John Estrada

John Anthony Siason Estrada was born on June 13, 1973, in Quezon City, Philippines, and grew up with his family at Isabela, Basilan^[2] where his father (Vicente Estrada) was a Municipal Councilor and his mother (Lilia Siason) a public school teacher. At an early age, he was regularly cast in a variety of school plays and presentations, usually taking on the lead roles.

He first made his foray in show business as a model, having won Bodyshots Model Search, a competition sponsored by the Fashion Designers Association of the Philippines (FDAP) from nearby Zamboanga City up until his early college years when he moved to Metro Manila at age 16. He studied mass communications for two years at University of the Philippines Diliman but eventually dropped to pursue a career in acting.^[2] His name gained further publicity when he married former child actress Janice de Belen who bore him 4 children: Inah (b. 1992), Moira (b. 1993), Kaila (b. 1996), and Yuan (b. 1998).

Estrada became part of the ABS-CBN sitcom Palibhasa Lalake in 1990 and played minor roles in some films produced by Regal Films and Star Cinema. Soon after he shifted from acting to TV hosting via 'Sang Linggo nAPO Sila (1995–1998). His biggest break in showbiz came in 1998 when he headlined the controversial ABS-CBN noontime show Magandang Tanghali Bayan (MTB) with Randy Santiago and Willie Revillame. His hosting job also cost him his marriage with Janice when he was linked to his Magandang Tanghali Bayan co-host Vanessa del Bianco. Janice and Estrada legally separated in 2001. The marriage was officially annulled in 2004.^[3]

In 2002, Estrada was chosen to play Boris opposite grand slam actress Lorna Tolentino in the ABS-CBN soap Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay. His foray into dramatic acting did not alienate him from the audiences who are used to see him cracking jokes on noontime TV. He was later named Best Drama Actor in 2003 Star Awards for Television. Soon after, when ABS-CBN decided to reformat MTB following Willie Revillame's termination, Estrada offered to resign from the show so that he could concentrate on acting. He was given another lead role in another ABS-CBN soap Hiram opposite Kris Aquino and Dina Bonnevie in 2004.

However, Estrada did not stick to leading man roles after Hiram. Instead, he tried his hand in doing villain roles in different soap operas on ABS-CBN. He returned to comedy when he accepted the role of Jim in the TV5 former sitcom Everybody Hapi with Long Mejia and Roxanne Guinoo. Due to the sitcom's numerous casting changes, the show was reformatted to Hapi Together with Carla Humphries, Leo Martinez, Callalily lead singer Kean Cipriano and former Everybody Hapi mainstays Nova Villa and Long Mejia. He returned to hosting for P.O.5 after 5 years since he was a former host of defunct ABS-CBN daily variety show, Magandang Tanghali Bayan, with P.O.5 co hosts Wilma Doesnt, Lucy Torres-Gomez, JC De Vera, Kean Cipriano and his best friend Richard "Goma" Gomez. Despite hosting and doing comedy for TV5, the Kapamilya Network still cast him for the inspirational drama Agua Bendita, in which he gained positive reviews. He was given a follow-up drama, Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin where he was reunited for the third time with grandslam actress Lorna Tolentino.

He subsequently gave up his hosting stint in P.O.5 after ABS-CBN commissioned him and Randy Santiago to return to noontime TV hosting thru Happy Yipee Yehey. He also resigned from Hapi Together where his lead role (as Geronimo) was replaced by Joey Marquez who assumed another role similar to Geronimo's character.

In 2014, Estrada starred in the melodrama, Ikaw Lamang where he reunited with Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin co-star Coco Martin as one of the main antagonists turned anti-hero Don Gonzalo Miravalez.

Estrada also earns the unofficial distinction as one of three Philippine actors that appeared as villains in both TV and movie versions of Mars Ravelo's Lastikman, along with Cherie Gil and Danilo Barrios.

In 2018, Estrada transferred to GMA Network after being with ABS-CBN for nearly 27 years, On May 2, he signed an exclusive contract with GMA Artist Center.^[4]

On August 23, 2021, Estrada returned to ABS-CBN. He was part of FPJ's Ang Probinsyano as the cunning yet power-hungry warlord Armando Silang. He portrays one of the main antagonists in FPJ's Batang Quiapo as the ruthless, manipulative and brutal cop Rigor Dimaguiba.^[5]

Estrada and Janice de Belen had four children - Inah, Moira, Kaila (born on March 16, 1996), and Yuan.^[6] Iggy "Luigi" Boy Muhlach is their eldest from Janice de Belen's previous relationship with actor Aga Muhlach.^[7]

Estrada later married his longtime girlfriend Brazilian beauty titlist Priscilla Meirelles with whom he has one daughter, Samantha Anechka .^[8] Estrada and Priscilla Meirelles attended Sammanta Anechka's graduation, as class first honor at The British School Manila on June 15, 2024.^[9] In July, Estrada confirmed ‘mutual break’ with Meirelles. However, she denied the agreement and felt disheartened, stressed and very divorced.^[10][11] Meirelles confirmed her divorce in a Brazilian court in 2026.^[12]

In July 2024, Estrada was hospitalized at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center for an undisclosed illness.^[13]