The announcement of the 2025 Bar Examination results marked a defining chapter for thousands of aspiring lawyers — and an especially resonant one for Philippine showbiz.

Among the newly-minted members of the bar are two familiar names from film and television: Nico Antonio and Luke Jickain, whose victories reflect years of perseverance beyond the spotlight.

According to the Supreme Court, 5,594 examinees successfully passed the 2025 Bar Exams, joining one of the country’s most competitive professional fields. For Antonio and Jickain, the achievement is more than a credential — it is the culmination of parallel journeys shaped by ambition, sacrifice and long-held dreams.

A role that became reality

Antonio’s celebration was understated yet deeply symbolic. He acknowledged his success online by resharing a congratulatory art card from Quantum Films, which also revealed his full name — Jerico Alonso Antonio — on the official list of passers. The moment resonated strongly with fans: the studio recently produced UnMarry, a Metro Manila Film Festival 2025 entry where Antonio portrayed a lawyer navigating the emotional and legal terrain of annulment.

This time, however, the title was no longer fictional.

From inspiration to achievement

For Jickain, the congratulations arrived from a story that once mirrored his own struggles. The official page of Bar Boys — whose sequel also figured in the MMFF 2025 lineup — celebrated his success, revealing that his real-life experiences in law school inspired the character Joshua Zuñiga, portrayed on screen by Kean Cipriano.

Long before passing the Bar, Jickain made a conscious decision to step away from showbiz to chase a childhood dream. Now employed at the Department of Agriculture, he has expressed his desire to use his legal training to serve farmers and fisherfolk.

In a candid interview, he reflected on the self-doubt that once shadowed his ambition: “To be honest with you, it’s my childhood dream to become a lawyer pero (but) I’m not that confident because I’m not good in class. I’m just that student who gets 75. I’m not an honor student ever since. I’m not the smart guy pero I put my all.”

Beyond the spotlight

Antonio and Jickain’s stories echo a broader shift in Philippine entertainment — one where artists refuse to be boxed into a single identity. Their passage from soundstages to courtrooms underscores the idea that creative careers and academic rigor need not exist in opposition.

As they prepare to take their oath as new lawyers, both men stand as reminders that success can be delayed, detoured and doubted — but never denied to those who persist. Whether framed by klieg lights or courtroom benches, their next chapters now carry the same title: attorney.