Dingdong Dantes

Jose Sixto Gonzales Dantes III, popularly known as Dingdong Dantes, is an award-nominated director/actor, born August 2, 1980 in Quezon City, Philippines.

Dingdong first attended college at the San Beda and took up Marketing Management. He transferred to the Ateneo de Manila University as an Interdisciplinary Studies and Communication Arts major. He is also a real life cousin of fellow actor and co-star in MariMar and Encantadia, Arthur Solinap. Dingdong’s mother is the sister of Arthur’s mom. They both have Gonzales as their middle name.

Early years

Dantes began as a print and commercial model and appeared in a famous dairy product commercial when he was nine years old. He was then part of an all-male dance group called Abztract Dancers, together with his friend and fellow actor, Dino Guevarra, and his cousin and actor, Arthur Solinap. Their group became regulars in Eat Bulaga and That’s Entertainment, making him treat legendary starmaker, German Moreno like his own father. As an actor, he debuted on GMA Network’s highly popular youth-oriented flick T.G.I.S. (Thank God It’s Sabado) credited himself as Raphael Dantes when he was seventeen. His role as the dashing boy-next-door Iñaki was massively well received and contributed much to his growing popularity. Almost immediately, Dantes was already a growing sensation. His pairing with Antoinette Taus, whom he was romantically involved with, spun films like Honey My Love So Sweet and I’m Sorry My Love and other television outings including Anna Karenina. It wasn’t long before Taus left to pursue a film and recording career abroad, by that time, their relationship had ended and Dantes ventured as a solo artist.

2002-2006

In 2002, Dantes was paired with actress Tanya Garcia as they top-bill in GMA-7’s primetime soap opera series entitled Sana Ay Ikaw Na Nga. Their pairing was received satisfactorily and the show raked ratings. Dantes and Garcia also headlined in another primetime romance-drama billing in 2003 entitled Twin Hearts. Dantes, then, took on several hosting stints and has emceed for the Binibining Pilipinas Pageant in numerous occasions. His flair and spontaneity in the field eventually led him to be selected as host for GMA Network’s reality artist search, StarStruck in 2003 and has since hosted in the seasons that followed.

Aside from his television stints, Dantes also appeared in several chartbuster[citation needed] films including Magkapatid and Pangarap Ko Ang Ibigin Ka and has starred with big wigs like Sharon Cuneta, Christopher de Leon, Regine Velasquez and Judy Ann Santos.

Dantes hosts the suspense-thriller program Wag Kukurap, for which he also occasionally serves as director. He is well-known for his role as King Ybrahim in the Encantadia fantasy-themed television saga, where he co-stars with his on-screen and off-screen romantic interest, singer-actress Karylle. The couple also co-star in the 2006 film Moments of Love.

2007-present

In 2007, Dantes played the lead role Sergio, and for the first time, teamed-up with Marian Rivera, who portrayed the role of Marimar, in the GMA Teleserye version of Marimar, which was a phenomenal hit on national television. During the same period, he was also named No. 1 Bachelor of 2007 by Cosmopolitan Magazine (Philippines).[2] He also won the USTV Students’ Choice Award for Most Popular Actor in a Drama/Miniseries.[2]

In 2008, he was tagged by his home studio to play the role of Fredo, love interest of Dyesebel, who was portrayed by Marian Rivera. In March of that same year, he debuted as the Bench’s newest image model, alongside his idol, Richard Gomez, who also portrayed his father in Marimar[3]. He was then formally launched as image model for Bench Underwear in the “Bench Blackout Underwear and Denim Fashion Show.” A few weeks after being launched by Bench, he was also launched by Ibuprofen Medicol as their newest endorser, and many other companies started showing interests in getting him as their endorser.

On August 22, 2008, Dantes was chosen as one of the 25 Sexiest Men of the World list in the Entertainment Television special.[4] Dantes is the only Filipino who made it, and appeared with the world’s sexiest male celebrities including Dan Carter (New Zealand), actor Gilles Marini (France), actor and fashion model Michael Lewis (Israel) and singer Kostas Martakis (Greece) and David Beckham.[2] This September, he is set to do a movie with Iza Calzado and Marian Rivera entitled One True Love. Dantes will endorse Nestle Ice Cream on November 23, 2008.