After 30 Years In Showbiz, Piolo Pascual Reveals His Ultimate Leading Lady

Three decades into his career, Piolo Pascual is looking back on the roles—and the leading ladies—that defined his run as one of the country's most enduring leading men. And if you're wondering who tops his list, he already has an answer: Judy Ann Santos.

"I was fortunate enough to have a good chemistry with all of them, but one that stands out really was Judy Ann," he exclusively told Cosmopolitan Philippines. "People were telling me our chemistry was just palpable back then, but it's something that you cannot define. I guess that's what people saw, the kind of chemistry that gave birth to so many projects together."

The reflection comes at a time when Piolo is revisiting his career. In his April 2026 cover for Esquire Philippines, photographed by Rozen Antonio, Piolo spoke candidly about how his leading-man image was built—and why he remains grateful for it.

"I was manufactured by (ABS-CBN). There's a template. I'm not ashamed to accept that. It's how they mold people. It's how they mold their artists. I had to abide by that. I'm able to stay in this business for that long. I'm grateful for that," he said in the cover story.

Before the solo hits and box-office runs, there was the OG tandem Piolo-Juday—arguably one of the most defining love teams of the late '90s and early 2000s.

Piolo first stepped into his leading man era in the 1997 teleserye Esperanza, opposite his ultimate leading lady. Even then, it was clear they had that something. The chemistry clicked, the story landed, and just like that, a love team was born! What started as a breakout pairing quickly became a full-on phenomenon, with projects rolling in as fans stayed invested. 

Their on-screen partnership continued through Sa Puso Ko Iingatan Ka, Bakit 'Di Totoohanin (2001), Till There Was You (2003), and Sa Piling Mo (2006), before they finally headlined a film together in Don't Give Up on Us (2006). The movie not only marked a milestone for the tandem, but it also earned Piolo major recognition, including a Best Actor nominee at the FAMAS Awards and Movie Actor of the Year at the PMPC Star Awards for Movies.

That became their first-and-last movie together. (So far, at least!) But luckily for us, Piolo continued his journey and made our Pinoy rom-com watchlist even longer. Among them, there's Love Me Again (2009) with Angel Locsin, Every Breath U Take with Angelica Panganiban, and Starting Over Again (2014) with Toni Gonzaga, which became one of the biggest local box-office hits of its time. 

While Judy Ann may hold the top spot on-screen, everyone is just dying to know—is there someone special off-screen? For now, the answer is simple: Piolo is single, and he is honest about where he stands.

"I've been single for some time now. But yeah, of late, I kind of feel that, you want to be able to have someone you can talk to, to have someone," he shared at the media day for his Esquire Philippines cover held on April 8. He's not closing his doors to love. He's just taking things at his own pace, and simply spending more time with his 28 year-old son, Iñigo Pascual.

"I super enjoy my life. I'm not saying it's fun to be single. But there are pros and cons. But options-wise, I would not want to have a kid without a partner, of course. I would want to have a wife first before I have a kid," he continued.

Still, make no mistake, the leading man energy does not switch off when the cameras do. If anything, Piolo carries that same softness IRL. "I'm a very touchy-feely person. You know, I love to—not cuddle, but I'm very affectionate physically."

And after years of portraying different love stories, his view on love has evolved. "Love is still constantly evolving. Love is defined in so many ways and until now, there are ways that you can experience love, define love. You just have to be open."

Piolo admitted that there was a time he felt boxed in by the very roles that made him a household name. "I guess I limited myself, because of the roles that they were giving me. I was always packaged as a leading man in rom-coms," he said in the cover story.

As a risk-taker, he eventually found the confidence to branch out, taking on more layered and unexpected projects. He explored darker and more complex roles in films like Mallari (2023) and portrayed thought-provoking characters like in Manila's Finest in 2025. He is also sharing stages with his singer-songwriter son through their Father and Son concert tours that showed a different side of him.

But he's not turning his back on the genre that built his name. In fact, when Cosmo asked him to name a favorite, he pointed to My Amanda (2021) with Alessandra de Rossi.

And so we couldn't help but ask: If there's one story he wishes he had the chance to be part of, what would it be? He chose a sweeping, old-school romance film. "It's not necessarily a rom-com, but there's a drama back in the '90s, Hihintayin Kita sa Langit, of Dawn Zulueta and Richard Gomez. It's a classic love story." ICYDK, it's a take on Wuthering Heights—and it feels right up his alley. So, a Piolo Pascual version? We'd be seated!

Piolo carries that same effortless charm, only now with an added layer of confidence and ease that comes with time. The kilig may have evolved, but it still hits just as hard. After all, he's the face behind so many of the rom-coms we grew up watching, the ones that made us believe in love, root for happy endings, and cry a little along the way.