Another showbiz heartthrob is tugging at the heartstrings of the public.
Introducing Race Matias, the Star Magic talent who has just made his mark after his remarkable stint in the hit series Linlang, alongside acclaimed actors Maricel Soriano, Paulo Avelino, and Kim Chiu.
Here are key things to know about him.
Read: Race Matias, bakit hindi ginagamit ang apelyido ng amang si Herbert Bautista?
EARLY LIFE
Born in the year 1997 as Heinrik Caesar Cruz Matias, in Quezon City, Philippines, Race showed early promise as a performer.
"I remember telling my mom that I wanted to become Spider-Man when I grow up," he recalled during a press conference in July 2019 for his project Indak.
"She laughed, so I got annoyed. She said, 'Spider-Man is just an actor.'
"And that’s when it hit me that, well, maybe I should be an actor."
In an exclusive interview with the late Ricky Lo, he revealed that his mom initially wanted 'Caesar' as his nickname and eventually came up with Race because she found 'Henry' much too common.
His mother is Eloisa Matias, a businesswoman.
FAMILY BACKGROUND
Race's prodigious interest in acting might have sprung from exposure as a son of actor-politician Herbert "Bistek" Bautista.
Read: Anak ni Mayor Herbert Bautista, napagkakamalang si Mario Maurer
He is close to both his parents, who did not get married and have been apart for years.
Although he lives separately from Herbert, Race is grateful to his dad.
The 26-year-old actor said at the press conference, "He has never missed a major milestone or occasion in my life—birthdays, graduations, Christmas dinners.
"I appreciate that. He was always there for us."
Herbert has four children with two women, and Harvey Bautista, a Goin' Bulilit alum who has since starred in the Kapamilya series Doble Kara, Halik, and Love Thy Woman, is Race's half-brother.
Education
Race is a certified green archer, having studied in De La Salle from kindergarten to high school.
For college, he moved abroad to study at the New York Film Academy (NYFA) in 2016 when he was only 16, determined to graduate from the four-year filmmaking and acting course.
During this time, he became enthralled with the art of dancing and eventually turned out to be an accomplished terpsichorean as a member of the dance crew Legit Status.
His group competed at the 2015 World Hip-Hop Dance Championships in San Diego, California, where it placed second in the contest's varsity division.
Filmography
Directorial WORK
- The Doll (2016)
Race actively directed short films even as a film student, and wrote the thriller short The Doll, which starred Mor Cohen, Lotte Marie, and Marcus Eljenmyr.
- Like Father, Like Son (2016)
In the same year, he entered his drama short Like Father, Like Son in 12 international film festivals, which earned six nominations and, besting dozens of entries, won the gold award from the New York Independent Film Festival (NYIFF).
The piece was important to Race as it tackled mental health.
He said in an interview with CNN Philippines, "Some people always dismiss depression as all just in your head.
"Like, 'You know you're stronger than this, you don't have to worry about it, you don't have to go to therapy for that,' and I'm like, 'No. This is a real thing.'"
He added, "Filmmaking, storytelling, if you do it right, is probably one of the most immersive things that you can make anyone can go through."
ACTING
- Indak (2019)
Race's debut film Indak, which followed the story of a dance crew preparing to compete in the global dance scene, showcased his hip-hop dancing background
The film was headlined by Nadine Lustre and Sam Concepcion.
Read: Race Matias inspired by Indak co-star Nadine Lustre
- Linlang (2023)
Race made his way to the small screen in 2023, starring in one of the highly anticipated thriller drama series of the year, Linlang.
While he consistently gave justice to the character of Atty. Mateo, as the wingman of Alex, played by JM de Guzman's role, it was his performance in the finale episode aired last November 15, 2023, that got him trending on social media.
Read: Maricel Soriano, Kim Chiu, Paulo Avelino, JM de Guzman topbill ABS-CBN series to air in 2023