Tommy Alejandrino
Tomas Alejandrino Santos, known professionally as Tommy Alejandrino and occasionally credited as Tomas Santos, is a Filipino actor best known for his portrayal of Amir in the critically acclaimed film The Baseball Player. His performance earned him a Best Actor award at the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival along with several other nominations.
Alejandrino is recognized for his work in independent cinema, where he often takes on complex and socially relevant roles.
Early life and education
Tomas Alejandrino Santos is the youngest of six siblings. He studied theater at the Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA), where he trained for six years in acting, directing, and dramaturgy. The school, located on the slopes of Mount Makiling in Laguna, was where he followed a vegan lifestyle for a year. It was during his time at PHSA that he was discovered and offered an audition for the lead role of Amir in The Baseball Player.His sister is actress Kate Alejandrino.
Career
In 2022, Alejandrino portrayed Moro child soldier Amir in The Baseball Player, for which he won Best Actor at the 18th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival "for his poignant and engaging portrayal of a boy coming of age amid the havoc of war", according to the festival's citation for Best Performance of an Actor in a full-length feature. He was also nominated for Best Actor at the 46th Gawad Urian Awards, as well as New Movie Actor of the Year in the 39th PMPC Star Awards for Movies.In 2023, Alejandrino received a Best Actor nomination for The Baseball Player at the ASEAN International Film Festival and Awards, and was subsequently selected as one of the Philippine delegates to the biennial festival. He also appeared in the horror film Mallari, portraying the character Didi, a sex worker. His performance earned him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival. He won the Movie Ensemble Acting of the Year award at the 40th PMPC Star Awards for Movies, alongside fellow Mallari cast members Piolo Pascual, JC Santos, Janella Salvador, Gloria Diaz, Raffy Tejada, Angeli Nicole Sanoy, and Elisse Joson. He was also featured in the Metro Manila Film Festival entry GomBurZa as Felipe Buencamino. The same year, Alejandrino was cast as Kenjie Juan in the teen mystery television series Senior High. His performance later earned him a nomination at the 37th PMPC Star Awards for Television. In 2024, he reprised his role in the sequel series, High Street.
Alejandrino also played the supporting role of houseboy Marlon in the 2024 surrealist indie film Salome. He later secured the role of Dave in the 2025 indie film Her Locket, which was also premiered at the San Diego Filipino Film Festival. For his performances as Marlon and Dave, Alejandrino received nominations at the 6th Sinag Maynila Film Festival for Best Supporting Actor.