Jericho Rosales marks 20

ROSALES. Has regained his momentum.

Most TV-film stars consider themselves lucky when they’re able to remain popular for a full decade, but Jericho Rosales has gone way past that implicit limit and recently celebrated his 20th year in the acting biz!

He first appeared on TV in 1996, and became popular on “Esperanza” and “Oka Tokat.”

His “breakout” stellar performance was in the original “Pangako Sa ‘Yo” drama series opposite Kristine Hermosa.

His first films included “Forevermore” and “Ngayong Nandito Ka,” and his best big-screen portrayal was in Laurice Guillen’s “Santa-Santita,” which also “made” the thespic reputation of its female lead, Angelica Panganiban.

However, Jericho’s high-flying career was compromised by his 2007 fantasy-drama series, “Ang Panday,” which didn’t do “as well as expected.” Even his film career slowed down, perhaps due to a personal and professional lack of focus and drive.

Eventually, however, he bounced back with TV shows and film projects that reminded viewers that he was still a thespic contender.

He came into his own again on TV in 2014-’15 with “The Legal Wife” and “Bridges of Love.” On the big screen, his notable starrers include “Baler,” “Alagwa” and “Walang Forever.”

However, there’s no denying the fact that during his “slow and low” period, other male stars surged ahead of him, due to greater focus and savvy career management.

Now that Jericho has regained his momentum, we trust that he’s learned to not be affected by personal doubts and fears, but to just give his uncommon acting talent the dynamic dedication it deserves. Ditto for his singing ability, which should be showcased more effectively this year.

We’re glad that his MMFF starrer, “Walang Forever,” was such a sleeper hit, but what Jericho really needs now is an even more challenging film starrer along the lines of “Santa-Santita,” to prove that he’s the best TV-film actor around, despite the inroads that have been made by the likes of John Lloyd Cruz and Piolo Pascual.