Ysabel Mariz Austria

From microfilm to big screen, here’s a look at River Joseph’s road to ‘Tayo Sa Wakas’

Article (news)

Mika Geronimo

<p>River Joseph is indeed on track to become one of his generation’s brightest stars!  </p><p>His stay in the first installment of “Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition” was only the beginning, as his time in the spotlight continues with his latest role as Shane in “<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/films/2026/4/30/all-about-tayo-sa-wakas-2029?fbclid=IwY2xjawRih3hleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe9PoNpHNMkIUcjGQNxj5SKI4OAPTPKF_olGi5xtqN-SwJK8Uadh9m_hh7CUg_aem_KfUP74ibzr1Ahja--YR8Sg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tayo Sa Wakas</a>”, Cathy Garcia-Sampana&#x27;s upcoming romance drama film starring Donny Pangilinan and Belle Mariano.</p><p>That being said, we’ve rounded up some of River’s career highlights so far, proving why he’s a celebrity you should put on your radar! </p><div> </div><div><strong>‘Toss Coin’ (2024)</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17792592588761.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/> </strong></div><p>“Tayo Sa Wakas” wasn’t the first time River worked with Direk Cathy! After honing his acting skills with supporting roles in several web series and teleseryes, River lived every Filipino actor’s dream of having the one and only Cathy Garcia-Sampana as his director in her microfilm “Toss Coin”. </p><p>Here, River co-starred alongside Alexa Ilacad and KD Estrada, playing the unfaithful ex-boyfriend of Alexa’s character Pia. </p><div> </div><div><strong>‘Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition’ (2025) </strong></div><div><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17792592979582.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div> </div><p>Introduced as the Sporty Business Bro ng Muntinlupa City, River notably captivated viewers with his humor and authenticity as a “Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition” housemate. To say the season was successful is an understatement, as it launched up-and-coming names like River deeper into stardom! </p><p>River persevered until the Big Night, emerging as the Kapamilya 4th Big Placer. </p><div> </div><div><strong>‘Love at First Spike’ (2025) </strong></div><div> </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17792593302633.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div> </div><p>Shortly after PBB, River returned to acting in the web series “Love at First Spike”!  </p><p>Rivalry brings out a different beast in River as Parker Robinson, a competitive athlete who’s set on taking down Brixton High basketball captain Uno Santillan, played by his fellow PBB alum and “Tayo Sa Wakas” castmate Emilio Daez. </p><div> </div><div><strong>‘The Four Bad Boys and Me’ (2025) </strong></div><div> </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17792593455034.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div> </div><p>River’s natural swagger lends itself to his next bad boy role in the movie adaptation of Wattpad hit “The Four Bad Boys and Me”. As Charles Gonzales, River played one of four campus heartthrobs, balancing his troublemaker behavior with being a protective older brother to Anji Salvacion’s Candice. </p><div> </div><div><strong>‘Call Me Mother’ (2025) </strong></div><div> </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17792593739235.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div><br/></div><p>River capped off his hectic 2025 with two milestones all wrapped into one project, marking both his big screen debut and his first-ever Metro Manila Film Festival entry with “Call Me Mother”! </p><p>The Vice Ganda and Nadine Lustre-starrer saw River join the stellar cast as Anton, Nadine’s supportive fiancé who fully accepts her despite her buried past. </p><div> </div><div><strong>‘The Secrets of Hotel 88’ (2026) </strong></div><div> <img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17792593877066.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div> </div><p>A reunion unlike any other! River undergoes a different kind of challenge opposite his “Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition” family as they make up the ensemble cast of “The Secrets of Hotel 88”. </p><p>River checks in the mystery drama series as Leon Almazan, his family’s eldest son and a young man who gets caught between an inheritance dispute and chilling deaths. </p><div> </div><div><strong>‘YSpeak 2.0’ (2026) </strong></div><div> <img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17792594022457.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div> </div><p>A year after PBB, River is given another opportunity to let his own personality and principles shine in “YSpeak 2.0”, the latest edition of the Filipino youth-oriented show from the 2000s. </p><p>River rounds out the host lineup of Elijah Canlas, KD Estrada, Ralph de Leon, Robbie Jaworski, and Aya Fernandez as the new faces of the program, where they engage with fellow young people in fruitful debates on timely issues. </p><div> </div><div><strong>‘Tayo Sa Wakas’ (2026) </strong></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17792594183478.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div> </div><p>River makes consecutive appearances from “Call Me Mother” to “Tayo Sa Wakas”, Star Cinema’s first movie for 2026! The project also marks his reunion with Direk Cathy since “Toss Coin”. </p><p>As Shane, River shakes up the dynamics between Cisco (Donny) and Cheska (Belle), posing as both a professional and romantic rival the former must look out for. </p><div> </div><p>Let River’s charisma and growth as an actor speak for itself in “Tayo Sa Wakas”, premiering exclusively in cinemas on May 27, 2026. </p><div> </div><div> </div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS: </strong></div><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/E1kcUHGLlnI?si=LocyH1vQV8klI-mD" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s1jO2OfDw7A?si=O6EnQFu-xn-rPhYc" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div> </div><div><strong>RELATED STORIES: </strong></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/films/2026/5/5/donny-pangilinan-belle-mariano-come-full-circle-in-tayo-sa-wakas-media-launch-1329" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Donny Pangilinan, Belle Mariano come full circle in ‘Tayo Sa Wakas’ media launch</a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/starcinema/articles-news/watch-toss-coin-is-now-up-on-youtube-21371" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WATCH: ‘Toss Coin’ is now up on YouTube!</a></div>

<p><b>From microfilm to big screen, here’s a look at River Joseph’s road to ‘Tayo Sa Wakas’</b></p>