John Arcilla

Romeo Gonzales Arcilla (born June 24, 1966), known professionally as John Arcilla, is a Filipino actor. Arcilla won Best Actor awards at the 78th Venice International Film Festival and the Gawad Urian Awards for his performance in On the Job: The Missing 8. He is the first Filipino and Southeast Asian to win the Volpi Cup for Best Actor. He played the role of Antonio Luna in the historical drama film Heneral Luna, Hagorn in the fantasy drama television series Encantadia, and Renato Hipolito in the action drama television series FPJ's Ang Probinsyano. Personal life John Arcilla was born in Quezon City, Philippines to Filipino parents, Dominador Gil Alemania Arcilla and Eustaquia Gonzales. Arcilla and his family moved to his mother's hometown in Baler, Aurora due to the declaration of martial law in 1972. Arcilla began to show interest in acting at age 7. Education Arcilla finished high school at Mount Carmel College of Baler (MCC Baler). He was a member of the community based Philippine Educational Theater Association-Metropolitan Teen Theater League (PETA-MTTL) during his high school days. He graduated as a scholar of mass communication from Saint Joseph's College of Quezon City (SJCQC). He was an acting scholar of the Actors Workshop Foundation under Laurice Guillen, Johnny Delgado, and Leo Martinez from 1987 to 1990. Career Arcilla joined Dulaang UP (1988–1989) through the stage director and National Artist for Theater Tony Mabesa. In 1989–1990, Arcilla was a casting director for Foote, Cone & Belding. In 1990–1991, Arcilla became one of the pioneer members of the Actors Company of the Cultural Center of the Philippines via the Tanghalang Pilipino from 1991 to 1997. The Tanghalang Pilipino is the resident theater company of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). He played the lead roles in several plays, including Orosman and Zafira, Walang Sugat, and Ryan Cayabyab's Rizal musical trilogy: El Filibusterismo (1993), Noli Me Tángere (1995), and Illustrado (1996).