LEO CONSUL MAKES HEADWAY IN LOCAL SHOWBIZ AFTER SUCCESFUL INDONESIAN ‘CONQUEST’

Ni Rommel Gonzales

His name might not ring a bell yet among local showbiz fans, but he already became a familiar face (and a household name) in Indonesia where he earned the distinction of being the only Filipino to co-host the Indonesian versions of Eat Bulaga! (2012-2013) and It’s Showtime (2019).

Those historic gigs weren’t handed to him on a silver platter though. It was a confluence of fortunate coincidences toughened by sheer willpower, tenacity and resilience that earned him his stature as one of the most popular Filipino celebrities to carve their niche in Indonesia.

Now happily back in his motherland, Leo recently joined the roster of Arnold Vegafria’s talent management company, ALV Talent Circuit, where he hopes to further his career as a multi-talented host, actor, singer, model and brand endorser.

A native of Bolinao, Pangasinan, Leo never fails to looks back at his humble beginnings, and its crucial role in forging his destiny.

Even during his formative years in school, he had to resort to odd jobs just to survive – including cleaning buses, sleeping on makeshift cartons and feeding on leftover food from the provincial buses that stopped over at the Bolinao terminal.

He recounts, “My first taste of Jollibee was actually from leftovers from the buses. “Sometimes, if we get lucky, leftover KFC. We’d clean buses at midnight, then gather scrap bottles and junk after school.”

Leo finished college in UP Baguio, where he earned his degree in journalism, minor in broadcasting.

After college, since jobs were scarce in the Philippines, upon the recommendation of a close friend, Leo applied for a teaching job in Indonesia, where he started teaching math at Singapore International School.

It was during his teaching stint (2012) where he also got the chance to audition for a boyband. Unfortunately, the stint ended abruptly due to unforeseen circumstances.

Downtrodden, he was supposed to fly back home, but got a message from another friend, convincing to try out his luck for a TV show, which turned out to be the Indonesian version of the long-running noontime show, Eat Bulaga!

It was his Eat Bulaga Indonesia stint that honed his Bahasa skills, and which soon paved the way for his equally prestigious co-hosting stint in It’s Showtime Indonesia, around 2018.

Prior to leaving for Indonesia for the first time, he also briefly worked for a regional network of ABS-CBN in Baguio City as a TV host for a travel show.

While in Indonesia, Leo was also able to showcase his acting chops in three teleseryes, Cinta yang Tertukar (2016), Love Story the Series (2021-2022), and Terpaksa Menikahi Tuan Muda (2022-2023) as well as two movies: a romantic comedy, Bukan Jodoh Biasa (Not Your Ordinary Love Story) and a horror flick, Kamu Harus Mati (You Must Die) scheduled for release next year.

He was also able to penetrate the Singaporean market when he starred with Miss Universe Singapore 2016 in Kisses From Death (2024), his first series in Singapore under Mediacorp.

He also released a single, Kamu, an Indonesian translation of Yeng Constantino’s Ikaw, which topped Indonesian radio charts after its release in 2018.

A consummate chef, Leo had his first cookbook published in Indonesia as well.

His inspiring life story was also immortalized in Magpakailanman (2021), and via his autobiography, A Thousand Miles in Broken Slippers, published in 2016.

On the local homefront, Leo counts himself lucky to have worked with some of his Pinoy acting heroes in the eight-episode Prime Video series, Fit Check: Confessions of an Ukay Queen (2023), which stars Kim Chiu, Jake Ejercito, Christopher de Leon, Angel Aquino and many others.

He recounts, “It was a dream come true sharing lines and getting complimented by Sir Boyet. I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t just dreaming!”

He also lauds co-star Angel Aquino, his partner in the series with whom he shared intimate scenes.

A certified fitness buff, Leo keeps in shape playing badminton, tennis and doing rigorous gym workouts.

Thanks to his hard-earned fortune, Leo prides himself in a few guilty pleasures, including his ever-growing sneaker collection, as well as his constant travels.

Despite his success, Leo hasn’t lost his sense of charity and compassion. As he looks forward to revisiting his humble hometown and speaking at the commencement exercises of his alma mater this December after 21 years, he looks forward to the time when he can establish a scholarship foundation for underprivileged children like him.

Raring to face the cameras anew, Leo is optimistic about his partnership with new manager Arnold Vegafria.

“With Sir ALV’s wide network and extensive experience in showbiz, I look forward to more challenging acting projects, hosting stints and hopefully get to pursue my other passions, including singing and modeling,” Leo beams excitedly.

As he revisits his hometown, Leo hopes to reunite with his loving family and childhood friends, and perhaps get to revisit some of the places where he, amid his hardships and trials, would look up to the stars, and sleep in repose knowing his prayers for a better life will soon be answered.

Leo is currently managed by ALV Talent Circuit.