Why John Lloyd Charms Like No Other Man Could
John Lloyd doesn’t possess the built of Brad Pitt or the looks of Tom Cruise, but then again, one look into his eyes and every girl melts. What makes this young man tick and why he’s one of the most promising stars of today?
John Lloyd Cruz was born on June 24, 1983, to Luisito and Aida Espidol Cruz. It was the usual festivities for Saint John the Baptist—hence the name.
Idan, a nickname only reserved to family members and very close friends, actually never wanted to be an actor. All he wanted was to travel the world as a pilot. In fact, during his childhood his Sundays were spent together with his cousins on family gatherings. Tuning in to noon time shows, he would find it equally awful seeing celebrities.
But fate has its own way of leading you to the right direction. Sometime soon, his dad’s business, marble selling, wasn’t growing unlike before. Their family—including his two older brothers and his mother—were struggling. Being a good and obedient boy, he wanted to help. That’s when a talent scout came in. He was only going around malls when he found himself being chased by his discoverer who was adamant in bringing him to ABS-CBN.
At 14, he became a member of Star Magic, a talent center of the giant network, and was launched together with Marc Solis and Baron Geisler. They were called Koolits. They acted in a string of films and performed in numerous TV shows, but then again, the group never actually made it. Soon John Lloyd was on his own.
His biggest break could have been his role in Tabing-Ilog, a Filipino adaptation of Dawson’s Creek. He played the role of Rovic, a lost soul but very responsible father, to which he received his first-ever acting award in Star Awards for TV in 2001. Alongside he’s playing some bit roles in other TV soap operas and movies.
Then there was Kay Tagal Kitang Hinintay, where he blossomed into the kind of powerful and intense actor that he is right now. He played Yuri Urbida, a young lawyer who was desperately seeking his mother played by Lorna Tolentino while trying to fight for his love for Katrina Argos, well portrayed by Bea Alonzo . The result was phenomenal, toppling all other teleseryes at that time. This also marked a very large fan base for the John Lloyd-Bea loveteam, which led them to a series of other teleseryes, namely, It Might Be You, Ikaw Ang Lahat Sa Akin, and, recently, Maging Sino Ka Man.
John Lloyd’s presence is not only felt in TV but in movies as well. He was Enzo in My First Romance, Michael in Now That I Have You, and Manuel in Close to You, and Eric in All About Love. His first mature role could be in Dubai, alongside Aga Muhlach and Claudine Barretto . He may not have bagged an acting award yet his performance was so impressive that majority predicted that it won’t be long before he becomes the next Christopher de Leon.
He is also becoming a certified commercial and print model for a number of leading brands, such as Nescafe, Smart Talk N Text, Silka, Libresse, and Biogesic, where his line “Ingat!” became a common expression among the masses. It was also rumored that he got a million-worth paycheck for it. Recently, he was launched as the newest endorser for Bench, along with Bea, who is representing Kashieca.
To date, fans can await for a new movie together with Bea Alonzo which will be released sometime soon. On TV, you can see him reprise the role of Gabriel for the second book of Maging Sino Ka Man. Nevertheless, while everything is still ongoing, he’ll busy himself with a series of shows abroad and keeping his love life blooming, together with Preview’s stylist Liz Uy.
