Long before heartthrobs like James Reid, Daniel Padilla, and Enrique Gil made fangirls squeal, there were teens Patrick Garcia, Danilo Barrios, Onemig Bondoc, and other 90s matinee idols who stole hearts and ignited kilig in the hearts of hundreds of fangirls.
Check out the list of 90s male celebrities below and relieve your kilig moment if you’re a part of the generation.
Patrick Garcia
Dubbed as ‘Crush ng bayan,’ Patrick joined the entertainment industry at the age of 13 when his older actress sister Cheska Garcia-Kramer persuaded him to try acting. When he auditioned for the 1994 film ‘Separada’, he immediately secured a role. The movie was well-received by critics, and with that, it became an instant hit. Patrick’s status as the newest young heartthrob in the country was also cemented.
He landed many more roles throughout his teenage years, both in movies and soap operas, such as ‘Gimik’, ‘Araw-araw, gabi-gabi‘, and ‘Batang PX’ among others, and received multiple awards.
Miko Samson
One of the hottest teen stars in the 90s, Miko was part of the original cast of the youth-oriented show ‘Gimik’. Like Stefano, Miko also quit showbiz in 2015 to resume his education. He accomplished a degree in Management Engineering and entered Law School. Miko expressed his plans on entering politics but later moved abroad. He attended and graduated law at Columbia University, a private Ivy League research university in New York, in 2017.
John Pratz
Like the previously mentioned heartthrobs, John also began his acting career at an early age. He was part of ABS-CBN’s Star Magic and was a former member of the boy band, JCS.
Throughout his career, John was known for his acclaimed performances in various Philippine television series and movies. Apart from singing and acting, he is also a known dancer and comedian.
Carlo Aquino
Carlo started his acting career as a child actor which eventually rose to popularity as a teen matinee idol during the late 1990s to the early 2000s. During his formative years, he achieved critical recognition for his performance in the 1998 film ‘Bata, Bata… Pa’no Ka Ginawa?‘ alongside with veteran actress Vilma Santos.
Aside from acting, Carlo is also a known musician. He was one-third of the Filipino boy band JCS with John Prats and Stefano Mori, and later the lead singer of the band Kollide.
Stefano Mori
Stefano was the remaining one-third member of the teenage band JCS with Carlo Aquino and John Prats. Aside from being a musician, he was also part of the popular 90s youth-oriented show Ang TV and appeared on several films and television series. During his formative years, he became one of the cast members of TV shows – Flames, Mula Sa Puso, Marinella, and the iconic show Gimik.
However, in 2002, the former child actor decided to leave the entertainment industry reportedly to return to Italy for an undisclosed reason. Since then, he has kept his privacy.
Danilo Barrios
Danilo began his showbiz career as one of the former all-male dance group members, Streetboys. The dance crew was a hit in the 1990s, performing in TV shows and live gigs. Danilo pursued an acting career as the group drifted apart, taking on boy-next-door roles in various projects.
His prominent bushy eyebrows made him standout to teenagers, making him a matinee idol. Throughout his active acting years, he appeared on TV series and films, including Yamashita: The Tiger’s Treasure (2001), Dekada ’70 (2002), Spirit Warriors 2 (2003), Magnifico (2003), Kuya (2004), and Lastikman: Unang Banat (2004).
At present, Danilo has settled down and now has three kids with wife, whom he married in 2013. Together, they manage their pharmacy business.
Paolo Contis
Paolo debuted his acting career as a child actor in a kids-oriented show in the mid-1990s. In his teens, he was cast as one of the main leads in the youth-oriented drama show Tabing Ilog, where he sealed his status as an actor.
Paolo remains active in his career in 2020. He recently appeared in two movies that earned spots on the online streaming platform Netflix. Ang Pangarap kong Holdap and Through Night and Day are two of the most viewed shows in the Philippines despite its low ratings in its initial theatre release in 2018.
Onemig Bondoc
Juan Miguel Bondoc, best known as Onemig, rose to fame after being cast in hit-drama T.G.I.S. in 1995.
Before his acting career, Onemig was initially discovered as a commercial model. At 14, he was the youngest model in the popular Close-up toothpaste advertising campaign. He has done several more T.V. commercials and print ads for some of the country’s most reputable brands.
Marvin Agustin
Marvin Agustin first rose to fame after being cast as one of the original 12 teens in youth-oriented show Gimik. After the show got cancelled, Marvin, along with co-matinee idols Dominic Ochoa and late Rico Yan, was cast as a trio in the sitcom Whattamen, which aired from 2001 to 2004. But the actor was better known for his movies with former love team partner Jolina Magdangal such as “Labs Kita… Okey Ka Lang?” “Hey Babe,” and “FLAMES: The Movie.”
At present, Marvin has pursued a career as a chief and ventured into the industry of restaurateur.
Rico Yan
Rico was still in his senior year as a college student at De La Salle University when he break-through into the entertainment industry. A modelling agency scouted him and saw his potential as a promising commercial model. Not long, Rico began his acting career, immediately catching a large following of fangirls after playing as a boy-next-door role in youth-oriented show Gimik.
He was first paired with actress Judy Ann Santos in the show, before his love team pairing with actress Claudine Barretto in hit TV drama Mula sa Puso.
He played several more roles, securing his spot as one of the most notable leading men in the industry, before his unfortunate death in 2002 due to cardiac arrest.
Eric Fructuoso
A former hip hop dancer, Eric rose to fame in the early 90s as part of the teen boy group ‘Gwapings‘, along with Mark Anthony Fernandez, and Jomari Yllana. He is best known for portraying villain roles.
Diether Ocampo
Like Eric, Diether also started as a dancer in the 90s before ABS-CBN discovered him. He first appeared on screen in the movie adaptation of teen program Ang TV and later as part of the original Gimik cast. He played several more roles before landing in a love pairing with actress Kristine Hermosa in tv series ‘Til Death Do Us Part (2005-2007) and Palimos ng Pag-ibig (2006).
Currently, Diether is serving in the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary as a Lieutenant Commander.
Gio Alvarez
Gio was part of the original cast of youth-oriented show Ang TV in 1992. Prior to that, he was part of the TV drama starring Richard Gomez and Dawn Zulueta in 1991. Gio appeared on more series and films throughout his careers such as Kung Mamahalin Mo Lang Ako (2005), Asian Treasures (2007), and several Maalala Mo Kaya episodes, to name a few.
Cogie Domingo
At 13, Cogie was cast to join ABS-CBN’s Cyberkada in 1993, which kickstarted his showbiz career. He received several more acting roles before landing his most memorable role as a lead in an award-winning Filmfest entry in 2000. Cogie also starred in different TV shows such as Ikaw Lang ang Mamahalin (2001) with Angelika dela Cruz, Kung Mawawala Ka (2002) with Sunshine Dizon, and Bakekang (2006) with Lovi Poe.
Cogie has shifted back-and-forth from one TV network to another throughout his career.
Red Sternberg
Matinee idol Red Sternberg rose to fame as one of the cast members of the teen-oriented show T.G.I.S. Known for his cute smile and adorable way of speaking, Red didn’t fail to make his audiences laugh with his antics as he played the funny man in the sitcom.
In 2002, Red played his last known showbiz role together with co-actors Dingdong Dantes and Tanya Garcia. Then, he married his girlfriend Sandy in 2005 before migrating to Florida, U.S.A.
Today, he remains hidden away from the limelight, living in the States together with his wife and two daughters.
Michael Flores
Dancer-turned-actor Michael Flores first stepped into the limelight as a member of an all-male dance group ‘Manoeuvres‘ in the 90s. Then, he joined the first batch cast of the youth-oriented show T.G.I.S. after the show offered him to audition.
Unfortunately, due to his frequent hair treatment, the matinee idol had gone bald. In an interview with GMA, the actor said the hair loss has affected his career, receiving fewer role offers.
Nevertheless, he continued to become part of the industry, taking on notable roles in Etheria: Ang ikalimang kaharian ng Encantadia (2005), Video King (2002), and Spirits: Reawaken (2018).
Mark Anthony Fernandez
A son of notable actors Rudy Fernandez and Alma Moreno, Mark Anthony rose to prominence when he became part of a teen group ‘Gwapings‘ in the early 90s alongside Jomari Yllana and Eric Fructuoso.
He was featured as a lead star in the 1995 movies Pare Ko, Managrap Ka, and Matimbang Pa sa Dugo. A year after, he received Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor nominations for the three movies mentioned above.
Wowie de Guzman
Apart from his looks, Wowie shot to prominence as the onscreen partner of actress Judy Ann Santos in the hit-teleseryeMara Clara. He began his career as a part of a dance crew, Universal Motion Dancers (UMD), where he gained popularity.
Dino joined the teen-oriented show T.G.I.S. in the late 90s as part of the second batch cast. He was widely known for his role as the hardworking guy and love interest of the character of Kim Delos Santos. Their love pairing rose to fame following the show and their hit movie Ikaw Lamang in 1999.
Dino eventually ended up marrying Kim, however, separated a few years after. He had his showbiz comeback that same year, playing a couple more shows under the Kapuso network before leaving the industry to focus on his personal life.
Dominic Ochoa
Dominic is one of the homegrown talents under Star Magic, who rose to fame after joining the youth-oriented show Gimik in the late 90s. He then became the 1/3 of the ‘Whattamen’ sitcom, alongside Rico Yan and Marvin Agustin in the early 2000s.
Dominic is also widely known for his supporting roles in numerous teleserye and movies, including A Change of Heart (2000), Maalaala Mo Kaya (1991), and Bituing walang ningning (2006), to name a few.
Jomari Yllana
Jomari was one of the four boys who stole hearts in the 90s alongside his ‘Gwapings‘ groupmates Mark Anthony Fernandez, Eric Fructuoso, and Jao Mapa.
In 2016, the former teen actor entered politics and is currently part of the Parañaque City’s First District Council, all while doing freelance as an actor.
Bobby Andrews
Starting as a commercial model, Bobby rose to fame when he teamed up with Angelu de Lion in the famous youth-oriented show T.G.I.S. and its sequel Growing Up in the mid-1990s. After his love pairing with the actress halted, the matinee idol gradually shifted from his boy-next-door roles to playing offbeat characters.
Some of his known appearances include Marina (2004), Encantadia (2005), Zorro remake (2009), Lobo (2007), and FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano (2018), to name a few.
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Who’s your favourite kachupoy cutie? Did we miss any of your crushes? Let us know in the comments below!
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