Benny from “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano,” Popoy from “My Papa Pi,” Mang Jess or Lods from “Rewind.”
Here are just three of the admired roles of Pepe Herrera on television and film in the past decade that he has been in the mainstream media, through which he has been able to further showcase his undeniable acting and comedic chops.
And from portraying mostly fictional and sidekick roles, he’s about to take on some of the iconic and popular local and international artists as one of the talented celebrity performers of the brand new season of “Your Face Sounds Familiar.”
But before we get to see him go full-on serious mode as he transforms into various personalities, or perhaps even bring laughter and good vibes to everyone, let us get to know first “The Theater Rak-Star" a bit more via these fun facts about him that you may not have heard of yet.
He is originally a theater actor
Before many loved him for his remarkable onscreen portrayals, Pepe actually started his acting career as a theater actor.
During his “Tao Po” interview in 2024, he revealed that he actually used to work as a waiter and a singer on a cruise ship, where he was first struck by the so-called “acting bug.” Regularly watching the performances of the “Show Team,” usually of various musical excerpts, had gradually made him realize that it was what he really wanted to do in life.
Thus, when he came back to the Philippines, he auditioned for different plays until he got accepted—one of which being the well-loved “Rak of Aegis,” It was through his portrayal of Tolits that veteran actress and media executive Charo Santos noticed him, after she was apparently impressed by his whistle version of the official soundtrack of her program, “Maalaala Mo Kaya.”
Little did he know that that simple act would open a lot of doors for him in showbiz, as he was offered the opportunity to be part of ABS-CBN's prestigious talent arm, Star Magic. He grabbed it since he saw it as a realization of his dream to be able to perform in various platforms and was immediately cast in the 2014 hit primetime series, “Forevermore.”
Pepe went on to appear in a slew of TV shows and movies since then, which include “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano,” “The Killer Bride,” “My Papa Pi,” “The Iron Heart,” and the Philippine adaptation of the Korean drama “What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim.”
In 2024, he won the “Best Supporting Actor” award at the first-ever Manila International Film Festival held in Los Angeles, California, for his portrayal of Lods in the Star Cinema movie, “Rewind.”
He has been passionate about singing ever since he was a kid
Aside from his being a comedian or jester, Pepe shared that another thing that has been innate in him is his passion for music.
He recounted how he started singing when he was still a young boy. Thus, he’s grateful that his beloved mom supported him when he pursued the Conservatory of Music at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) and graduated cum laude. He initially took up Fine Arts, but his mom advised him to pursue what he thought he would enjoy, believing that opportunities would follow.
Knowing how unpredictable the field of entertainment can be, Pepe decided to take up a Bachelor of Music in Music Education as well, which allowed him to teach for half a year.
He joined the “Tawag ng Tanghalan Celebrity Champions”
From simply showing his acting and comedic chops through the teleseryes and movies that he starred in, Pepe had the chance to showcase his talent in singing when he joined the “Tawag ng Tanghalan Celebrity Champions” in 2019.
He may not have won the special edition of the competition, yet he was able to amuse us and make us groove to his rendition of Tropical Depression’s iconic hit “Kapayapaan.”
Is Pepe Herrera’s extensive and impressive experience in performing to be his advantage in “Your Face Sounds Familiar”? Well, that’s for us to see, so you better watch out for his transformations and performances every weekend night on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), A2Z and TV5 beginning this October 4 and 5!