Every superstar had a first job, a first audition, and an awkward early photo they’d rather you didn’t see. The Filipino entertainment industry is full of these arcs — child performers who grew into leading actors, contest hopefuls who became household names, and unknowns discovered in the most ordinary places. Here are ten “then and now” journeys worth revisiting.
1. Niño Muhlach — the original “Child Wonder”
The box-office “Child Wonder” of 1970s and 80s Philippine cinema, and long cited as the highest-paid child actor in its history. Decades on, Muhlach stayed in the business as a producer and occasional actor — and watched a new generation of the Muhlach name rise after him.
2. Camille Prats — the ’90s kid who never left TV
A star of the sketch show Ang TV and the beloved title role in Sarah… Ang Munting Prinsesa, Prats was one of the defining child faces of the 90s. Today she’s still a familiar presence on Philippine television as a host and actress.
3. Kathryn Bernardo — from Goin’ Bulilit to box-office royalty
Bernardo joined the children’s gag show Goin’ Bulilit in 2006 and graduated in 2008. From there she became one of the country’s biggest teleserye and film stars, half of a record-breaking on-screen love team.
4. Sarah Geronimo — the talent-show teen who became a pop icon
In March 2003, a 14-year-old Sarah Geronimo won Star for a Night singing Celine Dion’s “To Love You More.” She went on to become one of the Philippines’ most successful recording artists — the “Popstar Royalty.”
5. Andrea Brillantes — the child actress turned young mogul
Brillantes rose to fame in the 2013 remake of Annaliza and cemented it as the villainous Marga in Kadenang Ginto. Still young, she’s become one of her generation’s most-followed stars and a busy young businesswoman.
6. Billy Crawford — the child performer who went international
Crawford started as a kid on the variety show That’s Entertainment before his family moved to the US, where his singing career took off internationally. He later returned as a popular TV host back home.
7. Angelica Panganiban — the child actress turned leading lady
On screen since she was a small child in the early 90s, Panganiban grew up in the industry and became one of the most bankable comedic and dramatic leading actresses of her generation.
8. Julia Montes — the Goin’ Bulilit graduate turned dramatic star
Another alumna of Goin’ Bulilit, Montes traded child comedy for heavy drama, earning a reputation as one of the most respected serious actresses to come out of that child-star generation.
9. Matet de Leon — the ’80s child star still working today
A prominent child star of the 1980s and the daughter of a screen legend, de Leon never really left the industry — quietly building a long career in supporting roles that continues to this day.
10. Mikee Cojuangco — the child actress who became a champion athlete
One of the most unusual arcs on this list: a popular young actress in the 80s who pivoted to equestrian sport, won an individual gold medal at the 2002 Asian Games, and later became a respected sports official.
The common thread
Different starts, same middle: years of work between the “then” and the “now.” The awkward early photos aren’t embarrassing — they’re the receipts of how far these careers actually traveled.
