Vice Ganda
Jose Marie Borja Viceral, known professionally as Vice Ganda, is a Filipino comedian, actor, host, singer and television personality. He is considered one of the most successful entertainers in Philippine show business, noted for his stand-up routines, usage of observational comedy, situational irony and sarcasm in pertaining to Filipino culture and human sexuality. He is a regular host on ABS-CBN's noontime variety show It's Showtime and has starred in three of the top 10 highest-grossing films in Philippine cinema.
Vice Ganda began his career as a singer and stand-up comedian at Punchline and The Library in Manila. He also played minor roles and guest roles in various television programs and films. Ganda became more recognized in the talent search program It's Showtime, gaining widespread popularity and acquiring his first lead role in the 2010 remake film Petrang Kabayo. In the years that followed, Ganda broke several box-office records in his succeeding releases, including The Unkabogable Praybeyt Benjamin, Sisterakas, Girl, Boy, Bakla, Tomboy, The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin, Beauty and the Bestie, The Super Parental Guardians, Gandarrapido: The Revenger Squad, Fantastica, The Mall, the Merrier!, Partners in Crime and And the Breadwinner Is....
Dubbed as the "Unkabogable Queen" and "Phenomenal Superstar" by the media, Vice Ganda is the highest-grossing Filipino movie actor of all time, with a total movie gross of billion since 2022. He has received numerous awards including two Asian Academy Creative Awards, a FAMAS Award, a Guinness World Record and a star on the Eastwood City Walk of Fame. With nearly 50 million combined followers, he is one of the most followed Filipino personalities across all leading social media platforms. Forbes Asia lists him among the most influential celebrities in Asia Pacific while Reader's Digest named him as one of the most trusted personalities in 2023. He was the first LGBTQ endorser for Globe Telecom.
Early life
Before coming out to his family and loved ones, Vice Ganda was known as "Tutoy", which was his nickname as a young boy. The youngest of six children, Vice Ganda grew up in a neighbourhood of Santa Cruz, Manila. His father, a native of Taysan, Batangas, and a barangay captain in Tondo, Manila, was murdered when he was young, prompting his mother, an Ilocana from San Juan, La Union, to leave her children to work abroad as a caregiver.Education
Vice’s education was enabled by a scholarship grant from an unnamed Japanese woman from Kyoto, with the funds supporting his studies from third grade until second year college.Vice had his primary education at F.D. Calderon Integrated School and Barrio Obrero Elementary School, then completed his secondary education at Far Eastern University High School in 1992.
Vice studied political science at Far Eastern University but did not finish due to pursuing his career.
Career
1997–2008: Stand-up comedy and cross-over to television and films
Vice Ganda started out as a singer, then as a comedian for Punchline and The Library in Manila, whose owner Andrew de Real gave him the stage name "Vice Ganda". He was discovered by Hans Mortel who later introduced him to De Real, the "Godfather of Malate" and "King of Comedy Bars" who had served as his mentor for his comedy skits. There he spent several years developing his material in the comedy clubs. His career began to build after appearances on television and reviews from tabloid columns.He works alongside fellow comedians Chokoleit, Pooh, John Lapus and Rey Kilay. Vice is widely known for his observational comedy and situational irony type of comedy skits. In 1999, a talent scout and now a fellow television comedian and manager, Ogie Diaz, discovered Vice in one of his visits to the comedy bars.
He appeared first as Antonia in the Judy Ann Drama Special aired by commercial television network ABS-CBN. He also made a cameo appearance in Sa Paraiso ni Efren, a film produced by Regal Films. In the same year, Vice appeared as one of the guests for Comedy Central Market under GMA Network and became a guest performer for a now defunct show, SOP, in the same network. In 2002, he was one of the contenders in "O Diva" and "Birit Queen", both singing contests in Eat Bulaga!, the longest-running noontime show in the Philippines. Since then, he played minor roles or guest roles in various television programs of ABS-CBN such as M.R.S. and various roles in a drama anthology, Maalaala Mo Kaya.
In 2007, Vice Ganda appeared on his biggest project at that time in Apat Dapat, Dapat Apat, a film under VIVA Films starring Candy Pangilinan, Eugene Domingo, Rufa Mae Quinto and Pokwang. During this time, he continued to perform as a stand-up comedian to make ends meet. In the same year, he starred as one of the supporting actors for a television series Kokey. In 2008, Ganda appeared in a minor role in an independent film Condo with Coco Martin, and in the same year in a Star Cinema film In My Life alongside Vilma Santos and John Lloyd Cruz. He then appeared in several television series and sitcoms such as Dyosa, under the direction of Wenn V. Deramas, and in the drama series Maging Sino Ka Man: Ang Pagbabalik.
2009–2015: ''It's Showtime'' and rise to fame
Vice Ganda's biggest break was acquiring a role in It's Showtime, a talent search program of ABS-CBN premiered in October 2009. The role was refused by then comedian Long Mejia until he was offered to replace Mejia as an unelectable judge. With this career break through, Vice's life story of being bullied as a young, closeted homosexual has also been featured in the drama anthology, Maalaala Mo Kaya.In 2010, he gained widespread popularity due to his jokes and sarcasm. He was one of the supporting roles for Hating Kapatid alongside Judy Ann Santos and Sarah Geronimo. In the same year, he starred in his first ever feature film, a remake of the 1988 comedy film, Petrang Kabayo, originally played by Roderick Paulate. The film was an instant hit at its release and became one of the best-selling Filipino films of 2010. In the same year, Ganda staged his first ever major concert titled as "May Nag-Text.. 'Yung Totoo! Vice Ganda sa Araneta" held at the Araneta Coliseum.
In 2011, he became host of his own Sunday talk show, Gandang Gabi, Vice!, which ended in 2020. In the same year, he won the Bert Marcelo Achievement Award for Excellence in Comedy at the 2011 GMMSF Box-Office Entertainment Awards. He also appeared on various guest roles for television series, Your Song, 100 Days to Heaven and I Dare You. Vice then launched his successful 2nd major concert at the Araneta Coliseum, a sold-out event called "Eto Na: Vice Ganda, Todong Sample sa Araneta".
In 2012, he top-billed the film The Unkabogable Praybeyt Benjamin, with Derek Ramsay, directed by Wenn V. Deramas. The movie became the first local film to reach million in ticket sales, and proved to be an even greater box office success than Petrang Kabayo. Ganda also starred in the Filipino comedy film This Guy's in Love with U Mare! under Star Cinema and Viva Films, alongside Luis Manzano and Toni Gonzaga, directed by Deramas. Ganda appeared on his first ever Metro Manila Film Festival entry, Sisterakas, a Filipino comedy parody film produced by Star Cinema and Viva Films in 2012 along with Kris Aquino and Ai-Ai de las Alas. The film became the highest-grossing Filipino film of 2012 and now the 3rd highest-grossing Filipino film of all time.
In 2013, he starred in another hit movie alongside Maricel Soriano called Girl, Boy, Bakla, Tomboy, an official entry of the 2013 Metro Manila Film Festival. The movie earned Ganda a Best Actor nomination at the MMFF and earned him Movie Actor Of The Year award at the 2014 Philippine Movie Press Club Star Awards for Movies. In the same year, Ganda had his 3rd major concert called "I-Vice Ganda Mo Ko sa Araneta", a live concert that sparked controversy with GMA News head journalist Jessica Soho.
In 2014, Star Cinema released a movie called The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin an official entry for the 2014 Metro Manila Film Festival and a sequel of a 2011 film of the same title. Vice participated alongside actress Alex Gonzaga, and actors Richard Yap and James "Bimby" Aquino-Yap. The film was directed by Wenn V. Deramas and became the highest grossing Filipino film of 2014.
In 2015, Star Cinema released Beauty and the Bestie, an official entry for the 2015 Metro Manila Film Festival, directed by Wenn V. Deramas. Vice starred alongside actors Coco Martin, James Reid and Nadine Lustre. The film ended up as the highest-grossing Filipino film of 2015.
2016–present: Critical success and recent projects
In 2016, Vice Ganda starred in an action comedy film The Super Parental Guardians with Coco Martin. The film is directed by Joyce Bernal and is under the production of Star Cinema. This marks Ganda's 3rd consecutive highest-grossing film as it topped the 2016 year-end box office gross in Philippine cinema. The film also made history as it holds the record for highest opening day gross of all Filipino films, at million. In the same year, he became judge in the 5th and 6th seasons of Pilipinas Got Talent, along with his fellow celebrities, Angel Locsin and Robin Padilla and in Pinoy Boyband Superstar with Aga Muhlach, Yeng Constantino and 2NE1 member Sandara Park.In 2017, he starred in another Metro Manila Film Festival entry titled Gandarrapiddo: The Revenger Squad alongside Daniel Padilla and 2015 Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach. The film marks Ganda's 4th consecutive highest-grossing film of the year. Aside from his film, he also staged two major concerts in the same year, the first is the sold-out concert "Pusuan Mo si Vice Ganda sa Araneta" which further added few shows in the United States particularly in Houston, Texas, Kissimmee, Florida, San Diego and Los Angeles in California, and the second being the grand launch concert of his own make-up brand, Vice Cosmetics titled as "Vice Ganda For All".
In 2018, he starred in Fantastica, a 2018 Filipino fantasy comedy film directed by Barry Gonzalez and an official entry to the yearly Metro Manila Film Festival. It stars an ensemble cast including Bela Padilla, Richard Gutierrez and Dingdong Dantes. The film became the 2nd highest-grossing Filipino film of 2018 and 5th on the highest-grossing Filipino film of all time.
In 2019, Vice Ganda together with Anne Curtis top-billed the 2019 Metro Manila Film Festival entry, The Mall, The Merrier. This was the first time that he did not top the box-office of the said film festival and ended up on a 2nd place behind Miracle in Cell No. 7. Vice also staged his first ever duo concert with Asia's Songbird Regine Velasquez titled as "The Songbird and the Song Horse" at the Araneta Coliseum. The concert was a major success and had a run for three consecutive shows on February 14–16, 2019.
In June 2021, he hosted a game show, Everybody, Sing!, which replaced his own talk show Gandang Gabi, Vice!, the game show concluded in October 2021, then returned to television for its 2nd season in September 2022. The show made Vice Ganda the first Filipino to win "Best Lifestyle", "Entertainment Presenter/Host" in the fourth Asian Academy Creative Awards. Due to the restrictions brought upon by the COVID pandemic, he launched his first ever digital pay-per-view concert "Gandemic: The VG-tal Concert" in Sky Cable. After few months, with the easing of restrictions, Vice returned to live stage with his concert "Vax Ganda: A Dose Of Laughter" at Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, California and in Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.
In 2022, Vice Ganda returned to movies through 2022 Metro Manila Film Festival entry Partners in Crime under Star Cinema alongside vlogger Ivana Alawi which ended up as the second-highest grossing entry of the said film festival. The film was later on screened in Saitama and Nagoya, Japan in February 2023. Vice pushed his success further as he won numerous awards such as "Most Outstanding Twitter Influencer", "Most Outstanding Social Media Personality", "Most Influential Multimedia Filipino Celebrity", and "Most Outstanding Entertainment Show Host" at the 5th Gawad Lasallianeta held at the De La Salle Araneta University. Ganda also won "Best Variety Show Host" at the 2023 Platinum Stallion National Media Awards of Trinity University of Asia. He renewed his contract with ABS-CBN in 2023 and announce series of concert shows in Canada and the United States.
Ganda starred in a new film And the Breadwinner Is... in 2024 under Star Cinema and The IdeaFirst Company and was directed by Jun Lana.