Geline Salac

Former model Luke Jickain, inspiration for Joshua in ‘Bar Boys,’ passes 2025 Bar exams

Article (news)

Andrea Taguines

ABS-CBN News

If you loved the &quot;Bar Boys&quot; films, a coming-of-age movie series about friends navigating law school, here’s a real-life plot twist: the man who inspired one of the characters has just passed the 2025 Bar Exams.The Facebook page of the film congratulated former model Luke Jickain after the Bar results were released on Wednesday and revealed that he was actually the basis for Joshua Zuñiga, a character portrayed by Kean Cipriano.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FBarboysfilm%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02fyudGtZ3f7nJQgZVZHCtGfa1RzJ4erCW1Gj1jsn76xryxUdfE8kryW8wd9PVTwPnl&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="524" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>In an interview with ABS-CBN News, Jickain shared that he and director Kip Oebanda were college friends. And just like in the movie, there were four of them in their ‘barkada’.But Jickain admitted that compared to the rest of his friend group, he always saw himself as the “average student.”“In part 1 (of the movie), one of the main actors quit school to pursue modeling. And that was really my path because at the time I was really having a hard time. Kip and my barkada, they’re so smart. We all entered college in 2001. They graduated on time, 2005. By 2009, I’m still in college so parang it took me 8 years,” he said.After a while, Jickain said he realized that modeling was not a sustainable career.He dreamed of becoming a lawyer like his uncle, whom he calls Tito Ray.“He inspired me because he happens to be this guy who solves everybody’s problems. When he’s there, people’s lives just get better. So sabi ko, oh, there’s something about lawyers that really help people,” he said.But just like during his college years, Jickain said he also struggled in law school.“When I was reading my cases, ‘di ko maintindihan. Parang it takes 3, 4 readings. Sabi ko, is this normal? I know naman how to read and understand English pero yung English kasi it’s legalese so I was always reading on my right hand the printed case and on the left, a dictionary,” he recounted.Jickain said it was his professor, Atty. Reggie Ukol, who helped him through his insecurities.“There was one professor who really believed in me… He told us his experience during the time na he was in law school, and it was kind of the same experience na I was having. It would take him many readings just to understand. (That made me think) that, ah okay, that’s normal. I learned not to compare myself with others, trust the process, trust that what you read is something you took time to understand, and you don’t cut corners when you’re studying,” said Jickain.After years of hard work, Jickain passed the Bar on his first attempt.This is his message to other aspiring lawyers who are struggling right now in school, or to those who failed to pass the Bar but are thinking of trying again.“If i can do it, so can you. Because chances are, when I was in your position, you’re way ahead than me… Siguro maganda rin na I passed kasi to see a guy who’s barely passing, making it, you can see na nothing’s really impossible,” he said.

If you loved the "Bar Boys" films, a coming-of-age movie series about friends navigating law school, here’s a real-life plot twist: the man who inspired one of the characters has just passed the 2025 Bar Exams.

If you loved the "Bar Boys" films, a coming-of-age movie series about friends navigating law school, here’s a real-life plot twist: the man who inspired one of the characters has just passed the 2025 Bar Exams.