IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Get to know Anthony Jennings
Anthony Jennings. Image: Instagram/@dookieducay via @anthonyjenningss
Even before he made headlines for controversial reasons, Anthony Jennings had turned quite a few heads with his appeal onscreen—which is credit to his easygoing personality.
Since he had his acting debut in 2019, Jennings had been part of several big and small screen projects, but his stint as Snoop in “Can’t Buy Me Love” gave him his biggest break. His tandem with Maris Racal in the TV series became a hit. Unfortunately, the recent personal events between them and his non-showbiz ex-girlfriend, Jamela Villanueva, crushed the once-admired onscreen teamup.
As some have become curious about Jennings and his career prior to the cheating controversy, let’s get to know more about the actor.
Anthony Jennings. Image: Instagram/@no_name_ph via @anthonyjennings
Jennings’ mom is Filipino while his late dad was British. The 24-year-old actor grew up in Negros Occidental with his mother, while his dad resided in the United Kingdom to work and provide for them.
As their family struggled to make ends meet, Jennings had to stop from schooling during his elementary years. In a 2022 interview with showbiz reporter-actor Ogie Diaz, the actor recalled how his family would move from one rental home to another as they could no longer afford the rent.
Article continues after this advertisementJennings said he would also go fishing with his grandfather and uncle to help provide food on their table.
Article continues after this advertisement“Hindi ko naman kinaawaan ‘yung sarili ko kasi na-enjoy ko nga siya e. Masaya ako na may mga gano’n akong experiences sa buhay,” the actor said. “Isa ‘yung bagay na ‘yon sa nagpatatag sa akin.”
(I do not pity myself because I enjoyed my life. I am happy to have such experiences in life. It was one of the things that made me strong.)
Jennings then tried his luck and joined dance workshops. He did not progress in such but fortunately, he was given opportunities in commercial modeling. Jennings said he would attend three to four VTRs a day, in which he encountered rejections. He revealed that he even auditioned for an opportunity in GMA Network but had no luck.
Jennings was eventually discovered by Star Magic through his commercials, and was introduced as part of the Star Magic Circle 2019. His batchmates include Belle Mariano, Kyle Echarri, Jeremiah Lesbo and Gillian Vicencio.
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Through this, Jennings was able to help support their family’s needs and his siblings’ schooling. He became the sole breadwinner of their family after his dad’s sudden death in 2022.
Jennings, who admitted he regrets not pursuing his studies during his younger years, has also taken an alternative education program to finish high school and to eventually earn a bachelor’s degree.
“‘Yung pagbabasa at pagsusulat, natutunan ko na lang siya in the long run. Parang kusa na lang lumabas,” he said, although he admitted having a hard time understanding numbers that he still gets confused over calendars and money.
(I learned how to read and right in the long run. It’s like it just naturally happened.)
Despite this, Jennings said he is content that he is able to send his siblings to school. He noted as well that he is not planning on settling down anytime soon as he currently prioritizes providing for his brothers’ schooling.
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Aside from “Can’t Buy Me Love,” Jennings has starred in the 2021 film “Love At First Stream” as well as TV series including “Make It With You” (2020), “House Arrest of Us” (2020), “Tara, G!” (2022) and “A Family Affair” (2022). He also played the role of Alden Richards’s youngest brother in the blockbuster hit “Hello, Love, Goodbye” (2019) and its sequel “Hello, Love, Again” (2024).
