November 30, 1863May 10, 1897) was a Filipino people, Filipino revolutionary leader. He is often called "The Father of the Philippines, Philippine Philippine Revolution, Revolution", and considered a nationa ...
's case in 1897. In ''Sakay'' (1993), Arcilla played General Leon Villafuerte, the chief of staff in Macario Sakay's Tagalog Republic. Arcilla's film break was in ''Sa 'Yō Lamang'' (1995), where he played Hector, the elder brother of Andrew (played by
Richard Gomez Richard Frank Icasiano Gomez (; born April 7, 1966) is a Filipino actor, TV host, politician, and épée Fencing, fencer. He has been serving as the House of Representatives of the Philippines, Representative of Leyte's 4th congressional di ...
). He won Best Actor at the 1996 Manila Film Festival for his role as Lino in the film ''Mulanay''. A year later, he starred in '' Ligaya ang Itawag Mo sa Akin'' and won a Best Supporting Actor Award at the
Gawad Urian The Gawad Urian Awards are annual film awards in the Philippines presented since 1977 by the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino (), a Film criticism, film critic organization composed of critics, writers, and scholars. It is the regarded as the h ...
. From 1998 to 2005, Arcilla starred in several supporting roles in film and television, including the 2000 drama series, '' Pangako sa 'Yo'', the 2003 action-crime drama, '' Basta't Kasama Kita'' and the 2005 fantasy drama, '' Sugo''. He played the lead role in the film adaptation of Tony Perez' play about infidelity, ''Sa North Diversion Road''. Arcilla and co-star Irma Adlawan had also performed in the theatrical version. They were each nominated at the 2006 Golden Screen Award for Best Performance by an Actor and Actress in a Leading Role (Drama) respectively. In 2006, Arcilla starred in the film ''Compound''. He was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Drama) at the 2007 Golden Screen Award and earned a nomination for Movie Actor of the Year at the Star Awards for Movies. In 2009, he earned his third Gawad Urian nomination for Best Supporting Actor for the film ''Manila Skies''.


2010s

Arcilla has starred in three films in 2010: the indie film ''Halaw'', for which he won the Best Actor Award at the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, '' Amigo'', an American-Filipino drama film based on the
Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War, known alternatively as the Philippine Insurrection, Filipino–American War, or Tagalog Insurgency, emerged following the conclusion of the Spanish–American War in December 1898 when the United States annexed th ...
, and '' Petrang Kabayo'', a comedy-drama. He returned to television in 2010 in the suspense drama '' Magkaribal''. In 2011, he played supporting characters in two television shows, ''
Machete A machete (; ) is a broad blade used either as an agricultural implement similar to an axe, or in combat like a long-bladed knife. The blade is typically long and usually under thick. In the Spanish language, the word is possibly a dimin ...
'' and '' Mana Po.'' That year, he also appeared in two films, '' Thelma'' and '' No Other Woman''. Arcilla had a cameo role in the 2012 spy thriller '' The Bourne Legacy'', playing the head security guard. He also played Mariano Trias in the
Emilio Aguinaldo Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (: March 22, 1869February 6, 1964) was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who became the first List of presidents of the Philippines, president of the Philippines (1899–1901), and the first pre ...
biopic A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or group of people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudrama films and histo ...
, '' El Presidente''. Arcilla was also in the cast of ''Lilet Never Happened'', which won the Best Cast Ensemble at the 2013 International Film Festival Manhattan. In 2013, he starred in the British-Filipino independent film ''
Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila ( ), commonly shortened to Metro Manila and formally the National Capital Region (NCR; ), is the capital region and largest List of metropolitan areas in the Philippines, metropolitan area of the Philippines. Located ...
'' which was selected as the British entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the
86th Academy Awards The 86th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best 2013 in film, films of 2013 and took place on March 2, 2014, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, beginning at 5: ...
. Arcilla earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the 16th British Independent Film Awards. Metro Manila won the Audience Award at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. It received a nomination for Best Foreign Film at the 2014 British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards. In 2014, Arcilla was part of the cast of '' Muslim Magnum .357: To Serve and Protect''. He also starred in episodes of '' Magpakailanman'' and ''
Maalaala Mo Kaya (, abbreviated as ''MMK'') is a Philippine television drama anthology series broadcast by ABS-CBN and Kapamilya Channel. Hosted by Charo Santos-Concio, its first iteration was aired from May 15, 1991 to December 10, 2022. It is the longest ...
''. In 2015, Arcilla played General Antonio Luna in the
historical History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...
biopic A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or group of people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudrama films and histo ...
film, '' Heneral Luna''. To prepare for the role, he analyzed the positive and negative sides of Antonio Luna's personality, taking note of his temper and vulnerability. The film became the highest-grossing Filipino historical film. For his performance as Luna, Arcilla won the Best Actor Award at the 34th Film Academy of the Philippines. He also received a Best Actor nomination at the 10th Asian Film Awards. Owing to the popularity of his role as Antonio Luna, Arcilla would later reprise or parody his role as the general in various television commercials. In 2016, Arcilla was part of the cast of Mikhail Red's '' Birdshot'', where he played the senior police officer Mendoza. For his role, Arcilla won the Best Supporting Actor Award at the 2018 Film Academy of the Philippines. ''Birdshot'' was the Philippines' entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards. He also starred in the short film ''Supot'', directed by Phil Giordano. Arcilla won the Craft Award for Best Supporting Actor at the 2017 First Run Festival, in New York. From 2017 to 2022, Arcilla played Renato "Buwitre" Hipolito, a power-hungry and corrupt government official and the main antagonist in '' FPJ's Ang Probinsyano''. In 2019, Arcilla made two
horror movies Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...
, ''Second Coming'' and ''Kuwaresma''. He also starred in the comedy film ''The Panti Sisters'', where he played Don Emilio, the stern father of three gay sons. Arcilla was also part of the main cast of the Filipino adaptation of the Korean film '' Miracle in Cell No 7'', where he played the prison warden Johnny San Juan.


2020s

In 2020, Arcilla played the lead role of Fernando Suarez in the
biographical A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or curric ...
film '' Suarez: The Healing Priest''. He was nominated as Best Actor in a Leading Role for the 2020 Metro Manila Film Festival and won Best Actor of the Year at the 37th PMPC Star Awards for Movies.He then went on to receive the Volpi Cup for Best Actor for his role as the journalist Narciso "Sisoy" Salas in '' On the Job: The Missing 8'' (2021) directed by Eric Matti . That same year, Arcilla appeared in '' Big Night!'', a dark comedy about the war on drugs in the
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. He also appeared in '' A Hard Day'', a Filipino adaptation of the 2014 Korean action-thriller film of the same title. Both were selected for the 2021 Metro Manila Film Festival, where Arcilla got nominated for Best Supporting Actor for both films. He received a Best Supporting Actor Award for ''A Hard Day'' from the 24th Gawad Pasado in 2022. Following that, Arcilla starred in the suspense thriller film ''Reroute (2022)'' and was also in a romantic comedy, 'How to Move On in 30 Days' (2022), a TV series streamed via the YouTube Channel of '' ABS-CBN Entertainment''. Arcilla played Carlos Fiero, the main antagonist in ABS-CBN's 2023 drama series '' Dirty Linen'' and he also starred in Jun Lana's mystery-comedy film, '' Ten Little Mistresses.'' In September 2023, Arcilla became the host of the TV5 game show ''SpinGo''. In 2024, Arcilla played the father of a gay wrestler in '' Fuchsia Libre'' from Mavx Productions.


Filmography


Television


Film


Awards and nominations

Arcilla has earned numerous acting awards and nominations in the Philippines and abroad. In 2013, Arcilla received his first international acting nomination as Best Supporting Actor at the
British Independent Film Awards The British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) is an organisation that celebrates, supports, and promotes British independent cinema and film-making talent in the United Kingdom. Nominations for the annual awards ceremony are announced in early Nov ...
for the film ''
Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila ( ), commonly shortened to Metro Manila and formally the National Capital Region (NCR; ), is the capital region and largest List of metropolitan areas in the Philippines, metropolitan area of the Philippines. Located ...
''. In 2016, he earned a Best Actor nomination at the
Asian Film Awards The Asian Film Awards are presented annually by the Asian Film Awards Academy to recognise the excellence of the film professionals in the film industries of Asian cinema. History On January 29, 2007, Wilfred Wong, the Chairman of Hong Kon ...
for '' Heneral Luna''. In 2017, Arcilla received his first international Best Supporting Actor Craft Award from the First Run Festival for the short film ''Supot''. In 2021, Arcilla received the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the
Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival (, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival held in Venice, Italy. It is the world's oldest film festival and one of the ...
for his performance in '' On the Job: The Missing 8'' becoming the first Southeast Asian and Filipino actor to win the award. Arcilla received a Best Supporting Actor Award for his role in the film '' Ligaya Ang Itawag Mo Sa Akin'' from
Gawad Urian The Gawad Urian Awards are annual film awards in the Philippines presented since 1977 by the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino (), a Film criticism, film critic organization composed of critics, writers, and scholars. It is the regarded as the h ...
in 1997. Director Jerrold Tarog cast Arcilla in the leading role of his ''Heneral Luna'' movie after seeing his performance as the devil's advocate in ''Anino'', and in ''Metro Manila''. Arcilla was awarded the (Filipino:
Aurora An aurora ( aurorae or auroras), also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...
's Honor) by his home province in 2005 for his work in theater, film, and television. In 2009, he also received an Outstanding Citizen Award from the municipality of San Luis, Aurora for his achievements in the field of performing arts.


For performance in film and television


Other awards and recognitions


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Arcilla, John 1966 births Living people ABS-CBN people Filipino male comedians Filipino male film actors Filipino male stage actors GMA Network (company) people People from Aurora (province) Comedians from Quezon City Volpi Cup for Best Actor winners Male actors from Quezon City Actors of Asian descent