Top 10 Leading Men in Philippine Entertainment

Let's move on from the Top 10 Leading Ladies, to who I consider to be the Top 10 Leading Men of Philippine Entertainment. For some odd reason, this was a tougher ranking duty. One, there are more male leads than ladies. Two, the eras aren't as clear cut, as many of the actors are able to still carry movies to success, so ages range from the early twenties to the early thirties. Lastly, there is some level of parity after the top three because most are either new to the business or they may be old but are experiencing a resurgence in popularity. To whittle down the list, I'll exclude Aga Muhlach and Robin Padilla and grant them the status of being "In Their Own League."

My criteria remain the same. I look at movies starred in, teleseryes, where they were central to the story, how successful these projects were in terms of box office earnings, buzz, critical acclaim and of course, ratings. The last component would be endorsements held, as this exhibits their crossover appeal, meaning they are not just known by Kapamilyas or Kapusos exclusively. I definitely put greater weight on recent success than past success. Having said that, I made sure I referenced the past, as well.

1. John Lloyd Cruz
The Why: He's leading the pack with a bevy of endorsement deals, numerous box-office hits, and starring roles in high rating teleseryes. He slowly transformed himself to a bankable leading man from his days as Rovic in Tabing Ilog. His success was tied to the Bea Alonzo-John Lloyd love team, but with the success of the Sarah Geronimo-John Lloyd love team, one has to consider already that he might just have needed flexibility to be able to carry a film on his own. It's good that he's mixing up his projects, and trying to improve and extend his acting skills more and more.
The brands that trust his star power: Lucky Me Pancit Canton, 555 Tuna, Sta. Lucia Properties, Biogesic, Greenwich Pizza, Purefoods Tender Juicy Hotdogs, Swatch, Joel Cruz Perfume and Body Care, Chocolava
Hit Movies: Miss You Like Crazy, In My Life, You Changed My Life, A Very Special Love, One More Chance, Dubai, Now That I Have You
Hit Teleseryes: I Love Betty La Fea, Maging Sino Ka Man, Ikaw Ang Lahat Sa Akin, It Might Be You, Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay

2. Piolo Pascual
The Why: A few years ago, one could probably say Piolo Pascual would've been the numero uno leading man. But since this is a list made in 2010, one has to consider the lack of recent successful projects to back this claim. At the same time, even with the lack of success his extreme popularity among women despite rumors that hound him is a testament to the brand that he's built for himself. To be fair, his career seems to be in another upswing, but I wonder if he'd be able to recapture the magic he had with Judy Ann Santos that made him a household name in the industry and at the same time, made so many fans scream and shell out money to watch their movies.
The brands that trust his star power: BDO, Belo Medical Group, Bench, Century Bangus, Centrum, Century Properties, Smart, Timex
Hit Movies: Don't Give Up On Us, Milan, Till There Was You, Dekada '70, Kahit Isang Saglit
Hit Teleseryes: Lovers In Paris, Lobo, Sa Piling Mo, Sa Puso Ko Iingatan Ka, Kahit Isang Saglit, Esperanza

For the rest of the list, click Read More!


3. Dingdong Dantes
The Why: Dingdong didn't start out as the star. Like the other two in the top three, he slowly built his way to the top and then all of a sudden, everything started to click. He became the biggest male star of GMA, and built this strong male image, whom women would love to fall in love with. Like John Lloyd, he relies heavily on the love team model. It helps that his current girlfriend and screen partner, Marian Rivera garners the same (or even more!) positive response from Filipinos.
The brands that trust his star power: Belo Medical Group, Bench, Goldilocks, Gran Matador, National Bookstore, San Marino, San Mig Light, TM
Hit Movies: You To Me Are Everything, Kimmy Dora: Kambal sa Kiyeme
Hit Teleseryes: Stairway to Heaven, Dyesebel, Marimar, Atlantika, Encantadia, Etheria

4. Richard Gutierrez
The Why: Without the necessary research, he probably would rank lower. But the results of his work speak for themselves. He's been quite successful in movies, even with the different leading ladies each movie had. This definitely bolsters his credentials to the title of top leading man in the Philippines. As for his teleseryes, they've been hit or miss. Some blew everyone out of the water, but the more recent ones while successful, haven't replicated his earlier work's success. It'll be interesting to see how he does in hosting Survivor Philippines. He's got pretty big shoes to fill and I don't think he's ever done this kind of hosting ever.
The brands that trust his star power: Bench, Emperador, Flawless, MET
Hit Movies: When I Met U, My Bestfriend's Girlfriend, The Promise, I Will Always Love You, Let The Love Begin, Sigaw
Hit Teleseryes: Full House, Zorro, Codename: Asero, Sugo, Mulawin

5. Gerald Anderson
The Why: Gerald is the other half of the most popular love team right now, Kimerald, if you've been living under a bush. The only way for this young actor is up. I'm sure ABS-CBN is trying to test his leading man status in movies and in his new shows. The love team experienced great success in landing big commercial endorsements, such as Enervon, Whisper and currently, Nescafe. What surprises me though, is that he lacks the movies to bolster his leading man status right now. But he does compensate with the TV projects he doesn't to run out of. The future looks bright for Gerald, as more will definitely bank on this action star image he's positioning himself in.
The brands that trust his star power: Bench, Clear, Dermablend, DGC Paint and Body Shop. Monde Voice, Nescafe, Payless, Smart/Sandbox
Hit Movies: Paano Na Kaya
Hit Teleseryes: Kung Tayo'y Magkakalayo, Tayong Dalawa, My Girl, Sana Maulit Muli

6. Jericho Rosales
The Why: He was once the King of Teleseryes and Kristine Hermosa his Queen. But once that love team ended, he's had a bevy of hit or miss projects. His version of Panday only received a lukewarm response from the audience. Recently though, he's started the journey back to the top. His recent legal drama was a hit. He's been bagging more endorsement deals and is definitely on his way to reclaim that matinee idol title he once held. It helps his cause that he's quite popular in other Asian countries because of "Pangako Sa'yo" and he probably knows better now.
The brands that trust his star power: Chowking Orange Chicken, Extra Joss, Mint Clothing, Skyflakes Fit, Water Plus
Hit Movies: Nasaan Ka Man, Santa Santita, Noon at Ngayon, Ngayong Nandito Ka, Kailangan Kita, Forevermore, Bagong Buwan, Tanging Yaman
Hit Teleseryes: Dahil May Isang Ikaw, Pangarap Na Bituin, Sana'y Wala Nang Wakas, Pangako Sa'yo

7. Sam Milby
The Why: Another guy that came from that yellow and blue house, Sam Milby is an interesting case. For one, he's gained success even though he speaks really bad Filipino. His first love team was with Toni Gonzaga, and then moved to Anne Curtis, who at some point became his real life girlfriend. Currently, he's starring in an afternoon drama with Maja Salvador. He might just be another "Universal Leading Man" in the making. As to what kind of brand he wants to be, it's not as clear cut. His recent endorsements point to a more upper class target market. But one thing is clear, he's on an upswing right now with an upcoming primetime show with Sarah Geronimo and Coco Martin.
The brands that trust his star power: Belo Medical Group, Dermablend, Folded & Hung, Samsung
Hit Movies: Babe, I Love You, And I Love You So, My Big Love, You Are The One
Hit Teleseryes: Maging Sino Ka Man, Dyosa, Only You

8. Derek Ramsay
The Why: Dubbed as the "Universal Leading Man," Derek Ramsay sits comfortably in his healthy and hot category that Piolo Pascual has been positioning himself in, as well. It's funny that he's probably the only guy in this list, who doesn't use the love team angle. What he's been known to do though, is to take his shirt off as much as possible and show off his built body, which the women and gays adore. In the next couple of years, depending on how well he improves his acting, he's poised to climb the ladder of stardom. And there is little doubt that he'll lose out on endorsements now with brands looking towards a more healthy and active lifestyle type of campaign.
The brands that trust his star power: Century Tuna, Lucky Me Lomi, Nesvita, Oxygen, San Miguel Beer
Hit Movies: And I Love You So, I Love You, Goodbye,
Hit Teleseryes: Habang May Buhay, The Wedding, Ysabella

9. Coco Martin
The Why: Coco Martin's star is rising. He's not the typical movie star to say the least. He's starred mostly in indie films, playing off beat roles. It was only recently that he started transitioning to mainstream television and soon, to movies too. But of the two teleseryes he's starred in, he definitely stands out among the lead actors. He plays the antagonist quite well, and there is that humanity that is sometimes lost with less skillful actors that he's able to pull off regularly.
The brands that trust his star power: Bench, Cossack Blue,WOW Ulam
Hit Movies: Noy, Kinatay, Serbis, Jay, Masahista
Hit Teleseryes: Kung Tayo'y Magkakalayo, Tayong Dalawa

10. Dennis Trillo
The Why: I had trouble placing Dennis Trillo. His recent shows in GMA's Telebabad have been weak (Does Adik Sa'yo ring a bell?). The Dingdong-Marian tandem is definitely helping him in their current teleserye. He was once the go-to-guy of his network, but most probably his initial reticence in manning up and admitting his child with Carlene turned off viewers. On the other hand, maybe this new girlfriend in real life might just jumpstart his career again.
The brands that trust his star power: Aficionado, Generoso, Nescafe
Hit Movies: Mano Po, Aishite Imasu 1941: Mahal Kita
Hit Teleseryes: Gagambino, Zaido: Pulis Pangkalawakan, Super Twins, Majika, Etheria, Darna, Mulawin

Waiting in the Wings: Aljur Abrenica, Diether Ocampo, Enchong Dee, Geoff Eigenmann, Jake Cuenca, Luis Manzano
In A League Of Their Own: Aga Muhlach, Robin Padilla

I'm sure you have your own ranking, what does it look like? Happy ranking and listing everyone!

P.S. Don't worry too much if I didn't list all their endorsements.