The Most Famous

ACTORS from Philippines

This page contains a list of the greatest Filipino Actors. The pantheon dataset contains 13,578 Actors, 14 of which were born in Philippines. This makes Philippines the birth place of the 46th most number of Actors behind Venezuela, and Algeria.

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Filipino Actors of all time. This list of famous Filipino Actors is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Filipino Actors.

1. Brenda Marshall (1915 - 1992)

With an HPI of 48.23, Brenda Marshall is the most famous Filipino Actor. Her biography has been translated into 18 different languages on wikipedia.

Brenda Marshall (born Ardis Ankerson; September 29, 1915 – July 30, 1992) was an American film actress.

2. Lou Diamond Phillips (b. 1962)

With an HPI of 47.77, Lou Diamond Phillips is the 2nd most famous Filipino Actor. His biography has been translated into 33 different languages.

Louis Diamond Phillips (né Upchurch; February 17, 1962) is an American actor. His breakthrough came when he starred as Ritchie Valens in the biographical drama film La Bamba (1987). For Stand and Deliver (1988), Phillips was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and won an Independent Spirit Award. Phillips made his Broadway debut with the 1996 revival of The King and I, earning a Tony Award nomination for his portrayal of King Mongkut of Siam. Phillips' other notable films include Young Guns (1988), Young Guns II (1990), Courage Under Fire (1996), The Big Hit (1998), Brokedown Palace (1999), Che (2008), and The 33 (2015). In the television series Longmire, he played a main character named Henry Standing Bear. He played New York City Police Lieutenant Gil Arroyo on Prodigal Son on FOX from 2019 to 2021.

3. Fernando Poe Jr. (1939 - 2004)

With an HPI of 44.02, Fernando Poe Jr. is the 3rd most famous Filipino Actor. His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Ronald Allan Kelley Poe (August 20, 1939 – December 14, 2004), known professionally as Fernando Poe Jr., and often referred to by his initials FPJ, was a Filipino actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, and politician. His long and successful career as an action star earned him the nickname "Da King" (i.e. the "King of Philippine movies"). He also wrote, directed, and produced several of the films he starred in—under the pseudonyms Ronwaldo Reyes and D'Lanor. Poe appeared in around 300 films spanning from 1955 to 2003. The teenage Poe joined the film industry as a stuntman after the untimely death of his father, actor Fernando Poe Sr. His film debut was Anak ni Palaris (1955), a sequel to a film that starred his father. His breakout came in the 1956 film Lo Waist Gang and went on to star in action films that portrayed him as the "champion and defender of the poor and oppressed". His notable films include: Only the Brave Know Hell (1965), Lino Brocka's Santiago! (1970), Celso Ad. Castillo's Asedillo (1971), Bato sa Buhangin (1976), Durugin si Totoy Bato (1979), Eddie Romero's Aguila (1980); his self-directed Ang Panday (1980) and its sequels; Roman Rapido and Isang Bala Ka Lang! (both 1983), the 1986 films Iyo ang Tondo, Kanya ang Cavite, Muslim .357, and Batang Quiapo; Kahit Konting Pagtingin (1990), Ang Probinsyano (1996), Isusumbong Kita sa Tatay Ko... (1999), and Ang Dalubhasa (2000). Poe's accolades include five FAMAS Awards for Best Actor—a joint record that inducted him into the FAMAS Hall of Fame in 1988. He also won Best Director for his films Ang Padrino (1984) and Kahit Butas ng Karayom, Papasukin Ko (1995). In 2004, FAMAS posthumously granted him the Natatanging Alagad ng Sining Award. Poe was also posthumously declared a National Artist of the Philippines in 2006 (accepted by his family in 2012). Poe ran for president of the Philippines in the 2004 election. He lost to re-electionist Gloria Macapagal Arroyo by just over one million votes (3.48%)—the closest margin between the winner and runner-up in the history of Philippine presidential elections. Seven months after the elections, Poe died of a stroke; hundreds of thousands attended his wake and funeral. Poe was married to actress Susan Roces, who played his onscreen love interest in 17 films. Senator Grace Poe and actress Lovi Poe are his daughters.

4. Reggie Lee (b. 1975)

With an HPI of 43.45, Reggie Lee is the 4th most famous Filipino Actor. His biography has been translated into 28 different languages.

Reggie Telmo Valdez (born October 4, 1975), known professionally as Reggie Lee, is an American film and television actor. On television, he has played William "Bill" Kim on Prison Break and Sergeant Drew Wu on Grimm. In film, he has played Tai Huang in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, GCPD Officer Ross in The Dark Knight Rises and Lance Nguyen in The Fast and the Furious.

5. Lea Salonga (b. 1971)

With an HPI of 40.24, Lea Salonga is the 5th most famous Filipino Actor. Her biography has been translated into 39 different languages.

Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga, ( LAY-ə sa-LONG-ə; born February 22, 1971) is a Filipino singer and actress. Known primarily for her work in theatre, she has starred in musicals on Broadway and in the West End. Her accolades include a Tony Award and a Laurence Olivier Award, in addition to nominations for two Grammy Awards. She was conferred with the Presidential Medal of Merit in 1990 and the Order of Lakandula in 2007, and she was honored as a Disney Legend in 2011. Salonga began her career as a child in Philippine musical theatre productions and rose to international recognition in 1989 for playing the lead role of Kim in the original West End and Broadway productions of Miss Saigon. For her performance, she gained five awards—the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical, the Drama Desk Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award, the Theatre World Award, and the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Her further roles include Éponine in the Broadway and West End productions of Les Misérables, Wu Mei-Li in the 2002 Broadway revival of Flower Drum Song, Fantine in the 2006 Broadway revival of Les Misérables, Kei Kimura in the original Broadway production of Allegiance, Erzulie in the 2017 Broadway revival of Once on This Island, and Aurora Aquino in the original Broadway production of Here Lies Love. In 2023 and 2024, she starred in the West End production of the musical revue Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends. As a recording artist, Salonga began her music career at age ten. Her first album, Small Voice, was launched in 1981 and received a gold certification. She later signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records, releasing her platinum-certified self-titled album in 1993. Her subsequent releases include I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (1997), Lea... In Love (1998), By Heart (1999), and Inspired (2007). On film, she portrayed Lisa in the Filipino comedy Tropang Bulilit (1981), and her performances as Sandy and Agnes in the romantic dramas Bakit Labis Kitang Mahal (1992) and Sana Maulit Muli (1995), respectively, were widely acclaimed. Additionally, Salonga provided the singing voice for the characters of Jasmine in Aladdin (1992) and the titular character in Mulan (1998) and Mulan II (2004). As a teenager, she hosted the variety show Love, Lea and later appeared on That's Entertainment. Her television acting credits include Lien Hughes on As the World Turns, Aunt Myrna on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and Elodie Honrada on Pretty Little Liars. Furthermore, Salonga has expanded her career to include reality television as a coach on The Voice of the Philippines and its spin-off series, The Voice Kids and The Voice Teens.

6. Madam Auring (1940 - 2020)

With an HPI of 39.29, Madam Auring is the 6th most famous Filipino Actor. Her biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Aurea Elfero, known professionally as Madam Auring (11 March 1940 – 30 October 2020), was a Filipina fortune teller and actress. According to her own account, she was one of "the five most famous women in Asia in the 1990s".

7. Eddie Garcia (1929 - 2019)

With an HPI of 39.19, Eddie Garcia is the 7th most famous Filipino Actor. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Eduardo "Eddie" Verchez Garcia (Tagalog: [ˈʔɛdi gaɾˈsɪa]; May 2, 1929 – June 20, 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 700 film and television roles throughout his career in over six decades; held the distinction as the highest number of appearances in Philippine cinema and television. Garcia is the only individual to have been inducted in three categories in the FAMAS Hall of Fame: for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Director. He is also the only Filipino to have received the Asian Film Award for Best Actor. Garcia's best-regarded appearances include Beast of the Yellow Night (1971), The Woman Hunt (1972), Deathrow (2000), The Debut (2001), Abakada... Ina (2001), Bwakaw (2012), and Rainbow's Sunset (2018), the latter of which is his last film appearance. Later in his career, Garcia starred in television programs including Little Nanay (2015–2016) and FPJ's Ang Probinsyano (2016–2019).

8. Nora Aunor (b. 1953)

With an HPI of 37.54, Nora Aunor is the 8th most famous Filipino Actor. Her biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Nora Cabaltera Villamayor, ONA (born May 21, 1953), known professionally as Nora Aunor (Tagalog pronunciation: [ʊˈnɔɾ]), is a Filipino actress, recording artist, and film producer. Aunor has also appeared in several stage plays, television shows and concerts. She is known as Philippine cinema's "Superstar" and was conferred as a National Artist of the Philippines for Film and Broadcast Arts in 2022. The Hollywood Reporter called her "The Grand Dame of Philippine Cinema" for her performances in the movies Taklub (Trap) and Hustisya (Justice), and for her contributions to the Philippine film industry. Aunor started her career as a singer, after winning a local talent search. She rose to fame in the following years as both a singer and actress. After her film debut All Over the World (1967), she transitioned into heavy drama with highly acclaimed performances in films such as Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos (Three Years Without God) (1976), Minsa'y Isang Gamu-gamo (Once a Moth) (1976), Ina Ka ng Anak Mo (You Are the Mother of Your Daughter) (1979), Himala (Miracle) (1982), Bulaklak sa City Jail (Flowers of the City Jail) (1984), and Bona (1980). In the following decades, her performances in The Flor Contemplacion Story (1995), Bakit May Kahapon Pa? (1996), Thy Womb (2012), and Dementia (2014) gave her further international recognition and numerous international awards and nominations. For her work, Aunor received 17 FAMAS Award nominations and is a "Hall of Fame" inductee, winning five Best Actress Awards. She is the most nominated actress in the history of the Gawad Urian Awards with 21 nominations, winning seven, and the only performer to be chosen as one of The Best Actors and Actresses of the Decade in three different decades (1980s, 1990s, and 2010s) by the same awards body. She is the only Filipino to win the Asian Film Award for Best Actress. She has won nine trophies from PMPC Star Awards for her work in film and television, as well as eight Metro Manila Film Festival Awards, four Luna Awards, five Young Critics Circle Awards, a Cairo International Film Festival award, an Asia Pacific Screen Award, an Asian Film Award, among others.

9. Sayaka Akimoto (b. 1988)

With an HPI of 35.45, Sayaka Akimoto is the 9th most famous Filipino Actor. Her biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Sayaka Akimoto (秋元才加, Akimoto Sayaka, born July 26, 1988) is a Japanese actress and singer. She was a member of Japanese idol girl group AKB48 and its spin-off unit Diva. As an actress, Akimoto has appeared in both Japanese and American productions, and made her Hollywood debut in Sniper: Assassin's End (2020). She also provides the Japanese dub for Mantis in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

10. Dolly de Leon (b. 1969)

With an HPI of 35.02, Dolly de Leon is the 10th most famous Filipino Actor. Her biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Dolly Earnshaw de Leon (born April 12, 1969) is a Filipino actress. Known primarily for her work in independent films and theater, she has received numerous accolades, including a FAMAS Award, a Guldbagge Award, and a Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award, in addition to nominations for a Golden Globe Award and a BAFTA Award. British Vogue named her one of the 31 most famous stars in the world in 2023. After studying theater at the University of the Philippines Diliman, De Leon began acting on stage. Her earliest performances include local productions of The Merchant of Venice, Waiting for Godot, Old Times, and Medea. She made her film debut in Peque Gallaga's horror anthology Shake, Rattle & Roll III (1991) and was cast in small and uncredited roles throughout the 1990s and 2000s. De Leon made brief appearances in films and took on guest parts in television shows. Her breakthrough came in the crime drama Verdict (2019), for which she won a FAMAS Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 2021, she portrayed an aging sex worker in Lav Diaz's period drama History of Ha to positive reviews. She followed it with more assertive parts in Erik Matti's HBO television projects On the Job and Folklore. De Leon achieved international recognition and acclaim for starring as a toilet cleaner on a luxury yacht in Ruben Östlund's satirical black comedy Triangle of Sadness (2022), winning the Guldbagge Award and Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Performance. She received nominations for a Golden Globe Award and for a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the first Filipino to be nominated for the awards in any category. De Leon has since starred in the adult animated drama The Missing (2023)—for which she won a Cinemalaya Award for Best Supporting Actress—and the 2024 comedy dramas Between the Temples and Ghostlight. She is the co-founder of Ladies Who Launch, a social services group which supports disadvantaged communities.

People

Pantheon has 26 people classified as Filipino actors born between 1915 and 1996. Of these 26, 22 (84.62%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Filipino actors include Lou Diamond Phillips, Reggie Lee, and Lea Salonga. The most famous deceased Filipino actors include Brenda Marshall, Fernando Poe Jr., and Madam Auring. As of April 2024, 10 new Filipino actors have been added to Pantheon including Madam Auring, Eddie Garcia, and Dolly de Leon.