The Most Famous

ACTORS from Philippines

This page contains a list of the greatest Filipino Actors. The pantheon dataset contains 13,578 Actors, 26 of which were born in Philippines. This makes Philippines the birth place of the 35th most number of Actors behind Taiwan, and Israel.

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. Fernando Poe Jr. (1939 - 2004)

With an HPI of 56.76, Fernando Poe Jr. is the most famous Filipino Actor. His biography has been translated into 20 different languages on wikipedia.

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 from 1955 to 2003. Poe entered the film industry as a stuntman following the death of his father, actor Fernando Poe Sr., and made his film debut in 1955 with Anak ni Palaris, 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 the incumbent 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. He is the father of Senator Grace Poe and actress Lovi Poe.

2. Regine Velasquez (b. 1970)

With an HPI of 55.29, Regine Velasquez is the 2nd most famous Filipino Actor. Her biography has been translated into 32 different languages.

Regina Encarnacion Ansong Velasquez ( rij-EEN vel-ASK-ez; 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 belting technique. She had unorthodox voice training during her childhood, where she was immersed neck-deep in the sea. Velasquez rose to prominence after winning the television talent show Ang Bagong Kampeon in 1984 and the Asia Pacific Singing Contest in 1989. Under the name Chona, she signed a recording contract with OctoArts International in 1986 and released the single "Love Me Again", which was commercially unsuccessful. The following year, she adopted the stage name Regine Velasquez for her debut studio album, Regine (1987), under the guidance of Viva Records executive Vic del Rosario and producer Ronnie Henares. She explored Manila sound and kundiman genres on her second and third studio albums, Nineteen 90 (1990) and Tagala Talaga (1991). After signing an international record deal with PolyGram Records, Velasquez achieved commercial success in some Asian territories with her fifth album Listen Without Prejudice (1994), which sold more than 700,000 copies and became her highest-selling album to date, aided by its lead single "In Love with You". She experimented further with jazz and adult contemporary genres on My Love Emotion (1995), while she recorded covers on Retro (1996). After she left PolyGram to sign with Mark J. Feist's MJF Company in 1998, she released the R&B-influenced album Drawn. Velasquez's follow-up record, R2K (1999), was supported by remakes of "On the Wings of Love", "I'll Never Love This Way Again", and "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing", and was subsequently certified twelve-times platinum by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry (PARI). Velasquez played leading roles in the romantic comedies Kailangan Ko'y Ikaw (2000) and Pangako Ikaw Lang (2001), and received the Box Office Entertainment Award for Box Office Queen for the latter. Her performance as an intellectually disabled woman in an episode of the anthology series Maalaala Mo Kaya (2001) earned her a Star Award for Best Actress. She later starred in the prime time television series Forever in My Heart (2004), Ako si Kim Samsoon (2008), Totoy Bato (2009), Diva (2010), I Heart You, Pare! (2011), and Poor Señorita (2016). Velasquez also won the Golden Screen Award for Best Actress for playing a document forger in the comedy film Of All the Things (2012). She expanded her career into reality television talent shows as a presenter on Star for a Night (2002), Pinoy Pop Superstar (2004), and The Clash (2018), and as a judge on StarStruck (2015) and Idol Philippines (2019). Having sold more than seven million records domestically and 1.5 million in Asia, Velasquez is the best-selling Filipino music artist of all time. Her accolades include two Asian Television Awards, two MTV Asia Awards, 22 Awit Awards, 17 Aliw Awards (including 3 Entertainer of the Year wins), 22 Box Office Entertainment Awards, and 17 Star Awards for Music. Referred to as "Asia's Songbird", she has consistently been credited with inspiring a generation of Filipino singers.

3. Lou Diamond Phillips (b. 1962)

With an HPI of 55.02, Lou Diamond Phillips is the 3rd most famous Filipino Actor. His biography has been translated into 33 different languages.

Louis Diamond Phillips (né Upchurch; born February 17, 1962) is an American actor, director, and writer. His breakthrough came when he starred as Ritchie Valens in the biographical drama film La Bamba (1987). For his performance as Angel David Guzman in Stand and Deliver (1988), he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture and won an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male. 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 A&E/Netflix 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.

4. Brenda Marshall (1915 - 1992)

With an HPI of 54.83, Brenda Marshall is the 4th most famous Filipino Actor. Her biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

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

5. Dolly de Leon (b. 1969)

With an HPI of 54.54, Dolly de Leon is the 5th most famous Filipino Actor. Her biography has been translated into 24 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.

6. Reggie Lee (b. 1975)

With an HPI of 52.83, Reggie Lee is the 6th most famous Filipino Actor. His biography has been translated into 29 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.

7. Nora Aunor (1953 - 2025)

With an HPI of 49.23, Nora Aunor is the 7th most famous Filipino Actor. Her biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Nora Cabaltera Villamayor (May 21, 1953 – April 16, 2025), known professionally as Nora Aunor (Tagalog pronunciation: [aʊˈnɔɾ]), was a Filipino actress, producer and singer. Known for her leading roles with patriotic, feminist and socio-political themes, she has appeared in more than 170 motion pictures throughout her career that spanned over five decades. Regarded as the most awarded Filipino actress in history, she was known as the Philippines' "Superstar" and was conferred as a National Artist of the Philippines for Film and Broadcast Arts in 2022. 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 in 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 was 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 Gawad Urian's Best Actors and Actresses of the Decade in three different decades (1980s, 1990s, and 2010s). She is the first and only Filipino to win the Asian Film Award for Best Actress. She 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. The Hollywood Reporter called her "The Grand Dame of Philippine Cinema" for her performances in the films Taklub (Trap) and Hustisya (Justice).

8. Lea Salonga (b. 1971)

With an HPI of 48.71, Lea Salonga is the 8th most famous Filipino Actor. Her biography has been translated into 41 different languages.

Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga (born February 22, 1971), known professionally as Lea Salonga, is a Filipino singer, actress, and columnist. Recognized by critics and audiences for her powerful, crystalline voice and emotional range, she is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished stage performers of her generation. Over a career spanning more than four decades, she has headlined Broadway and West End productions, appeared in international films and television, released acclaimed recordings, and toured the globe. Salonga began performing in Philippine musical theatre as a child, making her professional debut at age seven. Her international breakthrough occurred in 1989 when she originated the role of Kim in the West End production of Miss Saigon, later reprising her performance in 1991 when the production transferred to Broadway. She continued her Broadway success with standout performances as Éponine and Fantine in Les Misérables (1993, 2007), followed by major roles in Flower Drum Song (2002), Allegiance (2015), Once on This Island (2017), Here Lies Love (2023), and the musical revue Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends (2025). On film, she earned critical acclaim for her roles in Bakit Labis Kitang Mahal (1992) and Sana Maulit Muli (1995). 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). On television, she appeared regularly on That's Entertainment, As the World Turns, and 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. As a recording artist, Salonga began her music career at age ten. Her first album, Small Voice, was released 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) and By Heart (1999). She has headlined sold-out concert tours across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, with notable performances at Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House, the Royal Albert Hall, the London Palladium, the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, and the Dubai Opera. Salonga is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a Laurence Olivier Award (1990), Tony Award (1991), Drama Desk Award (1991), Outer Critics Circle Award (1991), and Theatre World Award (1991), in addition to two Grammy Award nominations (2004, 2019). Often dubbed the "Pride of the Philippines," she is the first Asian actress to win a Tony Award, first Filipino artist to sign with an international record label, and in 2026, she will become the first Filipino artist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. President Corazon Aquino awarded her the Presidential Medal of Merit in 1990, President Gloria Arroyo honored her with the rank of Commander of the Order of Lakandula in 2007, and House of Representatives of the Philippines awarded her with the Congressional Medal of Achievement in 2007.

9. Eddie Garcia (1929 - 2019)

With an HPI of 44.69, Eddie Garcia is the 9th most famous Filipino Actor. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Eduardo "Eddie" Verchez Garcia (Tagalog: [ˈʔɛdi gaɾˈsɪa]; 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 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).

10. Sayaka Akimoto (b. 1988)

With an HPI of 44.30, Sayaka Akimoto is the 10th 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.

People

Pantheon has 26 people classified as Filipino actors born between 1915 and 1996. Of these 26, 21 (80.77%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Filipino actors include Regine Velasquez, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Dolly de Leon. The most famous deceased Filipino actors include Fernando Poe Jr., Brenda Marshall, and Nora Aunor. As of April 2024, 26 new Filipino actors have been added to Pantheon including Fernando Poe Jr., Regine Velasquez, and Lou Diamond Phillips.