There's a story that pretty much sums up Leo Martinez's work as an actor.
Leo recalled being attacked by four old women with their umbrellas, as they believed the actor was out to hurt Janice de Belen for real after watching a scene in the original Flordeluna, which premiered on RPN9 in 1978.
Read: Janice de Belen’s experience being slapped by Maricel Soriano: “Ang sakit!”
"That’s what I get for being true to my craft," Leo said with both amusement and pride.
Leo is all about expressing himself on and off cam, and encourages everyone to do the same.
He said, “So, yun yung secret na kailangan nating gawin every day, take time to express your feelings.
"Kung nalulungkot ka, umiyak ka. Kung natutuwa ka, tumawa ka.
"Kung napapa-ibig ka, umibig ka.
"Kung masakit ang puson mo, gawan mo ng paraan."
Leo, even at 73 years old, continues to follow his heart's desires, and his passion for acting remains strong after all these years.
Learn more about the multi-talented Leo Martinez with these cool facts, including the origin of his breakthrough character, Congressman Manhik-Manaog.
A TRUE BATANGUEÑO
Leo was born on March 7, 1950, in Balayan, Batangas.
His Batangueño roots would serve him well as an artist. People knew him best for his accent, with his dialogues often punctuated with the expression "ala eh."
Funnily, many people didn't know that he was a true Batangas native and thought he was just faking his accent for entertainment purposes.
"Hindi mo naman magagawa ang accent na tama kung hindi ka tagaroon," he said in an interview.
"Pag nanggagaya ka laang, may mga words na hindi mo masasabi, gawi'y hindi mo alam yung mga [nuances ng salita]. Ako'y taga Balayan, Batangas. Famous kami sa bagoong Balayan saka parada ng lechon."
Leo, however, recalled feeling ashamed of his Batangueño accent as a young kid studying outside his home province.
"Dati ikinahihiya namin yung accent namin. Pag walang klase, umuuwi kami sa Balayan. Pagbalik dito, siyempre, papalitan mo yung accent mo.
"Kasi dito pagtatawanan ka kung ganun ang accent mo.
"At that time, nakakahiya magsalita nung accent namin."
ANCESTRAL HOUSE
Leo's family owns an ancestral house on Antorcha Street in Balayan, Batangas.
The house was erected in 1860 by Don Estanislao Lainez, father of Don Mariano Ascue Lainez, who was the mayor of Balayan in the 1880s.
Read: Ancestral house ni Leo Martinez sa Batangas, itinayo pa noong 1860s
Leo belongs to the fifth generation of the Lainez family.
Leo's father Dr. Antero Martinez was an EENT (Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat) doctor and used to have a clinic in the house; the signage is still there and visible for guests to see.
It was reported last year that the property was being renovated to preserve its legacy.
BRINGING THEATER TO THE PUBLIC
Leo was among the founders of the local theater company Repertory Philippines (REP).
Founded in 1967, REP—which aims to produce and promote English language stage productions—was established by Leo alongside fellow actors Zenaida Amador, Carmen Barredo, Tony Mercado, and Monina Mercado.
Leo said in an interview for the YouTube channel Real You, "Before that, nasa grade school and high school hanggang college, nasa ano na ako, nasa teatro na rin ako."
His first taste of playing the lead actor on stage was in 1958 for The Mikado, where he portrayed a Japanese schoolgirl.
Leo the theater actor appeared in many stage productions throughout his career.
He told The Philippine Star in a 2002 interview, "I love theater, because it’s really an actor’s medium, compared to TV, which is a sponsors’ medium, and film, which is a director’s medium."
SIGNATURE CHARACTER
Leo's portrayal of the character Congressman Manhik-Manaog, as seen on the late '80s satire television show Mongolian Barbecue, made him a household name.
The character was a dig at corrupt traditional politicians, or the so-called "trapos," and their habit of "manhik-manaog lang sa puwesto tuwing may eleksiyon"—a pattern that has increasingly worsened as political dynasties continue to flourish today.
Leo said that Congressman Manhik-Manaog came to life after he and Jun Urbano, a.k.a. Mr. Shooli of Mongolian Barbecue, couldn't find real congressmen to guest and interview for the program.
"Ang hirap na wala namang pumapayag na congressman kasi pagtatawanan mo lang at saka baka mapikon pa yung mga yun pag biniro mo ng ganun," he looked back.
"So, ako na lang ang nag-congressman, pero sinabi ko, kung congressman ako, ang accent ko Batangueño kasi from Batangas ako."
Leo's effective portrayal led to other roles that depict the stereotypical Filipino public official, like the ruthless and corrupt Vice-President Solomon “Manong Sol” Buenavista in ABS-CBN's prime-time series Tanging Yaman and the deceitful General Pacheco in the award-winning film, On the Job: The Missing 8.
Read: On The Job: The Missing 8 is Erik Matti's "angriest" masterpiece
It's also worth noting that Leo's jab, subtle or not, against politicians and the government dates back to his days as a theater actor.
He played the lead in Caligula, a shade against then President Ferdinand Marcos and his wife, Imelda Marcos, and their hunger for power. It was directed for the stage by Peque Gallaga.
In May 2010, veteran entertainment reporter Ricky Lo asked Leo this question: "Are you not worried that your character is an insult to some Filipino politicians?"
He replied, “No. In fact, that’s what I want to do, insult them to shame.
"Yes. It’s about time we took our politics seriously since so much is at stake.
"Also, there is a lot of corruption going on and we should not accept it.”
In 2007, Leo urged the public to refrain from voting for candidates solely based on popularity.
Read: Leo Martinez: "Huwag tayong bumoto dahil sa popularidad."
He remarked, "Ang sinasabi ko, kayo na ang humusga kung bakit ba natin masyadong pinapaboran ang mga artists.
"Popular kami kasi kaya kami kinukuha ng administrasyon at ng oposisyon kasi ang artista popular.
"Ang sinasabi ko lang sa mga bumoboto, huwag tayong bumoto dahil sa popularidad kasi ibang klaseng trabaho ito. Hindi kami sanay sa trabahong ito."
As for the thought of entering politics, Leo once said, "I’ve even been asked to run for elective office, but I’m an actor, not a politician. Besides, why complicate my life?"
PLAYING VARIOUS ROLES
Of course, Leo's range as an actor is not limited to portraying merely shrewd politicians on television and the big screen.
Leo became a fixture in sex comedy movies, portraying characters like a sexologist advising sexually troubled women (Dr. X on the Air), a rich man with a sexy secretary at his disposal (Weder-Weder Lang 'Yan), and a raunchy teacher (Indecent Professor), among many others.
His controversial 1995 movie Batangueño Kabitenyo —also starring Glydel Mercado, Dindin Gallardo, and Anjanette Abayari—was given an X rating by the Movies and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB). The rating was later overturned by Malacañang.
Read: To abolish or to retain: Is MTRCB censorship still relevant in the digital age?
On TV, Leo showcased his comedy skills in the sitcoms Idol Ko si Kap, Hokus Pokus, and Ober Da Bakod, where he portrayed the role of Don Robert.
A MENTOR TO FELLOW ACTORS
Leo is also a mentor to aspiring and practicing actors who want to hone their craft.
The versatile actor often conducts workshops to share his knowledge and techniques to help bring out the acting talent of his students.
In an old interview, he thoughtfully debunked the perception that acting methods are the same across all mediums.
"The problem with the industry is that there are so many who think that just because they have a theater background, they can act. Those are two different things," mentioned Leo, who served as chairman of the Actors Workshop Foundation.
"On stage, you need tension and you have to magnify your acting.
"In film and on TV, you cannot have that tension because you work mostly with close-ups. You cannot really act when you’re doing film and TV because when you’re acting, halatang-halata.
"Stage, and film and TV, are two different mediums, so you have to treat them differently."
TRIVIA: HE WAS AN APPLE ENDORSER
Leo appeared on the cover of Apple Mac Quarterly magazine published in September 1993.
Apple is the brand behind products like the iPad, Macintosh, Apple Watch, iPod, and iPhone.
The feature saw Leo talk about being a Mac computer user and how it helped him in his personal and professional life.
"I use HyperCard for my schedules to know what I'm supposed to do for the week or month," he said about the software application.
Leo jokingly continued, "It's better than having a secretary. At least yung computer ko hindi sumasagot."
The other computer software that he found useful and talked about during the interview included Excel and Works.
Based on the photo, Leo was using a Macintosh Plus unit released by Apple in 1986.
A FATHER AND HUSBAND
Leo opened up about his domestic life in Snooky Serna's vlog uploaded on YouTube on January 6, 2024.
Said Leo, “Whenever they ask me, ‘Ilan ang anak mo?’ Ang sagot ko—two, one, three…
“Two sa una, one kay Cherie, three kay Gina.”
The Cherie mentioned by Leo was critically acclaimed actress Cherie Gil, who passed away on August 5, 2022.
Cherie and Leo shared a son named Jeremiah David Gil Eigenmann or Jay.
The two separated when Jay was only a year old.
Read: Cherie Gil more than just a "La Primera Contravida"
Gina, meanwhile, is Leo's wife Gina Valenciano, who is the sister of singer Gary Valenciano.
They have been married for 36 years, with Leo saying that the secret to their lasting marriage is "respect."
Gina and Cherie, according to Leo, were "best of friends."
Leo proudly said that all his children enjoy a close relationship as siblings.
“Up to now, they’re seeing each other in the States," Leo said.