From fantasy to reality: Nico Antonio goes from movie to real-life lawyer

Actors Nico Antonio and Luke Jickain proved that they’re not just all form, they’ve got substance, too.

Antonio and Jickain navigated through life’s challenges to officially become lawyers after passing the 2025 Bar Exam. 

Interestingly, the two’s dogged zeal in becoming a lawyer manifested in films. Antonio’s passing the Bar Exam came right on the heels of his recent Metro Manila Film Festival entry, Unmarry, where he played a lawyer.

Jickain, it was revealed in a Facebook post for Bar Boys, was the inspiration for Kean Cipriano’s character, Joshua Zuñiga.

Most proud of Antonio’s achievement was mom, Atty. Joji Alonso.

In a social media post, Atty. Alonso shared a photo of her and her three children who are all lawyers.

“I must admit that I didn’t think this day would come. While Nico graduated from law school in 2014, he never took the Bar because he was working on one TV or movie project to the next. Until he was just too busy with work that it wasn’t the priority anymore as he had a family to provide for,” she wrote in the caption.

Alonso added: “About three years ago, he asked for my blessing to take the Bar. I could see the fire in him to overcome one last battle. He enrolled in review classes while working on soap and film projects simultaneously. In fact, the days following the first two days of the Bar Exams, he had to shoot for UnMarry because we needed to finish the film in time for the deadline.” 

Seeing her son’s dogged zeal to really become a lawyer, she volunteered to be part of his Bar operations with his younger brother, Paeng.

“I stayed at the hotel where he stayed to bring him whatever last minute tips we could find. And then, I would drive him to the venue while his wife Angel would fetch him with their two sons, when the exams were over.

“And now this great news has come! I am now a mother to three lawyers!!!”