From being that cute and charming teenage boy who first came to public consciousness by joining a male pageant of a noontime variety show in 1996—which he eventually won—Jericho Rosales has indeed become one of the biggest and brightest stars in the local entertainment scene.
Over the past three decades, he has consistently astounded us with his versatile and dramatic performances in the Kapamilya television programs that he has starred in, some of which were even broadcast in different countries around the world. Thus, he has become immensely popular not just here in the Philippines but even in other nations, earning him the title "Asian Drama King."
As he marks his 30th anniversary in showbiz this 2026, Jericho remains unstoppable in bringing good stories and remarkable characters to life, as well as in fascinating us with his compelling and notable portrayals, as he headlines the suspense-filled thriller "The Loyalty Game" alongside his reel-and-real-time partner Janine Gutierrez.
But before we get to witness the expanded version of the controversial series titled "The Loyalty Game: Level Up" in its TV airing and iWant streaming, let's revisit first some of Jericho's notable teleserye stints that showcased his range and versatility as an actor in this episode of Kapamilya Spotlight.
After winning a male pageant at the age of 17, he was launched by ABS-CBN's talent arm Star Magic the following year as part of the fourth batch of Star Circle. He made his soap opera debut via the Judy Ann Santos-starrer "Esperanza" in 1997, where he played Buboy, the love interest of the titular character's younger sister Cecille, portrayed by his past on-and-offscreen partner Angelika Dela Cruz.
He then became part of the horror fantasy series "!Oka Tokat" from 1998 to 2000 as one of its main cast members, Jeremy Tobias, as well as of the weekly family drama "Ang Munting Paraiso" from 1999 to 2002 as Alberto Dionisio, one of the children of the Dionisio family. It was in the latter where Jericho was paired for the first time with Kristine Hermosa, who eventually became his reel-and-real-life sweetheart, too.
What started as an onscreen pairing would eventually become one of the most beloved tandems in Philippine television. Jericho and Kristine's undeniable chemistry deeply resonated with viewers, earning them a loyal following and leading to their casting as the main stars of the iconic romance drama "Pangako Sa 'Yo." As Angelo Buenavista and Yna Macaspac, the pair became a household name and captured the hearts of audiences both in the Philippines and abroad. The series ran from 2000 to 2002 and was followed by their starring roles in "Sana'y Wala Nang Wakas," where he charmed viewers as the rich and handsome heir Christian throughout its airing from 2003 to 2004.
In 2005, the seasoned heartthrob got to prove that he's not only good at drama and romance but also in comedy and drama. He started the year with the sitcom "Bora" as the happy-go-lucky surfer named Alon, then got himself busy working on the fantasy action series "Carlo J. Caparas' Ang Panday," the TV adaptation of the legendary comic and movie series of the same title for the latter part of 2005 up to 2006. He got to flex his action-star muscles as the titular role named Tristan and was paired with Heart Evangelista.
Jericho was then cast in the 2007 musical drama series "Pangarap Na Bituin," where he endeared himself to the audiences as Terrence Rodriguez, a handsome and talented rockstar who's the love interest of Emerald Gomez, one of the lead characters played by Sarah Geronimo.
The following year, he went on to work opposite Malaysian actress Carmen Soo for the romance drama "Kahit Isang Saglit," taking on the role of Rocky Santillan, a PDEA agent who crossed paths with Carmen's character, Garie, while taking on an important assignment in Malaysia.
Apparently, 2009 was a busy year for the Asian Drama King because he didn't just star in one but two primetime series.
He initially appeared in "I Love Betty La Fea," the Philippine adaptation of the popular Colombian telenovela with almost the same title, as Aldo, the cheeky man who helped the titular character when she got adrift at a shore in Batangas by taking her into his home.
It was followed by his stint as top lawyer Miguel Ramirez in the romance and legal drama "Dahil May Isang Ikaw," which served as his reunion project with former on-and-offscreen partner Kristine Hermosa years after their last teleserye together.
The seasoned actor went on to headline the 2011 series "Green Rose," the Philippine adaptation of the 2005 South Korean drama series of the same title, where he got to work with Anne Curtis as his leading lady and play lead character Jerome Delgado. That same year, he had a brief yet significant stint in the inspirational series “100 Days To Heaven," captivating viewers as the mysterious Tagabantay, who took on the guise of a security guard.
As his career continued to progress, Jericho continued to embrace more complex and unconventional characters. In the 2012 political romance drama "Dahil Sa Pag-ibig," he found himself entangle in a complicated love triangle with Piolo Pascual and Cristine Reyes. Two years later, viewers loved to hate him in “The Legal Wife” as Adrian de Villa, the unfaithful husband of Angel Locsin's character Monica who ruined not just the family they were starting to build, but also her friendship with her longtime best friend, Nicole (Maja Salvador).
From being the object of a love triangle, Jericho eventually found himself the one vying for someone's affection in the 2015 romance drama "Bridges of Love." He portrayed Gael, a successful and sough-after engineer willing to do everything to win over his greatest love, Mia (Maja), even though it meant having to go against his own brother, Carlos (Paulo Avelino).
His character in his next series "Magpahanggang Wakas" (2016) seemed to go through the same fate, as Waldo del Mar had to also fight for the greatest love of his life, Aryann (Arci Muñoz).
After more than a year of taking a break from doing series, Jericho made the waiting of his fans and Kapamilya viewers truly worth it through his compelling portrayal of betrayed husband Lino Bartolome in the highly controversial series "Halik" (2018-2019). His notable performance in this iconic "kabit serye" further cemented his reputation for bringing layered and deeply flawed characters to life.
Five years since his last teleserye, Jericho made a remarkable comeback in the 2024 series "Lavender Fields." He played Tyrone de Vera, who was the root cause of the conflict between two women he loved so much—his wife Iris (Janine Gutierrez) and his other woman Jasmin (Jodi Sta. Maria).
And this 2026, for sure, many viewers have and will once again find themselves even more impressed with Jericho as he takes on the role of Ben Santos, a philandering husband whose loyalty is put to the test by his wife, Ana (Janine Gutierrez), with the help of a group of loyalty testers she would hire.
What secrets does Ben hide beneath his seemingly perfect facade? Will he fall into the trap of the loyalty testers and be caught by his wife? Or will he manage to stay one step ahead and escape?
Let's all find out by following the intriguing, interweaved stories of Ben, Ana, and the loyalty testers in the expanded version of "The Loyalty Game: Level Up," starting October 5 on ABS-CBN sa ALLTV2, A2Z, TV5, Kapamilya Channel, and Kapamilya Online Live (KOL). It will also be available on TFC, and iWant users can stream the episodes seven days ahead of their television airing.
“The Loyalty Game: Level Up” unlocks new scenes, untold stories on free TV, and iWant this October 5
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