EXCLUSIVE: Philippine production and distribution company TBA Studios has cast Jericho Rosales to play the title role in its upcoming historical biopic Quezon.
Rosales will play Manuel L. Quezon, the Filipino lawyer and soldier who went on to become the President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935 to 1944.
The film serves as Rosales’ long-awaited return to Philippine cinema after a hiatus of several years; he was last seen on the big screen in 2018 romantic drama The Girl In The Orange Dress. On television, he recently starred in the hit ABS-CBN drama Lavender Fields.
Scheduled to start filming in March 2025, Quezon is directed and co-written by Jerrold Tarog, whose credits include the historical biopics Heneral Luna (2015) and Goyo: The Boy General (2018), both also produced by TBA Studios.
Also starring in Quezon are Mon Confiado and Benjamin Alves, who reprise their roles from Heneral Luna and Goyo: The Boy General. Confiado returns as Quezon’s political rival, Emilio Aguinaldo, while Alves portrays a younger Manuel L. Quezon.
The Quezon cast also includes Karylle Yuzon, who will play Quezon’s wife, Aurora Quezon; Romnick Sarmenta, playing Sergio Osmeña, the first Vice President of the Philippines; JC Santos as Manuel Roxas; and Cris Villanueva as the older Joven Hernando, the only fictional character in the film series. More casting announcements are expected soon.
“I feel so honored to be with this team. Coming to a script like this which is so potent and so entertaining, I feel so lucky and happy,” said Rosales. “Here, you will see Quezon as a person. He’s not written as a hero. He is cunning, he is charming, he is intelligent.
“Quezon is such an interesting character to play; there are so many things I can put into the role to build Quezon as a character. That adds to the pressure, but at the same time I am very excited.”
TBA Studios President and COO Daphne Chiu said: “We are honored to welcome Jericho Rosales as he leads the cast of Quezon. Jericho’s unbelievable screen presence has made him one of our best actors today, and we’re all looking forward to working with him and seeing how his artistry can give life to one of the country’s most charismatic yet divisive political figures.”
TBA Studios is also a leading distributor in the Philippines, releasing films such as Everything, Everywhere All At Once, Past Lives and Triangle Of Sadness.
