Dingdong Dantes
Born Jose Sixto Raphael Gonzales Dantes III on August 2, 1980, Dingdong Dantes is one of the most popular and bankable actors in the country. He began his career in commercial modeling, then became part of the Abzstract Dancers, an all-male dance group. The dance group became staples in the GMA-7 shows Eat Bulaga and That’s Enterntainment, where he became close with starmaker German Moreno. He burst into media consciousness when he became part of the cast of the hit youth-oriented show T.G.I.S (Thank God It’s Sabado) as boy-next-door Inaki. His onscreen and offscreen pairing with Antoinette Taus also became a hit among teens, and they starred together in several movies and TV shows. Their loveteam ended when Antoinette pursued a film and singing career abroad.
After Antoinette, Dingdong was paired with Tanya Garcia, and they top-billed the primetime show Sana Ay Ikaw Na Nga. During this time, he also attended college in Sta. Beda and later transferred to Ateneo de Manila University.
Between 2005-2006, Dingdong became romantically involved with singer Karylle, the daughter of Zsa Zsa Padilla, and they starred together on the hit primetime fantasy series Encantadia. Dingdong also took in hosting stints, including the Binibining Pilipinas Pageant.
In 2007-2008, Dingdong’s career reached to new heights when he was cast to play Sergio in the Philippine remake of the hit Mexican telenovela Marimar. His co-star was the lovely Marian Rivera in the title role. Their onscreen pairing took local showbiz by storm, given the tremendous onscreen chemistry between them.
Right after Marimar, the pair was cast in another hit series, the TV adaption of Mars Ravelo’s Dyesebel, where Dingdong played Fredo opposite Marian’s Dyesebel.
Dingdong’s status as one of the country’s most eligible bachelors was cemented when he was chosen by Cosmopolitan magazine as the No. 1 bachelor. In the same period, he also became an underwear model for Bench, and billboards of his gorgeously buffed physique were plastered all over the metro. If this weren’t enough, the actor was also included in E! Entertainment’s 25 Sexiest Men in the World List, putting him alongside celebrities such as David Beckham.
Controversies involving Dingdong Dantes
The relationship between Dingdong and Karylle was severely hounded by intrigues because of the loveteam of Dingdong and Marian. Sure enough, the couple formally announced their breakup in November 2008, and most people suspect that it has everything to do with Marian Rivera. The three stars never really confirmed the rumors. Recently, there are lots of talks about Marian being pregnant with Dingdong’s kid.
