Nadine Lustre, Ian Veneracion emerge as INQUIRER.net’s most date-worthy celebrities for Valentine’s Day
Graphics by Lance Uy / INQUIRER.net
You voted, and we listened.
We have started with the top 16 celebrities and after two weeks of polling, Nadine Lustre and Ian Veneracion have emerged as the most date-worthy celebrities for Valentine’s Day. We’ve promised a kilig feature on the winning pair, and we shall try to keep that promise within the love month.
Of course, Nadine and Ian are currently happy with their respective relationships. But it certainly wouldn’t hurt to simply dream about what it would be like to be on an actual date with them, right? Dream only, alright? Not put those dreams into practice.
But if there’s anything that this survey has proven, it’s that these two celebrities still have the clout, moves, the looks and the air that shroud their onscreen and offscreen persona
Graphics by Lance Uy / INQUIRER.net
Ian Veneracion
The moment he flashes a smile to the crowd, screams automatically film the room, a clear testament to this 47-year-old actor’s undeniable charisma.
Unbeknown to younger fans, Ian Veneracion’s acting career started in the 1980s when he took on the role of playful Jeffrey Laperal in the RPN Channel 9 sitcom “Joey and Son” with veteran comedian Joey de Leon. His star power started to shine bright during the decade, especially as a member of the variety show “That’s Entertainment” — which is probably a favorite guilty pleasure of many Filipino parents during their youth.
Ian Veneracion
He then embraced the action genre in the 1990s, as he appeared in several adrenaline-inducing films such as “Pugoy – Hostage: Davao”, “Isa Lang ang Buhay Mo! Sgt. Bobby Aguilar”, and “Kanto Boy 2: Anak ni Totoy Guapo”, among many others, where he was usually seen as the lead actor shooting guns and getting the damsel in distress when he gets lucky.
Ian soon alternated between GMA-7 and ABS-CBN in the 2000s to find a footing in the local entertainment industry, but it wasn’t until the 2015 remake of the hit teleserye “Pangako Sa’yo” where he was able to achieve his renaissance as the breathtaking Eduardo Buenavista.
The actor soon embraced his leading man status, including as a single father in the teleserye “A Love to Last”, a man seeking to get a jewelry shop manager’s sweet yes in the film “The Achy Breaky Hearts”, and the corrupt and abusive police officer in the erotic Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2022 film entry “Nanahimik Ang Gabi”.
Ian also achieved the coveted MMFF Best Actor in December 2022, his first lead actor nod after 40 years, proving that age is merely just a number when it comes to achieving your dreams.
Nadine Lustre
Fondly known as “President Nadine” by fans, Nadine Lustre became a name on everyone’s radar after her role as Eya in the 2014 film “Diary ng Panget”.
But for newbie fans, she started her entertainment career as a member of the five-member group Pop Girls in 2009. She eventually left the group in 2011 to pursue a solo career.
Nadine Lustre
Lustre then started to prove herself as a multi-hyphenate in the entertainment industry after releasing her self-titled EP and appearing in “Diary ng Panget” and “Talk Back and You’re Dead” with former reel-to-real life partner James Reid in 2014. The love team with Reid became an instant success since then, and the pair have appeared in several projects together until their eventual split in 2019.
It has been upwards for Lustre since then, as she took on several projects that challenged herself as a solo artist. Soon enough, many opportunities appeared on her doorstep where she was able to fully showcase herself in all its beautiful forms.
Aside from acting and music, the talented star is also known to be vocal about issues that she cares about from the heart, particularly mental health, women’s rights, and the LGBTQIA+ community. EDV
