Stars who kept the spotlight throughout the year
Growth and expansion have become routine when it comes to the Philippine entertainment industry. Productions arrive back-to-back, platforms continue to widen their reach, and audiences are rarely short on options.
New names emerge quickly, while established ones are expected to keep pace in an industry that seldom slows down.
In this environment, visibility is no longer guaranteed by a single hit or standout role. Performers are often judged by what follows, not what came before. Careers unfold under constant pressure to stay present, with little time to pause before the next project or release takes over the conversation.
Still, 2025 proved that momentum can be sustained. And these celebrities proved just that.
Ashtine Olviga & Andres Muhlach
Ashtine Olviga and Andres Muhlach broke out in 2025 through the hit Wattpad adaptation Ang Mutya ng Section E, a project that quickly turned their pairing into one of the most talked-about on local streaming.
The response to the series carried over to film with Minamahal: 100 Bulaklak Para Kay Luna, marking their big-screen debut and extending their rise beyond television.
Individually, Olviga widened her reach with the MMFF entry Manila’s Finest, while Muhlach will be stretching his acting chops in Bagets: The Musical in 2026, stepping into the same part that launched his father, Aga Muhlach, decades earlier.
Anne Curtis
Her return to television in 2025 came through the Philippine adaptation of It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, a project that brought conversations on mental health, trauma, and emotional healing into primetime. The series resonated with Filipino viewers for tackling subjects often left untouched in mainstream programming.
Outside of television, Curtis also drew attention at Paris Fashion Week, becoming one of the few Filipinas seen alongside elite fashion houses on the global stage.
For 2026, she’s set to star in BuyBust: The Undesirables, an upcoming Netflix action-thriller series, and The Loved One, a film directed by Irene Villamor that will see her back on the silver screen with Jericho Rosales.
Vice Ganda
Vice Ganda’s year unfolded on the largest stage that local cinema offers. Call Me Mother brought him back to the MMFF as a lead, and the role went on to earn him Best Actor at the festival’s Gabi ng Parangal. The film also finished with a Third Best Picture citation, keeping it among the season’s most awarded titles.
At the box office, Call Me Mother emerged as the festival’s top performer, underscoring Vice’s unwavering mass appeal among Filipino audiences.
Barbie Forteza
Barbie Forteza’s 2025 was defined by steady output across television and film. Beauty Empire kept her firmly in primetime, while Kontrabida Academy and the thriller P77 gave her roles far removed from what audiences usually see her do.
Moving between comedy, drama, and suspense within the same year highlighted her flexibility as a performer. Her ability to flip the switch between genres is precisely why Forteza remains a sought-after presence across different kinds of projects.
In 2026, she’s set to star in Until She Remembers, a film by Cannes Best Director awardee Brillante Mendoza, which will see her acting alongside seasoned actors Charo Santos and Boots Anson-Rodrigo.
Will Ashley
Will Ashley entered 2025 fresh from a Best Supporting Actor win for Balota, catching the eye of industry veterans. However, it was his second-place finish in Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition—one of the country’s most influential reality shows—that introduced him to a much wider audience.
Instead of pivoting away from acting, Ashley followed that momentum with MMFF entries Love You So Bad and Bar Boys: After School, earning Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor nominations, respectively, at the 2025 festival. His work in these MMFF entries further exhibited his acting range and his potential as the industry’s next leading man.
Shuvee Etrata
Shuvee Etrata emerged as one of the standouts of Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition in 2025, a run that kept her in steady conversation even after the season ended.
After the show wrapped, endorsement offers came in, extending her profile beyond reality television and establishing her as a bankable star.
On the acting side, she joined the drama-fantasy series Encantadia Chronicles: Sang’gre and later appeared on Magpakailanman in an episode based on her own story. In 2026, she’ll be part of Master Cutter, a new action-drama series on GMA Prime.
Kim Chiu & Paulo Avelino
Kim Chiu and Paulo Avelino first worked together in Linlang, which streamed in late 2023, before earning an extended television run in 2024 after their pairing connected strongly with viewers. That response carried into 2025 with My Love Will Make You Disappear, their first film together, where audience interest translated into box-office turnout.
Currently, they star in The Alibi, a suspense-driven drama streaming on Amazon Prime Video that further cements their appeal as an onscreen pair.
