From joining his mom, seasoned actress Maricel Laxa, in a TV commercial for a popular breakfast cereal when he was still a kid, Donny Pangilinan went on to completely follow in the footsteps of his mother in showbiz, the same world where many of their kin have also been thriving.
Despite being the son of well-known personalities Maricel and Anthony Pangilinan, Donny has managed to carve his own path and establish his own identity in the entertainment industry, proving his talent and dedication over the eight years he has been an artista.”
And this 2025, he’s completely breaking away from his princely charm as he enters his action star era via the upcoming ABS-CBN Studios action series, “Roja.” But before we get to see Donny in a different light, let us first look back on his previous television acting stints through the years in this Kapamilya Spotlight feature.
His foray into the local entertainment scene began with his guest appearances in various shows of ABS-CBN in 2016, until he became a regular host of “ASAP” and a video jock (or VJ) of the music channel “MYX.” Two years later, he officially became a Star Magic talent, with Charlie Dizon, Daniela Stranner, Anna Luna, and Tony Labrusca among his Star Magic Circle 2018 batchmates.
It was in 2018 when Donny made his TV acting debut via the daytime drama series “Playhouse,” wherein he charmed us as Zeke Domingo, and he was paired with “Pinoy Big Brother Lucky Season 7” alumna Kisses Delavin.
The following year, he appeared in the “Dayuhan” episode of the legal drama anthology “Ipaglaban Mo!,” in which he took on the role of a young balikbayan named Philip, who became the target of a gang due to his status as a foreigner.
In 2021, after taking us to the beautiful country of South Korea and giving us a glimpse of its colorful culture and tradition alongside Robi Domingo, Shine Kuk, and Kristel Fulgar as hosts of the travel program “Aja! Aja! Tayo sa Jeju,” Donny went on to win our hearts as Deib Lohr “Sensui” Enrile, the male lead character in the TV adaptation of the teen romantic comedy series “He’s Into Her.”
His first team-up with his leading lady, former child star Belle Mariano, was indeed a huge hit, which led to the birth of their loveteam called “DonBelle” and to a second season for the well-loved show the following year.
Donny then astounded us with his impressive portrayal of Bingo Mariano in the 2023 primetime series “Can’t Buy Me Love,” which served as his and DonBelle’s first-ever teleserye slated in the weekday primetime slot. He indeed shed his squeaky-clean and well-off image and channeled the street-smart guy in him by dressing up, speaking, and behaving quite differently from how he usually does.
The following year, he and Belle once again set the butterflies in our stomachs aflutter as they starred in the romantic-comedy series “How To Spot A Red Flag.” He truly made not only Belle’s character fall in love with his character, a quirky good guy named Matt Flores whose nose goes red whenever he lies, but also the viewers.
From 2024 to early 2025, he went on to impress us with his eloquence and wisdom that he got to showcase through his appearances in “It’s Showtime” as a guest hurado for the annual “Magpasikat” celebration, in “Pilipinas Got Talent Season 7” as one of the judges, and in “Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Collab Edition” as a houseguest.
And beginning this November 24, Donny is set to impress us with his dramatic and action prowess as he stars in the much-awaited newest teleserye offering of ABS-CBN Studios, “Roja.” He will take on the role of Liam, the head chef at the exclusive La Playa Roja Island Resort, who will be embroiled in a high-profile hostage crisis alongside his best friend-turned-rival Olsen, played by Kyle Echarri.
Are you as excited as us to see Donny in his action star era via “Roja”? Well, you better not miss this action-drama serye once it starts airing on TV via Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL) A2Z, and TV5 on November 24 (Monday) at 8:45 PM.