Meet the man behind ‘Incognito’ who is pushing Filipino action to global heights
The hit ABS-CBN series Incognito is about to wrap up its run, and behind its sharp action scenes and international locations is director Lester Pimentel Ong, a name known for bringing Filipino action to a wider and more ambitious scale.
His body of work already speaks volumes. From La Luna Sangre to Bagani to The Iron Heart, Direk Lester’s style is marked by high-stakes drama, physicality, and precision. With Incognito, which brought viewers from Baguio to Italy to Japan, he pushes this further by pairing intense action with a clear goal: to bring Filipino talent and storytelling to international screens.
His words are humble, but his goal is ambitious: “We’re hoping someday people from other countries will watch and enjoy our action dramas the way they’re enjoying Korean and Thai dramas,” he said.
What makes that goal more grounded is Direk Lester’s personal experience. A former competitive Wushu Taolu athlete, he approaches action with the discipline of martial arts and the precision of someone who understands its roots. The physicality we see on screen isn’t just choreographed—it’s felt.
That discipline extends beyond the set. His work as a businessman—launching Rice in a Box, Wangfu, and bringing brands like Udders Ice Cream and Dean & DeLuca to the local market—shows the same drive to execute big ideas with care and strategy.
Incognito was created with ABS-CBN Studios, Star Creatives, and Studio 360, with a cast led by Daniel Padilla, Maris Racal, Kaila Estrada, and Richard Gutierrez. But it’s the behind-the-scenes work that Direk Lester takes pride in. His collaboration with Star Creatives spans more than a decade, a partnership he says has made their action projects better each time.
From producers like Des de Guzman to writers like Henry Quitain and Jay Fernando, he credits a whole ecosystem that helped shape Incognito into something more than just another action drama.
“The team, from PAs to showrunners, really made filming more efficient,” he said.
He also took the leap beyond television, producing One Good Day for Amazon Prime Video and the film Love You Long Time for Netflix under his own company. All signs point to a director unafraid to test limits, not just creatively, but also in terms of platform and reach.
