Albert Martinez

Alberto Pineda Martinez (born April 19, 1961), is a Filipino actor, producer, and director.^[1] Dubbed as the "King of Philippine Teleseryes",^[2][3] he has since established himself as one of the most omnipresent figures in Philippine television and cinema.^[4] He is best known for his performances in acclaimed films such as Rosario (2010), Rizal in Dapitan (1997), Segurista (1996) and Sidhi (1999), as well as in multiple hit television series like Ang Probinsyano (2015), Kadenang Ginto (2018), Juan dela Cruz (2013), The General's Daughter (2019), and Batang Quiapo (2025).

With a career spanning four decades in the showbusiness, Martinez made his screen debut in 1980 and has since starred in over 60 television series and movies.^[5][6] He has won 2 FAMAS Awards for 'Best Actor' & 'Best Director', 2 Gawad Urian Awards and several nominations from the Bogota Film Festival and at the Shanghai International Film Festival.^[5]

Early life

Alberto Pineda Martinez was born in Manila on April 19, 1961, to Bert Martinez, and Margarita Pineda.^[7]

Career

Martinez began his acting career in 1979 when a talent agency hired him for a television ad. At the time, he was just a personal assistant for his younger brother William, who was an actor. Soon after, he became a film extra in the 1981 film Totoo Ba Ang Chismis? followed by a bigger role in the film Blue Jeans.^[8] He took his first teleserye role as Glenn in the 1980 series Anna Liza on GMA Network. Martinez's character, Glenn was the suitor of the titular protagonist, Anna Liza which was portrayed by Julie Vega.^[9] The show lasted until Vega's death in 1985.^[5] He then made his ABS-CBN debut in the 1993 sitcom Oki Doki Doc.^[4]

Martinez cites actor John Travolta's acting style as his basis on his own film roles. He describes Travolta as having a tongue-in-cheek style in acting as characterized in his roles in Face/Off, Broken Arrow and Battlefield Earth. Martinez praised Travolta for making his roles "shine" on the aforementioned films despite not portraying "natural characters". He also cited Christopher de Leon as his idol since he started his career in film acting.^[10]

In 1992, after taking a break from acting to raise his two children with Anna Lissa "Liezl" Sumilang in the United States, Martinez starred in the romantic drama film Yakapin Mo Akong Muli, which was a box office bomb.^[1] He followed that up with Kahit May Mahal Ka Ng Iba a year later, which was not well received. As a result, he was only not able to complete the three-picture deal he signed with Regal Films, and went back to being a film extra.^[8]

Martinez got back into significant roles thanks to performances in GMA teleseryes and the 1994 film Pangako ng Kahapon, which earned him a FAMAS Award for Best Supporting Actor.^[8] After that he got to work with Nora Aunor in two films: Muling Umawit ang Puso and Sidhi. He also won several Best Supporting Actor awards from the Gawad Urian and the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) for his role in the film Dead Sure.^[5] His role in Dead Sure was the first time he played a villain role.^[8]

In the television series Ikaw Lang ang Mamahalin, he portrayed Ferdinand Fuentebuella who marries a woman from a rich family to save the wealth of his own family. On the eve of Martinez's character's wedding, Fuentebuella had a one-night stand with a prostitute (portrayed by Gina Alajar and gets her pregnant. Fuentebuella is reunited with his daughter, Catherine (portrayed by Angelika dela Cruz) five years later but again gets separated from each other. Throughout the series Fuentebuella is determined to reunite again with his daughter as his loveless marriage deteriorates. This role of a sympathetic character was deemed a deviation from Martinez's usual portrayal of hateful characters in films. Commenting on his role after being asked how does he chooses his role, Martinez says that the audience views the characters as role models which they would like to emulate. He says that he tries to incorporate positive values in his role yet he makes sure that the character he portrays remains flawed adding that he is "always looking for a dark twist".^[9]

Martinez starred as a downtrodden husband in the 2003 film Magnífico. He then starred in the television series, Sa Piling Mo, together with Judy Ann Santos and Piolo Pascual which was shown on ABS-CBN. He also worked on the fantaserye Komiks Presents: Da Adventures of Pedro Penduko and the teleserye Maria Flordeluna in 2007 as the role of Gen. Leo Alicante. From 2009 to 2010, he worked on the teleserye May Bukas Pa, in the role of the antagonist turned protagonist Mayor Enrique Rodrigo.^[4] He played the role of Frank Crisanto on the teleserye Kung Tayo'y Magkakalayo, alongside Kris Aquino, Kim Chiu, Gina Pareño, Coco Martin, and Gerald Anderson.^[11]

Martinez then directed his first film Rosario which was shown at the 2010 Metro Manila Film Festival.^[12] Although many praised his direction, he did not receive a directing nomination.^[13]

Martinez was part of cast for the 2012 film, Born to Love You. His next major appearance in a feature film would be in the 2021 adult drama film The Housemaid, although he also figured in a special role in Revirginized which starred Sharon Cuneta.^[14]

In 2021, he returns to GMA-7 as part of Las Hermanas.^[15] He also played the role of Dr. Richard Smith in Voltes V: Legacy.

Martinez returned again to ABS-CBN in a villain role in The Iron Heart as Engr. Priam dela Torre, the leader of the Tatsulok syndicate and the biological father of the protagonist, Apollo, played by Richard Gutierrez.^[4][16] After The Iron Heart, he appeared as one of the main casts of Lavender Fields in 2024. As of 2025, he portrays Mayor Roberto Guerrero in FPJ's Batang Quiapo.

Personal life

His father, Bert Martínez, was a character actor during the 1960s.

Albert was married to Liezl Sumilang from 1985, until her death in 2015.^[17] In the late 1980s, the couple owned up to 46 massage therapy clinics throughout California in the United States.^[18] They had three children: actor Alfonso Martinez, Alyanna Martinez, Alissa Martinez. He now has three grandchildren.^[8]

Martinez owns a large car collection, which includes a 1968 Mercury Cougar he restored for his late wife, Liezl. Sometimes he would go off-roading with his cars in a property he owns in Tanay, Rizal.^[8]

Filmography

Film

As director

• Rosario (2010) – MMFF Entry "59th Famas Best Director (winner)"

Television / Digital Series

Footnotes

1. ^ In 2013–14, GMA Network's rival network, ABS-CBN, produced a television series entitled "Annaliza", a remake adaptation of the original series starring Andrea Brillantes.
2. ^ Martinez starred in the remake version as Flordeluna's father, Leo.^[20]
3. ^ Albert Martinez is portraying the remake role of Fritz Martinez in the television series starring Kris Aquino, originally portrayed by Susan Roces, who is also participating in the series.
4. ^ Martinez guested on 100 Days to Heaven portraying another form of Tagabantay, a man who guides Anna Manalastas to correct her wrong deeds. He is disguised as a postman and tells Anna how much time left she has.
5. ^ Martinez was reprising his role as Samuel Alejandro to do a fictional character crossover to the spin-off series, My Little Juan, a child version of Juan dela Cruz.
6. ^ Albert Martinez is portraying the remake version of Tino, originally played by Wendell Ramos.

Awards and nominations

References

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External links

• Albert Martinez at IMDb
• GMA Network profile