Filipino Celebrities who made it Big in 2013 (Part 1 of 2)

However, there were those who, just like in The Hunger Games, had the odds in their favor this 2013. Thus, here are the Filipino celebrities who made a huge splash this year. While this list is in no particular order, for sure these showbiz figures found much order to their careers.

Though small in stature, this eight-year-old child from Pampanga became hugely popular thanks to a string of movies, television shows, awards and product endorsements. Her biggest achievement this year is having her own talk show entitled “The Ryzza Mae Show” which makes her the youngest talk show host in Philippine television. Besides that and Eat Bulaga, she is also a mainstay in the sitcom “Vampire ang Daddy ko” with Vic Sotto.

On the big screen, she will appear in “My Little Bossings” with Sotto, Kris Aquino and her son Bimby. Her charming personality also scored her endorsements with Mister Donut, Tang, Mega Sardines and El Real to name a few. She also raked recognition from the Yahoo! OMG Awards as Child Star of the Year, the EdukCircle Awards as Best Talk Show Host and the Star Awards for Television as Best Celebrity Talk Show Host and Best Comedy Actress.

Ever since her breakthrough role as Marimar, Marian Rivera has never left the limelight. With that in mind, 2013 is one of her brightest years career-wise. She served as co-host in the revival of “Extra Challenge” and she endeared herself as Angeline and Chantal in the television series “Temptation of Wife”. She also scored big in the box office this year by having four movies: “Dance of the Steelbars”, “Ekstra”, “My Lady Boss” and “Kung Fu Divas”.

As for recognition, she was once again hailed as the sexiest woman in the Philippines via the 100 Sexiest Women in the Philippines list by FHM Magazine. She also garnered acting awards for her role as Angeline from the PMPC Star Awards for Television and as Amaya from the Golden Screen TV awards. She also garnered various awards from Yahoo! OMG, Anak TV Awards and as the 14th most trusted female celebrity endorser from StratPolls. 

This was also the year that she broke through the Asian television scene as she was nominated as Best Actress for a Lead Role in the Asian Television Awards. In Vietnam, she was also regarded as the Best Foreign Artist Face of the Year by Today TV and SNTV. From a highly successful year, her string of good luck will not be broken come early 2014 for she is set to play the lead role in GMA 7’s “Carmela”.

From dramatically serving dishes in the commercials of a Chinese fast food chain, Richard Yap has served his acting prowess especially through the highly popular series “Be Careful with my Heart”. He has endeared himself to Filipinos as Richard Lim, a firm businessman with a soft heart. This character won him this year’s Star Awards for Television’s Best Drama Actor title. His success also translated to endorsements with Manulife, Family’s Brand Sardines and Rebisco.

Why would you be shy if you have the voice like his? That’s exactly what he started to exude when he joined “The Voice of the Philippines” and was mentored by Ms. Lea Salonga. The former band vocalist who has worked in several countries took the stage with his powerful voice that left audiences in awe. It’s no wonder that he won the competition, took home a million pesos and gained a few more prizes from his victory. However, success hasn’t stopped for him because he will be a host in “It’s Showtime”.

Their portrayal as Vincent Soriano and Eric del Mundo in “My Husband’s Lover” created a lot of societal buzz that ranges from the affirmative to the confidential. But regardless of the reactions from liberal and conservative Filipinos, these roles set their careers straight this year. Before Rodriguez landed this role, he also appeared in a few episodes of “Be Careful with my Heart” as Jeff Macavinta. He also appeared in five movies this year: “My Lady Boss”, “Ekstra”, “Bekikang”, “Gaydar” and “Let’s Take a Chance”.’

Meanwhile, Trillo had a relatively quiet year as compared to his 2012 campaign wherein he appeared in shows such as “Biritera”, “Temptation of Wife” and “Legacy”. Yet, his gay role brought tons of attention for him this year. With their charming personalities and commendable singing voices, their success translated into the recording studio via an album aptly named TomDen. They also became endorsers of huge brands like Bench and MyPhone to name a few. Just as they portrayed their love for each other, the love that they get from viewers brought their careers to monumental heights.