Gabby Concepcion

The Timeless Heartthrob

Gabby Concepcion has been showing his versatility as an actor by starring in several TV projects in the Kapuso network. The family man proves that he’s still the ageless, bankable leading man that everybody knew and loved back in the day.

Text by Dianne Mariano
Photos courtesy of Edward Dela Cuesta

Gabby Concepcion has cemented himself as one of the highly successful and celebrated actors in Philippine showbiz because of his acting prowess, good looks, and down-to-earth personality. These are also the qualities that make him one of the most dependable leading men to this day.

GMANetwork.com was able to speak with the seasoned actor who opened up about his long and stellar career in the industry that was born out of an accident. Gabby Concepcion is a living proof that once a person begins to love what he does and stays true to himself, everything will flow to the right place.

Meant for greater things ahead

Gabby Concepcion has become a household name in the entertainment industry, a matinee idol, who continues to sweep people off their feet. After being in showbiz for many years, Gabby has won the hearts of many with his superb acting skills and versatility as an actor. Prior to earning his current status in show business, the 59-year-old star revealed in his exclusive interview with GMANetwork.com that being an artist was never a part of his plan.

“It was all an accident. Never akong gustong pumasok ng showbiz. Actually, hindi ko inisip ’yon. Ang inisip ko actually is to become a pilot or maging dentista or mag-real estate. Wala sa bucket list ko ’yung pagiging artista. Naghahanap lang ako in high school, naghahanap ako ng summer job. Mayroong dumating na agent sa eskwelahan namin, naghahanap siya ng mga artista para sa pelikula ng Regal Films. Noong nakita ako ng agent, dinala ako kay Mother Lily at ginawa namin ’yung Katorse, at ’yun ang umpisa ng aking showbiz history o ang aking humble beginnings,” he revealed.

For Gabby, he considers the Regal film Katorse (1980) as his most memorable project as it was the “beginning of everything” for his career. In the Joey Gosiengfiao-directed film, he starred alongside Dinna Bonnevie and the late Alfie Anido.

With an acting career spanning decades, where he got to work with the biggest names in the industry, such as Nora Aunor, Vilma Santos, Maricel Soriano, Sharon Cuneta, Janice De Belen, the bankable actor has done many films and TV projects, wherein he delved into different types of characters in various genres. In television, Gabby has proven that he can breathe life into any kind of role and can still make people’s hearts flutter with his undeniable charm that transcends generations.

“If you stay there long enough, matututunan mo rin and, God-willing, you will love your career and 'yun ang nangyari sa akin. It was gradual. It was slow and it was well worth it for me.”

Gabby Concepcion became a Kapuso in 2015 and has taken on a number of roles in various well-received Kapuso series such as Jaime in Because Of You (2015), Rome in Ika-6 Na Utos (2016), Jake in Love You Two (2019), and President Glenn Acosta in First Yaya (2021) and First Lady (2022). His more recent pursuits include the afternoon drama series Stolen Life (2023), where he portrayed the role of Darius, and the family series My Guardian Alien, where he played the character Carlos.

According to the ageless heartthrob, it was his return to the Philippines in 2008 after 13 years of living in the US that he considers the highlight of his career. The Kapuso actor has nothing but gratitude to everyone who welcomed him back into the industry.

“Ang highlight, sa tingin ko, ng career ko was when I left for America tapos bumalik ako. In a lot of cases, kapag umalis ang isang artista, kapag bumalik, minsan nahihirapan. And noong tinanggap ulit ako ng publiko, I was very happy. I’m very grateful for that and I thank the Lord for that. Maraming salamat din sa inyong lahat for accepting me back. I think that was, for me, the highlight is the return, the comeback, and it was very well-accepted. Thank you sa inyong lahat,” he said.

While the entertainment industry may look glamorous to some, it requires a lot of work, effort, and time to hone one’s craft and carve his path to stardom. Gabby admitted that he had experienced hardships during the early years of his career, but eventually, fell in love with his work as an artist.

“For me, show business was very challenging because wala akong background. ’Yan ang isang industriya na hindi ko gustong pasukin or wala sa isip ko. Minahal ko na rin ngayon because masarap din pala, enjoy. Magaan lang siya. Hindi siya actually mahirap pero noong umpisa, napakahirap because you have to go into workshops. Kung gusto mong galingan ’yung craft mo, kailangan mo talagang seryosohin, and napamahal na rin sa akin. Ang sabi nga nila, kapag nag-enjoy ka na sa isang bagay na ginagawa mo, ang pakiramdam mo parang hindi na trabaho.”

While Gabby did not have any regrets about his career decisions, the celebrity dad admitted that the thought of leaving the industry had crossed his mind before. However, as time passed by, his love for his craft proved to be stronger than quitting.

“Wala akong regrets but there were times na parang gusto ko na umalis kasi parang ang feeling ko, hindi para sa akin ‘to because naman talaga ‘yung nararamdaman ko noon. But if you stay there long enough, matututunan mo rin and, God-willing, you will love your career and ‘yun ang nangyari sa akin. It was gradual. It was slow and it was well worth it for me. So ang regrets ko are actually wala because lahat ng dinaanan ko is part of the learning process ko, ‘yun ang mga hurdles ko. And overall, if you ask me kung nagustuhan ko or hindi, actually nagustuhan ko e. It gave me mga maraming learning curves. It gave me a lot of experience. It made me a better person,” he shared.

No way but up

In September 2022, Gabby solidified his ties with GMA Network after he renewed his contract with the media giant. The star expressed his utmost gratitude to the Kapuso network for their continued trust in him.

“They were all thanking me [for being], again, a part of GMA. Ako dapat ang mag-thank you because hindi ko akalain na ganito ‘yung kanilang welcome sa akin,” he said in an interview. "Maraming salamat sa GMA, sa tiwala nila. I hope I continue making a lot of people happy.”

As an industry veteran, Gabby has learned many valuable lessons throughout his career, but the most significant one came from his late father, Rolando “Rolly” Concepcion.

“The greatest lesson that I have learned [in showbiz], actually it started from my father. Sabi niya, ‘Be nice to everyone in this industry because on your way up, if you go up, they will be the same people that you will see on your way down.’ So be nice to everybody. I think that’s the key. You have to be real, you have to be nice to everybody, and babalik ’yan. It’s the law of karma,” he expressed.

“Wala akong gustong iwan na legacy. I’d like to leave everything the same way, the way it was when I came. Kung ano na lang mangyari, kung anumang makikita nilang legacy sa akin, that’s good. It’s a blessing, it’s a bonus. So, I came with nothing, I leave with nothing.”

Asked about the secret to his longevity in showbiz, Gabby gave a straightforward and insightful answer. “Actually, I don’t know the secret. I just want to be nice to everybody and be yourself. You don’t need to please everybody. Just be yourself. It’s either they accept you or not. Do your work, do your assignment. If you have to study your lines, study your lines. If you have a role to play, play that role, play it good, make it good. Tutal sabi ng Dad ko, ‘Nandiyan ka na lang din, galingan mo na.’”

Gabby has developed a certain ethos in showbiz, a set of guiding principles that he tries to live by.

“Marami akong mga nakikitang mga artista, mga director, iba’t ibang tao na kinukuha ko ’yung mga katangiang gusto ko sa kanila. ’Yung pagiging patient, ’yung pagiging determined, ’yung pagiging aggressive in the right places, in the right ways, in the right time. Everything also, I think, is timing. So hindi ko rin alam kung ’yung time mo is now but kung anuman ’yung mayroon diyan sa harap mo, parang Lazy Susan ’yan e, if the offer is there, I think you should grab it with, of course, ’yung proper judgement. And kapag natanggap mo na ’yung role, paulit-ulit lang ako, galingan mo na, tutal nandiyan ka na lang din.”

Humility is key

Despite his long stellar career in showbiz, where he continues to show his range as an artist, Gabby admitted that he is still unsure about how long he’ll be staying in the industry. The idea of working behind the cameras is something that he doesn’t see himself diving into, either.

“I never thought na magtrabaho behind [the cameras]. Nag-produce ako, that’s the most I’ve done pero directing and all that, I might not see myself doing that pero I don’t know how long I will stay in the industry. I’d like to stay in the industry forever pero si God lang ang makakaalam no’n. Basta ginagawa ko lang yung trabaho ko. I hope the producers, and my directors, and my co-actors are there for me and I hope I will be there forever.”

If Gabby could give tips to the young generation of artists, he would tell them to always choose kindness, remain true to themselves, and to follow their hearts.

“Kapag nagsisimula ka, I think you need to be nice to everybody. Whether malaking tao 'yan, producer ’yan o ’yung pinakamaliit na tao, mga extra, because you never know. Iyan mga ’yan can be producers one day. Iyan mga ’yan can be executive producers one day, directors, writers, and you will bump into them because maliit lang ’yung industriya. Like I said also, do your job, study your lines, be nice to your directors, your co-workers, everybody, the staff. I don’t think you’ll go wrong. Just be yourself, be on time, follow your heart, ‘yan ang importante,” he said.

As for the kind of legacy that he wishes to leave behind, Gabby’s answer reflected how humble he is as a person, despite being one of the country’s finest artist of his generation.

“Wala akong gustong iwan na legacy. I’d like to leave everything the same way, the way it was when I came. Kung ano na lang mangyari, kung anumang makikita nilang legacy sa akin, that’s good. It’s a blessing, it’s a bonus. So, I came with nothing, I leave with nothing,” the actor shared.

Before the interview wrapped up, GMANetwork.com asked the screen idol if he could gamely complete this sentence: “I am Gabby Concepcion and I am _______.”

The actor paused for a few seconds before giving his answer. “I am Gabby Concepcion and I am your leading man,” he said with a beaming smile at the end. It was the same charming smile that everybody fell in love with back in the day.