Zanjoe Marudo’s journey in showbiz spans nearly two decades, starting from his days as a model to his breakthrough moment in “Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition 1” back in 2006, which opened the doors for him to become one of the most sought-after leading men in his generation.
Through the years, he’s proven his range as an actor, with a body of work that includes a string of remarkable teleseryes and films—the most recent being his new movie "How To Get Away From My Toxic Family."
As for television, his last teleserye, "Dirty Linen," aired two years ago, and he’s since taken a step back to focus on his growing family with wife Ria Atayde and their son, Sabino. That’s why many fans still find themselves missing Zanjoe on the small screen. So while we wait for his next big TV comeback, how about a little throwback?
In this Kapamilya Chat challenge called “Zanjoe.MP3,” the actor listens to audio clips from some of his past teleseryes and tries to recall which character he played and which show the line was from.
The first dialogue he listened to was from "Lovers in Paris," one of his earliest breaks on television. Looking back, Zanjoe recalled how big of an opportunity it was for a then-newbie like him to be cast alongside Piolo Pascual and KC Concepcion in an adaptation of a wildly popular Korean drama. Being part of a project that massive, especially at the start of his acting career, felt like a major vote of confidence from ABS-CBN.
The next scene took him back to "Annaliza," a show he remembered with so much fondness, not just for the role but for the energy on set. It was always a lively environment with so many child actors and castmates his age like Kaye Abad, Carlo Aquino, and Patrick Garcia. He added that they all were impressed with the kids' professionalism, “Kaya nag-e-enjoy kaming i-shoot kasi kahit naglalaro sila, pero kapag nagsimula na ’yong eksena, ang gagaling.”
And then he instantly recognized the voice of a young Jana Agoncillo which brought him straight back to "Dream Dad," where he played Baste, the bachelor-turned-businessman who unexpectedly becomes a father figure. “Nakaka-miss si Janna katrabaho,” he said. Zanjoe also shared that when he found out he was being considered for the role, he made sure to let the ABS-CBN bosses know how eager he was to put in the work for the character. He really wanted to prove that he could carry the role of Baste and give it the heart it deserved because he was genuinely drawn to the material.
Everyone in the studio, including Zanjoe himself, burst into laughter upon hearing the iconic line, “Ako si Natoy na mahal na mahal ka," which never seems to get old and continues to resurface in countless memes online. The dialogue came from "Tubig at Langis," where he played the character Natoy.
Zanjoe recalled that before filming that particular scene with Cristine Reyes, he approached their director, FM Reyes, and asked, “Direk, sasabihin ko ba talaga ’to? Nakakatawa, eh.” To which Direk FM replied, “’Yan ang nasa script, gawin mo ’yan. Ikaw ang actor, so gawin mo kung paano mo gagawin.”Zanjoe spent quite a bit of time contemplating how to deliver the line in the middle of such a drama-heavy moment, but he took it as a challenge and trusted his instincts as an actor.
As a bit of trivia, he also shared that since the character’s full first name was Renato, he initially suggested changing the nickname to ‘Nato,’ thinking 'Natoy' would sound a little unserious. But the creatives decided to stick with 'Natoy,' and that decision clearly paid off as the name has since become deeply etched in the minds of Filipino viewers. Of course, he's flattered that audiences still remember that role even years later.
Another standout in his teleserye résumé is his portrayal as David Ilustre in "The Broken Marriage Vow," the Philippine adaptation of the hit BBC series "Doctor Foster." He described it as one of his most unforgettable experiences since it was filmed during the pandemic. The entire team had to be locked in together in Baguio for almost two months, which he believed helped build chemistry among the cast and allowed them to fully immerse themselves in their characters.
Even though they couldn’t leave the premises due to health protocols, they still found ways to bond. A net was set up on the hotel rooftop so they could play volleyball together. They also worked out as a group, and lead actress Jodi Sta. Maria even brought her tools for acupuncture, which became one of their favorite ways to unwind during breaks.
Zanjoe really lived through some unforgettable roles. What kind of character do you want to see him play next?