Flonique Guimary

Veteran theater actor Jon Jon Briones joins daughter Isa Briones at the 32nd Annual Actor Awards

Article (news)

Alyana De Guzman

Push Team

<p>It was a moment filled with pride and emotion as veteran Filipino theater actor Jon Jon Briones stood beside his daughter, Isa Briones, during one of the biggest nights of her career at the 32nd Annual Actor Awards. </p><p>Isa, along with fellow Filipina actresses Kristin Villanueva and Amielynn Abellera, joined the rest of the cast of medical drama <em>The Pitt </em>as they took home the award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/celebrities/2026/2/21/fil-am-actress-isa-briones-sings-visayan-lullaby-ili-ili-tulog-anay-on-a-medical-drama-the-pitt-1740" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>READ: Fil-Am actress Isa Briones sings Visayan lullaby ‘Ili-Ili, Tulog Anay’ on award-winning medical drama &#x27;The Pitt&#x27;</strong></a></div><p>On the red carpet, Isa – who plays Dr. Trinity Santos in the series – opened up about what the moment meant to her, especially as a daughter of an immigrant who is now celebrating a major international recognition. </p><p>“It’s something I never in my wildest dreams thought I could say. I mean, I’m the daughter of an immigrant. I’m here and I have my dad with me and it’s just the most special.” </p><div><br/></div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-12" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVXEw4givIY/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=607&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A12%2C%22os%22%3A19484556%2C%22ls%22%3A50082.299999952316%2C%22le%22%3A50098.60000002384%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="987" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-12" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>Jon Jon, known internationally for being part of the ensemble of the original 1989 London production of <em>Miss Saigon</em>, walked the red carpet with Isa, a rare and deeply personal moment that she described as something beyond her imagination. </p><p>“This is, I think, our wildest dream to be able to be here. The fact that I get to represent and also feel the pride from him, it’s just so special and this is bigger than I ever thought could be,” she said. </p><p>For Jon Jon, watching his daughter shine on one of Hollywood’s most prestigious stages was a moment that went beyond awards, reflecting the collective joy of Filipinos around the world. </p><p>“It’s wild because everyone in the Philippines right now are crying. Their hearts are full and very proud of this little one,” Jon Jon maintained. </p><p>Isa also took time to acknowledge the overwhelming support from Filipinos, describing how deeply emotional and expressive the community can be when celebrating excellence. “We love with all our being. And so when we are a fan of something you’re going to know it. And that is the beautiful thing you feel.”  </p><p>“We have very little to be proud of sometimes, but what we have is heart and talent and love. That’s where we are hanging onto,” Jon Jon added.  </p><p>Isa continued by stressing the importance of visibility and representation on the world stage, saying: “When we have the opportunity to show who we are, it’s like you have to take that moment to celebrate it to the fullest because unfortunately it does not come very often. We are here to be like ‘No, this needs to be more of this. We are here.’ We are not going away.”  </p><p>Before leaving the red carpet, the father and daughter duo made sure to send a short but sweet message to Filipino fans watching from home. </p><p>“Kamusta na kayong lahat? Nandito kami para sa inyo,” Jon Jon said. </p><p>“Mabuhay! Salamat.” Isa said with a kiss. </p><div><br/></div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-13" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DVZpen2j0et/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=607&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A13%2C%22os%22%3A19485112.600000024%2C%22ls%22%3A50082.299999952316%2C%22le%22%3A50098.60000002384%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="1140" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-13" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>After the ceremony, Isa once again spoke with Entertainment Tonight, reflecting on why the ensemble win held special weight compared to individual awards. She was joined by her castmates Taylor Dearden, Jalen Thomas Brooks, Gerran Howell, and Alexandra Metz. </p><p>“All of the awards are amazing and they’re such honors. But this is the highest honor. In the past we’ve gone to awards but [it’s only] like two people got to go or like five people. No, but this beast of a show takes more than five people to make,” Isa maintained. </p><p>“This is a real family effort, and all get to celebrate together and be recognized together,” she added. </p><p>Isa later took to Instagram to express her gratitude to their win, writing: “thank you @sagaftra members for believing in our show and this incredible cast. what a special thing to celebrate all our hard work together🫶🏼out of scrubs.”</p>

<p>The Pitt's milestone win at the 32nd Annual Actors Awards became even more meaningful as Isa Briones celebrated it alongside her father, veteran Filipino actor Jon Jon Briones. </p>

The Pitt's milestone win at the 32nd Annual Actors Awards became even more meaningful as Isa Briones celebrated it alongside her father, veteran Filipino actor Jon Jon Briones.