Cesar Montano

Cesar Manhilot (born August 1, 1962), better known by his screen name Cesar Montano, is a Filipino actor, film producer and film director.

Montano started in show business as a commercial model. He played roles in numerous B movies. He then played major roles in several action movies and a brief television career playing the lead role in the television sitcom Kaya ni Mister, Kaya ni Misis. His breakout role is his portrayal of José Rizal, the Philippine National Hero in the film José Rizal. The film is unprecedented as it portrays Philippine society during Spanish colonization of the Philippines and its relevance up to the present day. After his first Hollywood movie The Great Raid with Benjamin Bratt, he was cast in another Hollywood movie Another Deep Breath which was never actually shot.

Montano has won numerous acting awards in Panaghoy sa Suba (The Call of the River), José Rizal, Muro Ami (Reef Hunters) and Bagong Buwan (New Moon).

Aside from acting, Montano also embarked on a singing career, with the release of his music album Subok lang or Just try in 2000. He has also ventured into film production as well as directing, with Panaghoy sa Suba as his directorial film debut.

In May 2007, he unsuccessfully ran for Senate under the coalition TEAM Unity (TU). GMA News reported that he lost about P40 million worth of endorsement for running in public office. Montano also lost the 2010 Gubernatorial race in his home province of Bohol.

On July 13, 2010 Montano officially became a contract artist of GMA Network after signing a two-year exclusive contract with the said network. In 2012, he left GMA 7 for TV5's Artista Academy.

In 2016, Montano was running as the 2nd nominee of Aangat Tayo party-list in the 2016 national elections, but subsequently lost. In the same year, he was appointed by Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon Teo as the Chief Operation Officer of the Tourism Promotions Board.

Biography and career

Montano, known by his nickname Buboy, was born and raised in Sta. Ana, Manila, Philippines, but traces his roots to the Manhilots of the municipality of Baclayon, in the island province of Bohol in Central Visayas, Philippines in which he personally considers his preferred hometown.

Early work

Montano acted in stage productions at the University of the Philippines. He worked as a stuntman early in his career. He also played major roles in several action movies like "Sanggano" and the TV role of Buboy Magtanggol in the sitcom Bida si Mister, Bida si Misis.

Montano's was first action movie of Toto Natividad's Film Leonardo Delos Reyes: Alyas Waway (1993), Utol (1996), Bilang na ang Araw mo (1996), Pusakal (1997), Sanggano (1997), Kasangga Kahit Kelan (1998), Warfreak (1998), and Type Kita Walang Kokontra (1999).

He played the role of José Rizal in the film José Rizal in 1998. In 1999, he played Fredo, the boss of child laborers in the illegal fishing industry. The film won thirteen awards at the 1999 Metro Manila Film Festival.

He starred in various film genres such as drama, comedy and action. He appeared in various films under the character name "Ralph Palomeno", a total of 14 roles.

Directing

Cesar Montano produced, directed and starred in the 2004 film Panaghoy sa Suba or The Call of the River. It features Filipino actors Juliana Palermo, Jackie Woo, Philip Anthony, Caridad Sanchez, Joel Torre, Daria Ramirez, Ronnie Lazaro, Suzette Ranillo, Rommel Montano, Dr. Warfe Engracia, Ramon Villanueva, Chelo Espina, Flora Gasser, Disi Alba and Rebecca Lusterio.

The film is set during World War II, and the story takes place mostly along the Loboc River in Bohol. It is a mixture of action, drama, romance, and history.

The film is Cesar Montano's directorial debut. It was filmed mostly in the Visayan language with an almost exclusively Visayan cast.

It was given an "A" rating by the Cinema Evaluation Board or CEB of the Film Development Council of the Philippines and was CM Films' entry to the 2004 Metro Manila Film Festival. The CEB described the film as "a poetic, sometimes even magical, current of silent struggle and survival."

The Call of the River won multiple awards. It collected Second Best Picture (to Mano Po 3), Best Director, Best Supporting Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Musical Score and the Gatpuno Villegas Cultural Award at the Metro Manila Film Festival, 2004; and Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress at Gawad Suri Awards, Manila, 2005.

Panaghoy sa Suba, which garnered 16 awards and 11 nominations including 5 from the Metro Manila Film Festival, was also given an endorsement by the UNESCO. It was named Best Picture at the International Festival of Independent Films held in Brussels, Belgium. Montano was also chosen Best Director. In addition, Montano also won Best Actor in Panaghoy sa Suba in the Golden Screen Awards.

Panaghoy sa Suba was invited as an exhibition in the Tous les cinémas du Monde (Movies of the World) at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005. It has also been invited for exhibition in other international film festivals in Berlin, Toronto, Tokyo, Korea and in the Czech Republic’s Karlo Vary Film Festival.

Montano The Action Star Was He is Started Action Movie From Leonardo Delos Reyes: Alyas Waway (1993) Until Mananabas (2001) 8 Years Contract of Cesar Montano's Action Movie.

Hollywood

In 2002, American film director and screenwriter John Dahl cast Montano in The Great Raid after taking notice of Montano's performance in the movie Muro Ami as well as an extensive open call audition and series of callbacks in Manila. He played Juan Pajota in the Miramax Film set in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, Philippines in 1945 during World War II. The film was shot mostly in Australia and partly in China. Manila press releases around the time when the film was shown in the Philippines announced that the actor had been signed on to do 3 more Hollywood films, none of which have materialized since.

Montano was cast in another U.S. film, Another Deep Breath, scheduled to start shooting in the San Francisco Bay Area in March 2005. Funding was never secured so the production never started shooting.

Music Career

On 1 January 2000, Montano released his first music solo album entitled "Subok Lang" (Just Try) under Star Records. While being famous as a Philippine action movie star, he is also known for singing acoustic ballads. Nine of the album's ten songs is accompanied only by an acoustic guitar, giving a quiet, mellow ambiance. He sings a duet on the second version "Kailan Ko Lang Sinabi" (When I Just Told You) with his wife, Sunshine Cruz, who is also a Filipino actress and recording artist. The spirited "Ikaw Lang" (Only You) is the only song to use other instruments besides the acoustic guitar, and drums and bass are also heard. "Subok lang" went on to become Platinum record.

In 2014, Montano tried his knack in songwriting as he also joined the ASOP Music Festival of UNTV 37, and became one of the finalists of the competition with his own original composition entitled "Pagpupuring Walang Hanggan" (Eternal Praise).

Political career

Cesar Montano ran for a senate position under the Lakas Partylist in the 2007 elections and lost. He then again attempted to be involved in politics on 13 October 2009 when he filed his candidacy for Governor in his home province Bohol. He lost the 2010 local election for the Governor position.

Transfer to GMA Network

After years of portraying Jose Rizal from GMA Films, he returned to GMA Network and signed one-year exclusive contract in 2010. His first TV series in the said network was Ilumina. He then starred with his wife in Puso ng Pasko: Artista Challenge. His current TV project is Andres de Saya with his new leading lady, Iza Calzado, this is his first sitcom under GMA Network. Now he is back to the network with his latest night show, Akin Pa Rin Ang Bukas.

Transfer to TV5

In 2012, Montano was named as a new host of reality based search Artista Academy along with fellow ex-GMA and ABS-CBN contract actor Marvin Agustin. In the same year, Montano was portrayed Andres Bonifacio for ER Ejercito's El Presidente. In 2013 he join the cast of newest TV5 teleserye Never Say Goodbye along with Vin Abrenica, Sophie Albert and also Nora Aunor.

Personal life

Montano is both fluent in Tagalog and Cebuano language, as well as its Boholano dialect. He is the fifth of seven children born to a lawyer father and mother belonging to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Montano describes his father as a strict disciplinarian, and his mother imposing her religion's prohibitions against pork and movies.

Montano went to the Sta. Ana Elementary School, Mariano Marcos Memorial High School and finished mass communication at Lyceum of the Philippines University in Intramuros, Manila. An average student, he was good at drawing and would have become a painter, if not a singer, if he hadn't become an actor.

Montano was first married to Marilyn Polinga, a fellow Boholano he met at a local Seventh-day Adventist church, but Montano once attended the Bread of Life Ministries International evangelical church in Quezon City, before becoming a congregant at Christ's Commission Fellowship in Mandaluyong together with his wife, Sunshine Cruz, and his children. Marilyn died in 1993. They had two children. His second child with Polinga, Christian Angelo Manhilot, died at the age of 23 on March 26, 2010 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head at their residence in Quezon City.

His other son, Carlos Diego, lives with his mother, Filipino actress Teresa Loyzaga, in Australia, and has recently signed to a three-year exclusive contract with the Philippines TV network, ABS-CBN.

Montano married Sunshine Cruz on September 14, 2000 in a Christian wedding. They have three daughters, Angeline Isabelle, Samantha Angeline and Angel Francheska He filed for annulment of marriage with Cruz, which was finally granted on August 26, 2013.

Aside from his farm in Pandi, Bulacan, Montano also owns an Italian restaurant located in Quezon City.

Filmography

Discography

Albums and singles

Awards