Arzen Rose Dulzura

How Sam Milby soared from being a “rockoustic” heartthrob to becoming a sought-after leading man

Article (news)

Mary Ann Bardinas

Through the unique blend of his American charm and Filipino heart, it seemed quite easy for Sam Milby to stand out and gain the admiration of many, catapulting him into becoming one of the well-loved heartthrobs in the local entertainment scene. While he was initially known for his talent in singing and playing the guitar, he was able to eventually develop his acting skills and showcase them through the diverse roles that he took on in the movies and series that he starred in.  As he marks his 20th anniversary in showbiz in 2025 and makes a teleserye comeback via the highly talked about “<a href="http://abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/savinggrace">Saving Grace</a>,” let’s revisit the journey of Sam, who, from being a “Pinoy Big Brother” housemate and “rockoustic” heartthrob, has gone on to become a most sought-after leading man, in this edition of Kapamilya Spotlight.  He might not have made it at least in the Big 4 of the maiden season of PBB, yet Sam succeeded in breaking into the showbiz industry and becoming one of its promising heartthrobs at the time. Among his first-ever teleserye appearances was in the classic “<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/2024/11/26/throwback-maging-sino-ka-man-2006-1342" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Maging Sino Ka Man</a>” (2006) and its sequel “Maging Sino Ka Man: Ang Pagbabalik” (2007), wherein he played the role of Jaime &quot;JB&quot; Roxas Berenguer and became remarkable for his iconic line “I never said ‘I love you’,” that he said to Celine, the memorable character portrayed by his former on-and-off-screen sweetheart, Anne Curtis.  The following year, he was the half-human, half-Khnum (or a mythical creature with the head of a ram and the body of a man) Prinsipe Adonis in the 2008 fantaserye “Dyosa,” who was one of the three men vying for the heart of the titular character also portrayed by Anne. In 2009, he starred in the Filipino adaptation of the Korean drama “Only You” as the arrogant and wealthy businessman TJ Javier, in which he was paired with Angel Locsin. He also made a special participation in the iconic series “May Bukas Pa” as the grumpy, crippled owner of a toy store named Jeff.  The year 2010 was a busy year for Sam since he worked on not just one but two teleseryes! “Impostor” was the first one, which he starred in alongside Melai Cantiveros and Maja Salvador, while the other one was “1DOL,” which he headlined with Sarah Geronimo and Coco Martin. Sam was among the Kapamilya stars to have a special participation in the 2011 iconic series “100 Days To Heaven,” playing the role of Ruel Villanueva, one of the heirs of a big toy store. In 2012, he gifted Kapamilya viewers with his presence in the “Wansapanataym Presents: I’ll Be Home For Christmas” as Carl, who taught us the importance of family. We got to see both his lighthearted and antagonistic facets in 2013 via his portrayals in two different series. He was surely swooned a lot of girls as the serious and sensitive Adam Ledesma who vied for the heart of Angeline Quintos’ character, Aurora, in “Kahit Konting Pagtingin.” On the other, he was absolutely abhorred as Eros Diomedes, the abusive and cruel husband of Judy Ann Santos’ character in the melodrama series “<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/articles-photos/throwback-the-stars-of-huwag-ka-lang-mawawala-2013-16541" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Huwag Ka Lang Mawawala</a>.” He got reunited with Anne Curtis in the 2014 television remake of the Mars Ravelo’s “Dyesebel,” once again captivating us with his portrayal of Liro. Then in 2015, he certainly took our breaths away as Archangel Armen, one of the three archangels who guided the young titular character in the inspirational series “<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/articles-photos/throwback-the-cast-of-nathaniel-2015-14602" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Nathaniel</a>.” It was also that same year when he starred in the afternoon soap opera “Doble Kara” as Sebastian “Seb” Acosta, the loyal and loving husband of one of Julia Montes’ character, Kara. Contrary to his previous role, Sam certainly went on to trigger the gigil of the viewers of the controversial series “<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/2024/11/26/look-the-grand-finale-pictorial-of-halik-1052" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Halik</a>” (2018-2019). His portrayal of Ace Corpuz, the philandering husband of Yen Santos’ Jacky Montefalco and the lover of Yam Concepcion’s Jade Flores, was so compelling that many surely agreed that he deserved to be punched by Jericho Rosales’ Lino Bartolome during that remarkable, emotional bar scene.  Amidst the raging pandemic in 2020, he was among the celebrities who took the risk of still working by starring in the popular series “Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin” as Gabriel Villarosa, the handsome gentleman who destroyed the friendship of best friends Marissa and Ellice, played by Jodi Sta. Maria and Iza Calzado, respectively.  In 2022, he found himself in a love triangle anew in the primetime series “<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/articles-news/a-family-affair-lead-stars-share-taping-experiences-introduce-respective-characters-17063" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Family Affair</a>” as he portrayed Dave Estrella, the brother and rival of Gerald Anderson’s Paco to the heart of Cherry Red, depicted by Ivana Alawi. Apart from the abovementioned series, Sam also appeared in episodes of several ABS-CBN anthology series, such as “Star Magic Presents” (“Tender Loving Care” episode), Your Song Presents (“I’ve Fallen In Love”, “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do”, “Ikaw Lamang”, “Someone To Love”, and “Kim” episodes), and “Maalaala Mo Kaya” (“Pilat”, “Piano”, and “Journal”). He’s making a return this year on primetime TV via “<a href="http://abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/savinggrace" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Saving Grace The Untold Story</a>,” the Pinoy adaptation of the global hit Japanese series entitled “Mother.” Here, he impresses us as Julius Hernandez, a passionate journalist who covers the controversial kidnapping case that involves the titular character and her teacher Anna, astoundingly played by child star Zia Grace and seasoned actress Julia Montes, respectively.  Show your love and support to Sam by catching him on “<a href="http://abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/savinggrace">Saving Grace The Untold Story</a>,” which premieres this coming March 3 on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, A2Z, and TV5.

Let’s look back on Sam Milby’s acting stints on television through the years in this edition of Kapamilya Spotlight.

Let’s look back on Sam Milby’s acting stints on television through the years in this edition of Kapamilya Spotlight.