Happy birthday, Mikael Daez!

Commercial model, host, blogger, comedian, leading man - Mikael Daez is definitely a jack of all trades. As he turns a year older today, January 6, let's relive some of his career highlights and find out what this Kapuso hunk is thankful for.

The Kapuso actor has been a staple in print and TV commercials before he was cast as one of Marian Rivera's leading men in Amaya in 2011. Prior to this epicserye, the two have worked together in Spooky Nights Presents: Bampirella. His effective portrayal of the warrior Lumad gained him followers, and soon he transitioned from being a model to becoming a serious actor. Right after Amaya, he was given the role of Nelson in the Dingdong Dantes-Marian Rivera starrer My Beloved. He also made his acting debut on the silver screen via Temptation Island, alongside Marian Rivera, Heart Evangelista, Lovi Poe, Rufa Mae Quinto, and Solenn Heussaff.

The year 2012 was another fruitful year for Mikael. He received his biggest break in showbiz when he was given the role of Carlos Miguel Altamonte in the remake of Sana Ay Ikaw Na Nga, a role previously played by no less than the Kapuso Primetime King Dingdong Dantes. He was paired with his My Beloved co-star Andrea Torres, and the two had an undeniable chemistry that earned them legions of fans. He ended his year by appearing in GMA Films' official Metro Manila Film Festival entry Sosy Problems.

Hungry for more experiences in showbiz, Mikael tried his luck as a comedian when he guested in the country's longest running gag show Bubble Gang. He has been a regular since then.

He shares in a previous interview, "It was out of curiosity. It never crossed my mind that 'Oh, mag-Bubble Gang guest kaya ako?' Parang na-offer lang, so I told myself 'Okay, let's try it out.' And I'm so happy I took it because it was a huge blessing in disguise."

Much to the delight of their fans, Mikael reunited with Andrea Torres in the morning soap With A Smile by mid-2013. Singer-actor Christian Bautista, who had just transferred to the Kapuso network at that time, completed the show's love triangle. Later on, he would try his hands in hosting through Saksi's Midnight Snack, now known as Midnight Express. Mikael considers this segment as his baby, and even shot some episodes in London when he was sent there by GMA last November.

"Talagang binuhos ko na lahat sa Midnight Snack. We do extra research na talaga, we really invest. Nag-spend kami just to create better content. So happy na happy naman kami na we're given the chance to go beyond the Philippines," he says.

Just before the year ended, he was given two more shows: Titser, a GMA News TV original series, with Lovi Poe, and the Telebabad telefantasya Adarna with Kylie Padilla. He describes his character Falco as "very elegant, very classy. An upstanding warrior kumbaga. So iba 'yung demeanor niya, 'yung seriousness sa mukha niya which we didn’t find in any other character.”

A passionate actor and foodie at heart, Mikael Daez will surely soar high this 2014. Happy birthday, Kapuso! -- Text by Michelle Caligan, Photo by Bochic Estrada, GMANetwork.com