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From food to film, Joel Torre still rocks and reigns
Aug 17, 2025
Chatting with Joel is like watching performance art. One second he’s bright and expansive, the next timid, quiet, withdrawn. Well, he’s an actor after all, a multi-awarded one at that, in the Philippines and internationally, who boasts a dizzying list of accomplishments in his 56-year career.
Joel was 7 when stage and film director Peque Gallaga spotted him in a play in their hometown, Bacolod. Peque immediately walked over to their house and asked for Joel.
As he recalls the encounter, Joel turns into that bright-eyed, bushy-tailed 7-year-old, grinning up at an ominous Peque. Then he becomes Peque, looking down through his gruff full beard saying, “You’re going to be in my next play,” pointing a finger at Joel.
Then Joel is the 7-year old again, agog, furiously nodding and grinning like an eager puppy, “Okaaay.” That was the beginning of decades of mentoring with Peque.
In university, Joel studied advanced acting under Peque and performed with the St. Genesius Guild. Saint who?
“St. Genesius! The patron saint of actors!” glaring incredulously at me. “He has an interesting story. He was a Roman actor who later was martyred as a Christian,” and Joel opens his arms and looks to the sky as if he had seen the second coming. I could almost hear a choir of angels. I felt like a Philistine.
Comes Oro, Plata, Mata directed by Peque, and Joel was introduced to Philippine cinema as Miguel Lorenzo, in what he describes as the awkward, kinda sickly teenager (at least that’s what he appeared to be) but no, he was 21 at the time. Good acting.
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