Echo celebrates 20 years in showbiz

MANILA, Philippines – It has been a fruitful 20 years for Jericho Rosales in the entertainment industry.

People first got a glimpse of Jericho (or Echo to showbiz folks) as a contestant in Mr. Pogi, a talent search in the noontime show Eat, Bulaga. After winning the title, Jericho went on to explore the world of acting and he eventually found a home on ABS-CBN when he became part of Star Magic’s Star Circle Batch 4 in 1997. Echo has his charms that earned him a fan base in Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia and South Africa because of his teleserye Pangako Sa Yo with Kristine Hermosa. He also starred with iconic Malaysian artists Aaron Azia and Tiz Zaqyah Razak in Kusinero, a TV series shown in Malaysia’s Astro Musika HD 134 channel.

From a teen idol, Echo eventually transitioned into a hunk dramatic actor and became part of the ASAP boy group Hunks alongside Piolo Pascual, Diether Ocampo, Carlos Agassi and Bernard Palanca. He was able to express his musical side and this led him in having a singing career with his band Jeans. Because of his popularity in Asia, especially in Malaysia, Jericho even did his band’s album launch in Kuala Lumpur. He launched his first album with his band titled Loose Fit in 2006 followed by a self-titled album. Change and Korona albums were released in the market.

As a serious actor, Echo continued to make quality television shows and movies. He did the remake of Fernando Poe Jr.’s Panday and the Koreanovela Green Rose. He also did another soap with Kristine titled Dahil May Isang Ikaw, which got nominated Best Telenovela in the International Emmys and New York Film Festivals in 2011. He did Kahit Isang Saglit, which was partly shot in Malaysia and also starred Malaysian actress Carmen Soo.

He won Best Drama Actor in the 26th Star Awards for TV for Dahil Sa Pag-ibig. He got several nominations for his works in various award-giving bodies including FAMAS, Star Awards for Movies, Golden Screen and Metro Manila Film Festival. His film Alagwa (Breakaway) won in film festivals around the world and recognized as the Most Outstanding Achievement in Film Acting Award at the 2013 Newport Beach Film Festival. Most notable are his awards for Best Actor for the said film in the country’s respected award-giving bodies Gawad Urian and FAMAS in 2013. The most recent Best Actor Award he received is for the movie Walang Forever in the 41st Metro Manila Film Festival.

The hashtag #JerichoRosales was all over social media because of his superb performance in #WalangForever. “Everyone must know how great of an actor Jericho Rosales is,” netizen Paula Baluyan said.

Cinema Bravo shared on his blog: “When was the last time Jericho Rosales wowed us with organic acting? If you’ve never appreciated just how natural Echo was before, this film really underscored that. You knew he was having fun, and his take on being a typical lead for a rom-com was unique.”

Following his Best Actor in MMFF, another project is already in the works and more endorsements are lined up for Echo.

In his 20 years in the business, Echo sees himself doing what he loves to do. “My heart is full. I’m more inspired to do more projects. I know its cliché but I am really grateful to all who supported me. The support I’m getting continues to spark the passion that I have for this industry.”