Richard Reyes Faulkerson Jr. (born January 2, 1992), professionally known as Alden Richards, is a Filipino actor, singer, model, and TV host. Richards has had an extensive career in film and television, primarily as a leading actor, although he later ventured into hosting. He has been an artist of GMA Network since 2010.
Born in Quezon City and raised in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, Richards began his career as a model and in male pageants, before making his television debut in the fantasy drama Alakdana (2011). Next, he made his breakthrough when he co-starred alongside Louise delos Reyes in the romance drama One True Love (2012), and later co-starred alongside Marian Rivera in Carmela: Ang Pinakamagandang Babae sa Mundong Ibabaw (2014), followed by a portrayal of Philippine national hero Jose Rizal in Ilustrado (2014). Richards later gained further recognition as a host of the noontime show Eat Bulaga! (2015-2023), where he was paired with Maine Mendoza in the sketch comedy Kalyeserye, thus forming the love team AlDub. The pair also starred in the films My Bebe Love: #KiligPaMore and Imagine You and Me, as well as in the GMA Telebabad (later GMA Prime) drama series Destined to be Yours (2017).
Following the dissolution of AlDub, Richards went solo and starred as the title character in the action fantasy drama Victor Magtanggol (2018), followed by leading roles in The Gift (2018), The World Between Us (2021), Start-Up PH (2022), and Pulang Araw (2024). He also co-starred alongside Kathryn Bernardo in Hello, Love, Again, the sequel to Hello, Love, Goodbye, which is the highest-grossing Filipino film of all time. Outside of acting, Richards is a singer. His second album, Wish I May (2015), whose title track served as the theme song to the 2016 GMA Afternoon Prime drama series of the same title, has been certified diamond by the PARI, making it one of the best-selling albums in the Philippines.
Biography[]
Early life and background[]
Richards was born Richard Reyes Faulkerson Jr. January 2, 1992 in Quezon City, Philippines. He is the the second child of Richard Peralta Faulkerson Sr. and Rosario Reyes, with three siblings: older brother Richard Daniel and sisters Riza and Angel. Alden is of American descent through his paternal grandfather. At some point, his family moved to Golden City Subdivision in Sta. Rosa, Laguna where Alden grew up. Growing up, Richards wanted to be a pilot but his mother urged him to pursue acting instead. Being very young at that time, Alden did not take it too seriously.
In 2008, Rosario passed away after bouts with chronic pneumonia from being a heavy smoker. From his mother’s medication expenses to his and his siblings’ education, his father’s earnings were not enough to support their family. In that trying moment, it dawned on him that there was no better way to honor his mother than fulfilling the one thing she desired most. So Alden tried to find a way to enter the Philippine entertainment industry.
His first school was Mary Help of Christians School within Golden City, Sta. Rosa. He studied high school at Paco Catholic School in Paco, Manila for one year, and then Colegio de Santa Rosa de Lima, Inc. where he graduated in 2009. Although he wanted to be a pilot, he wasn't able to pay its tuition fee so he ended up taking Business Management at the De La Salle Canlubang in Biñan, Laguna. In 2011, Alden withdrew from college to become a full-fledged celebrity.
Alden Richards achieved consecutive victories as the Ginoong Santa Rosa in 2009 and Ginoong Laguna in 2010. He also began working as a part-time commerical model at the age of 17. Alden also auditioned for reality television shows StarStruck in 2009 and Pinoy Big Brother: Teen Clash 2010. Unfortunately, he didn't make it far in either show. He only made it in the Top 60 of StarStruck before being eliminated.
Acting[]
Alden Richards and Louise delos Reyes
Alden was a freshman in college when he was invited to audition for a role in the 2011 afternoon fantasy-drama series Alakdana on GMA Network. Initially, he was hesitant to go to the audition because he was one absence away from failing a class. Luckily, he went as a last-minute decision and landed the lead role. He was paired with actress Louise delos Reyes and their loveteam became known as DenLou. Their tandem became a hit that it propelled each of them to stardom. His role in Alakdana also earned him the Golden Screen TV Award for Outstanding Breakthrough Performance by an Actor in the same year.
He was then included in the cast of Reel Love Presents: Tween Hearts (2011) and My Beloved (2012) before bagging a lead role on GMA-7's primetime block. Alden and Louise became household names with the popularity of their characters in the 2012 drama-romance series One True Love as Tisoy and Elize, star-crossed lovers who fought for their love all the way until the end.
Because of his versatility and love for his craft, Alden was also given the opportunity to showcase more of his talent and work with some of the industry’s respected artists and directors, most notably when he was paired with Kapuso Primetime Queen Marian Rivera in the 2014 drama series Carmela: Ang Pinakamagandang Babae sa Mundong Ibabaw. In October 2014, Alden topbilled the internationally-acclaimed historical drama mini-series Ilustrado. He played the role of Filipino patriot José Rizal that gave Alden his first Best Actor award from the 29th PMPC Star Awards for Television. He was the only nominee from his home network against a field of respected actors from the rival television network.
Alden also appeared in the reboot series of Encantadia (2016) where he played as a Mulawin named Lakan. His first appearance in said fantasy series generated public interest and became a trending topic in a social media website. In 2018, Alden made his big comeback on primetime as headlined the fantasy television series Victor Magtanggol. He followed this up in another lead roles in The Gift. He was later paired with Jasmine Curtis-Smith in The World Between Us and in Start-Up PH with Bea Alonzo.
Set during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, Richards starred as Filipino-American Eduardo dela Cruz in the family drama series Pulang Araw. Richards said of his portrayal: "Napakahirap pong gawin ng Pulang Araw. From the set, to the costumes, the lines, tsine-check namin every now and then kung period-correct ba 'yung mga ginagawa namin to the slippers, to the buttons of the shirt, ganun ka-detalyado. Kailangan consistent kasi sa tight shots makikita siya." (Pulang Araw is very challenging to do. From the set, to the costumes, the lines, we've checked every now and then if what we did to the slippers, to the buttons of the shirt, are very detailed. They need to be consistent because the tight shots should be seen.")
Eat Bulaga! and AlDub phenomenon[]
Alden Richards with Maine Mendoza
While waiting for a new project from GMA Network, Alden was invited to co-host the noontime show Eat Bulaga! He was only supposed to be on the show for a month before he would leave for the United States to perform in a series of shows for GMA Pinoy TV.
On 18 April 2015, Alden Richards joined the longest-running noontime show as a guest co-host in the segment Pinoy Henyo High. He was 23 years old at the time he joined the show.
The addition of a fresh and young face to the noontime show was positively received by its viewers. He began to host other segments such as You're My Foreignoy: Artistahin Talaga!. Although his hosting stint was supposed to elapse on 23 May 2015, the big bosses of Eat Bulaga! liked his performance and the viewers' positive reception so much that they invited him back on the show when he returned from the United States to become a regular co-host.
On 6 July 2015, he received his big break on Eat Bulaga! as the main host of That's My Bae: "Twerk It" Dance Contest. His undeniable charm and boy-next-door appeal as the host of the segment earned him the title of "Pambansang Bae ng Pilipinas". His tandem with co-host Sam YG in the segment also became a hit.
Upon discovering Maine Mendoza had a crush on Alden, the show's producers immediately capitalized by scheming an 'ambush' on Maine. On 16 July 2015, Alden was invited to sit out on the studio stage and watch Juan for All, All for Juan: Bayanihan of d' Pipol where a camera can readily focus on his face. While Maine was preoccupied doing one of her Yaya Dub dubsmashes, Alden's video feed was propped up on the opposite screen. Maine glanced at the monitor and found Alden watching her. Unable to contain her "kilig", Maine broke out of her character and smiled. Maine desperately tried to revert back to Yaya Dub mode. Netizens subsequently trended her spontaneous reaction online as they saw the potential of this new loveteam, which would later be known as AlDub. The noontime show simply went with the flow and more screen time was given to the pair in the segment Problem Solving. Overtime, Problem Solving gradually morphed into an improvised comedy soap opera titled Kalyeserye, which focused on AlDub's forbidden love story.
Soon, Alden and Maine gained a large following among the masses. The loveteam had created a loyal fandom called AlDub Nation, generating millions of tweets daily on Twitter. In fact, the official hashtag for the sold-out "Sa Tamang Panahon" special episode of Eat Bulaga! at The Philippine Arena on 24 October 2015 was acknowledged by Guinness World Records as the most used hashtag within 24 hours after amassing more than 40 million tweets. The most awaited event was a milestone for the loveteam as it was Maine's first time to speak with her actual voice and the tandem was able to interact with each other without any hindrance from Lola Nidora. The "Sa Tamang Panahon" event, as well as other milestone episodes of the phenomenal loveteam, helped the show garner some of its all-time high ratings.
Reeling in some record-breaking tweets and the show's highest ratings, AlDub made local pop culture history and changed the careers of Alden and Maine forever. Alden Richards has expressed his huge debt of gratitude to the noontime show as it gave me him opportunity to touch more lives and "to do good, to spread the goodness,”. The actor has also learned how to deal with the pressures of his public image.
Along with his Kalyeserye co-stars, Alden received a star at the Philippine Walk of Fame in December 2015 at Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City. Now that he has reached success, appearing on TV and the movies with projects on end, as well as product endorsements on his plate, Alden is looking forward to new opportunities on his road ahead. Alden Richards dedicates his current success to his late mother, “This is her legacy and I’m doing this for her still.”
Hosting[]
In 2014, Richards hosted the reality talent show Bet ng Bayan along with Regine Velasquez. He was also a main cast member on the Sunday noontime variety shows Party Pilipinas, Sunday All Stars, Sunday PinaSaya, and All-Out Sundays. Richards also hosted the reality shows Centerstage and Battle of the Judges.
Music career[]
Alden debuted as a singer in May 2013. His first single "Haplos", a revival of Shamrock's hit song was included in his self-titled debut album. The song was used as soundtrack on his primetime show Mundo Mo'y Akin.
His second album, Wish I May, was launched on 17 October 2015. The first single, "Wish I May", which served as the theme song of the 2016 television series of the same name, landed on the top spot of iTunes Philippines song charts. As for the album, Wish I May reached the gold status from PARI twelve hours after it was released digitally. It was the fastest-selling Filipino album in the Philippines in 2015. The album then received a platinum record award for selling more than 15,000 copies. In December, the album turned double platinum. The album earned a triple platinum award in January 2016 and quadruple platinum award in February 2016. In March 2015, the album received a 5x platinum record recognition. The album received the 6x and 7x platinum record awards on 27 July 2016 and the 8x platinum award on 18 September 2016. On 9 October 2016, the album became certified as a Diamond Record.
The theme song for GMA Network's 2015 Christmas station ID entitled "MaGMAhalan Tayo Ngayong Pasko" was performed by Alden Richards. Aside from singing the theme song, he also appeared on the station ID's music video with Maine Mendoza and the Kalyeserye's lolas (Jose Manalo, Wally Bayola and Paolo Ballesteros).
Next, he released two more albums: Say It Again and Until I See You Again. For his tenth anniversary in showbiz, Richards released his single "Goin' Crazy", and performed the song during his virtual reality (VR) concert titled Alden's Reality: The Virtual Reality Concert.
Filmography[]
Television[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Alakdana | Joma Perez | |
| 2011 | Tween Hearts | Dennis | |
| 2012 | My Beloved | Rico Castor | |
| 2012 | One True Love | Tisoy | |
| 2012 | Teen Gen | Rafael Castillo | |
| 2013 | Mundo Mo'y Akin | Jerome | |
| 2013 | Magpakailanman: Kriminal na Biktima sa Saudi Arabia | Dondon | |
| 2013 | Indio | Young Simeon | |
| 2014 | Carmela: Ang Pinakamagandang Babae sa Mundong Ibabaw | Santiago "Yago" Torres Flores | |
| 2014 | Ilustrado | Jose Rizal | |
| 2014 | Magpakailanman: Isinakdal ko ang Aking Anak: The Julita Renato Story | Allan | |
| 2014 | Magpakailanman: Gas Mo, Bukas Ko | Jovel | |
| 2014 | Wagas: Tom & Jeza Love Story | Young Harry Gasser | |
| 2015 | Pari 'Koy | Young Kokoy | |
| 2015 | Eat Bulaga! | Host | |
| 2015 | Wish Ko Lang!: Bayani ang Tunay kong Pag-ibig | PO3 John Lloyd Sumbilla | |
| 2015 | APT Entertainment Lenten Presentation: Pag-uwi | Sam Carbonne | |
| 2015 | Sunday PinaSaya | Host | |
| 2015 | Magpakailanman: Rehas ng Pag-ibig | Danny | |
| 2015 | Maynila: Unexpected Love Boarder | Ambo | |
| 2016 | Encantadia | Lakan | |
| 2017 | Wish Ko Lang!: Doctor to the Barrio | Dr. Dalvie Casilang | |
| 2017 | Alaala: A Martial Law Special | Boni Ilagan | |
| 2017 | Daig Kayo ng Lola Ko: Si Jessie at si Dante Higante | Jessie | |
| 2017 | Destined to be Yours | Benjie Rosales | |
| 2017 | Magpakailanman: The Jomille Pavia Story | Jomille Pavia | |
| 2018 | Daig Kayo ng Lola Ko: Pepe and the Werpa Kids | Jose Rizal | |
| 2018 | Daig Kayo ng Lola Ko: Nonoy, ang Santang Pinoy | Nonoy | |
| 2018 | Victor Magtanggol | Victor Magtanggol | |
| 2019 | The Gift | Sep Apostol | |
| 2019 | Daddy's Gurl: First Crush | Aldrich Reyes | |
| 2019 | Daig Kayo ng Lola Ko: Lola Enchanted | Nonoy | |
| 2020 | All-Out Sundays | Host | |
| 2020 | Centerstage | Host | |
| 2020 | Lockdown: Food Diaries | Host | |
| 2020 | I Can See You: Love on the Balcony | Inigo Mapa | |
| 2021 | The World Between Us | Louie Asuncion | |
| 2022 | Start-Up PH | Tristan Hernandez | |
| 2023 | Magpakailanman: A Runner to Remember: The Jirome De Castro Story | Jirome | |
| 2023 | Magpakailanman: Epal Dreamboy: The Richard Licop Story | Richard | |
| 2023 | Magpakailanman: The Lost Boy | Allan | |
| 2023 | Magpakailanman: Sa Puso at Isipan: The Cantillana Family Story | Andrew | |
| 2023 | Battle of the Judges | Host | |
| 2024 | Pulang Araw | Eduardo dela Cruz |
Film[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Tween Academy: Class of 2012 | Christian | |
| 2011 | The Road | Teenage Luis | |
| 2012 | Sosy Problems | Inigo | |
| 2015 | My Bebe Love: #KiligPaMore | Dondi | |
| 2016 | Imagine You and Me | Andrew | |
| 2017 | Trip Ubusan: The Lolas vs. Zombies | Alden | Special Participation |
| 2024 | Hello, Love, Again | Ethan |
Discography[]
Albums[]
- Alden Richards (2013)
- Wish I May (2015)
- Say It Again (2016)
- Until I See You Again (2018)
Singles[]
- "Goin' Crazy" (2020)