Not really a new face on TV, Tony Labrusca, 22, is a product of the search Pinoy Boyband Superstar. Though he failed to make it to the top five, his physique and handsome countenance, not to mention his singing talent, had many people noticing him, including talent managers who immediately signed him.
August-born Labrusca (Aug. 7) had also been in the primetime drama La Luna Sangre as the lobo named Jake.
Actually, he could very well be the poster boy of moving on what with his viral TV commercials for a local fast food giant. Despite his venture into acting, performing onstage has always been in Tony’s blood as the son of actor-dancer Boom Labrusca and former Kulay singer Angel Jones. He has especially showcased his singing skills in various guest appearances in ASAP and through his debut single “Tanging Ikaw,” released last year.
With La Luna Sangre over, Tony is looking forward to working with veterans like Eddie Garcia in the future and to continue inspiring other showbiz hopefuls all over the country. And Star Magic will definitely make that happen.
Labrusca joins the other newly signed Star Magic talents, collectively known as 2018 Star Magic Circle.
They are 13 newest faces (including Labrusca) that will turn heads and lead projects in the coming years.
Here is the list of Star Magic talents people should watch out for:
Donny Pangilinan, 20, comes from the known Pangilinan clan in showbiz. He is the eldest son of actor Maricel Laxa and motivational speaker Anthony Pangilinan.
Though he has fans on social media, things took a different turn after his appearance in Magandang Buhay in 2016 with his mother. That led to other guest appearances and other opportunities including endorsements and an offer to become a MYX VJ.
Aside from hosting, Donny also dabbled into singing, which yielded two singles “Did You” and “Different kind of Love.” He is keen on unveiling his acting chops, which will happen very soon in Walwal along with co-Star Magic artists Jerome Ponce and Elmo Magalona, and in the soap Playhouse opposite Kisses Delavin.
Zonia Mejia, 16, broke into mainstream consciousness as a former Pinoy Big Brother 737’s “Blossoming Beauty ng Quezon City” in 2015. Since coming out of the famous yellow house, Zonia has been in a number of shows, like the youth-oriented show LuvU and the afternoon soap The Promise of Forever.
Aside from acting, Zonia also dreams of dabbling into dancing in the future. But if given the chance, she would like to portray the role of a mermaid, since swimming is her cup of tea.
Yasmyne Suarez, 20, joins the industry with the necessary tools at hand. She started training in Star Magic workshops as early as 2013. In order to pursue her passion further, she then decided to study theater at New York University for two years.
Upon her return, she made sure to put what she learned to practice by attending further Star Magic’s acting workshops. She was finally able to put to good use what she in Spirit of the Glass 2.
Henz Villaraiz, 18, tried his luck in Pinoy Boyband Superstar last year. He made it to the live shows and his weeks of performances and trainings in the show landed him a spot on the competition’s Top 10. Mr. M asked him to sign a management contract with Star Magic.
Born in Manila, Henz pursued his education in Australia but he then moved to Japan where his mother is now based. But his mother’s desire to teach him independence led him back into the country and into Star Magic. At the moment, Henz is part of the daytime soap Sana Dalawa ang Puso and he’s also working on his first independent film for Cinemalaya Film Festival.
Daniela Stranner, 15, is a Filipino-German and one of the youngest members of this batch. She is from Pampanga.
Discovered in a music festival, Daniela, with her Caucasian features wants to be a model. But fate seems to have other plans for this young football varsity player after a VTR session, which eventually led to her going face-to-face with Mr. M who told her to attend acting workshops. She caught the attention of magazine editors who got her to do some photo shoots.
Patty Mendoza, 20, may resemble many other stars in the business today, but she is sure to be a persona of her own. Patty was discovered modeling at University of Santo Tomas, where she finished college. That lucky day eventually led to her taking part in a go-see with Mr. M.
Prior to being discovered, though, she had appeared in television commercials. Now that she’s launched, Patty hopes to be able to put all that she has learned from the acting workshops into the test by being in a film t with her idols Bea Alonzo and John Lloyd Cruz.
Leila Alcasid, 20, is the daughter of Ogie Alcasid former Miss Australia Michelle Van Eimeren. She got endeared her to the business when she met with Star Magic’s Mr. M who coaxed her to attend acting workshops.
Aside from acting, Leila also excels in singing. In fact, she recently-released her first single “Completely In Love With You.” Leila hopes to be able to star in a film with her dad.
Anna Luna, 22, has already made waves on the indie film scene who started acting when she was 15 years old in PETA. Among her most notable projects were Paglipay by Zig Dulay and Maestra by Lemuel Lorca that earned her a Best Actress award at Five Continents International Film Festival in Venezuela. She was also in Star Cinema’s The Breakup Playlist, How to be Yours, and Dear Other Self.
Her most notable work of late was the award-winning Changing Partners, which also paved the way for her to catch Mr. M’s attention.
Chantal Videla, 15, is a five-foot-five Fil-Argentinian and was a commercial model since when she 13-years-old. Unlike many teens her age, she wasn’t intimidated with the thought of auditioning for Star Magic, Chantal welcomed the challenge and it did pay off.
Chantal hopes to follow in the footsteps of her idol Liza Soberano and as well as the chance to work with her in the future either in rom-com or light drama films or soap operas.
Karl Gabriel, 20, was inspired by his desire to help his family and his interest in acting. A mechanical engineering student, he signed up with Star Magic’s public acting workshop almost two years ago. Not too long, Karl auditioned for Pinoy Boyband Superstar, but unlike the others, he unfortunately didn’t make it to the live shows because, as he recalls, he got too emotional during the taping.
But his stint wasn’t all for naught as he landed a role in Wansapanataym as a bully to Marco Gallo.
Markus Paterson, 19, could very well consider it as a twist in a plot when he, a Fil-British, finally caught the eyes of Mr. M after enduring four, unsuccessful go-sees with him. A football athlete and a music-lover at the same time, Markus became part of ASAP “Chill Out.“
With his hunger to unveil his musical side still burning inside him, Markus tried his luck in the reality singing competition Pinoy Boyband Superstar. Unfortunately though, he didn’t make the cut but the show did open doors for him in the business.
Charlie Dizon, 21, may have taken quite some time for her to eventually get into Star Magic, but she is convinced that the wait is all worth it. Safe to say that Charlie is really passionate about acting after juggling attending acting workshops and finishing her degree in Human Resource Management for almost two years.
Her hard work eventually paid off as Charlie was cast in films, like Finally Found Someone, Loving in Tandem, and Seven Sundays that was her biggest break. Her last big screen role left an indelible mark in her psyche that Charlie hopes to be able to focus in doing comedy roles in the years to come. One of Charlie’s biggest blessings in her budding career to date is her role in the newest fantasy soap Bagani.