Some media outlets reported that Cedrick Juan, the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival best actor awardee for playing Fr. Jose Burgos in GomBurZa, was a newcomer. 

The staff of those media outlets must have been hiding under a rock. Juan has been appearing in the movies and on TV since 2013. Before that, he was acting on stage at Far Eastern University where he finished Communications in 2011, and, later, in Dulaang UP theater productions. He is not a greenhorn as an actor.

His first TV appearance in 2013 was in an episode of the drama anthology Wagas on GMA News TV. He seemed to have played the lead in that episode, but lead roles would be scarce for him, especially in the movies. 

One of his first movie parts was in 2016's Die Beautiful, where he played one of the gay guys, named "Erika." The film's big stars were Paolo Ballesteros and Christian Bables, with Jun Lana directing the film.

Juan also appeared in Alvin Yapan's Oro, an entry in the 2016 MMFF. 

'Hottest' role

Before the MMFF entry Gomburza landed on Juan's lap through auditions with director Pepe Diokno and the Jesuit Communications producers, Juan's "hottest" role was as the third guy in the boys' threesome film Two and One, for the Vivamax streaming platform. 

In it, a gay couple bored with their sex life agrees to take in a third guy. Juan was that third guy. 

The film, helmed by Andrew Payawal (also behind the hit BL series Gameboys), is so far the only movie Juan has done for Vivamax.

In August, Juan also appeared in Huling Palabas, shown at the Cinemalaya Film Festival at the Philippine International Convention Center. 

He has been in a number of Jun Lana films. In the internationally acclaimed Kalel 15, a movie topbilled by Elija Canlas, Juan played a drug addict and bad influence on the 15-year-old boy portrayed by the luminous Elijah.

But for all those appearances, the level-headed Juan knew he was still hardly known in mainstream showbiz. He was the only winner in the 27 December MMFF awards rites who began his thank-you speech by introducing himself. He mentioned that he is like "Kuya JC" (Santos, the best supporting actor winner for Mallari), who also started in theater where actors learn discipline and giving justice to a role no matter how small.

(In Santos' thank-you speech, he acknowledged Dulaang UP's late founder Tony Mabesa as his primary mentor in theater acting. Santos was a UP Theater Arts student, while Mabesa was posthumously honored this year as the latest National Artist for Theater.) 

Juan and Santos appeared together in 2013 in Dulaang UP's Adarna, a reimagined adaptation of Ibong Adarna directed by Jose Estrella.

Juan was well praised by critics when he performed in Sakuntala (2017), an excerpt from the Indian epic Mahabharata. Juan played King Dusyanta, who is deeply in love with Princess Sakuntala. One reviewer said Juan "emanates a majestic presence."

Rare accomplishment

Santos, meanwhile, is an award-winning theater actor. He won the Outstanding Male Lead Performance for Red Turnip's Constellations at the Gawad Buhay in May 2017. In 2020, he was the Best Male Lead honoree for "Tanghalang Pilipino's musical Lam-Ang. It's a rare accomplishment for an actor to win the Gawad Buhay lead acting honors twice.

But Santos' win at the MMFF was actually his very first for movies. 

The lucky guy this time around was Juan, who bested veterans Christopher de Leon, Piolo Pascual, Dingdong Dantes, Alden Richards and Derek Ramsay. 

As in most cases, this year's MMFF jury, headed by filmmaker Chito Roño and actress Lorna Tolentino, did not bother to explain how Juan won over Pascual's portrayal of four characters in Mallari. 

Pascual has a well-noted guest appearance in Gomburza as Fr. Pedro Pelaez, another militant Filipino cleric during the Spanish regime in the country. Juan and Pascual had several scenes together, since the older priest (Pelaez) was the younger one's mentor.

Juan confided in media interviews that he was first asked to audition for the role of the Spanish military officer who quelled the Cavite Mutiny. When Diokno noticed a similarity in the face of Juan and Fr. Burgos, the actor was made to read for the role. That's how he was cast as Fr. Burgos.

With his win over veteran and seasoned actors at MMFF 2023, Juan should audition next for roles in international films. The guy is just 33 years old. That's young enough to make hay for an international career.