He may have come from one of the biggest and most prominent showbiz clans, yet Donny Pangilinan is still able to carve his own path and make his own mark in the local entertainment scene. From simply appearing in television commercials with his mom, actress Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan, when he was still a young boy, he has become one of the most popular and bankable heartthrobs of his generation, who never fails to delight and impress us with his presence.

Ever since his career started in 2016 as a VJ, or video jockey, on the music channel MYX, Donny has already captivated us with his handsome looks that apparently run in the family. But he’s able to prove that he’s definitely more than just a pretty face, for, aside from hosting, he can also act, sing, and dance. And this 2025, we’re about to see a different facet of him as he’s tapped to be one of the judges of “Pilipinas Got Talent.”

Before we get to see him take on his newest role, let us first look back on his stints in the programs of ABS-CBN Studios in this edition of Kapamilya Spotlight!

Apart from MYX, he is also able to hone and showcase his hosting skills in “ASAP,” which he has been a part of ever since 2017. Besides, it is through this weekly musical variety program where his talents in singing and dancing got discovered, too.

In 2018, Donny made his teleserye debut via the daytime series “Playhouse,” in which he played the secondary character Ezekiel “Zeke” Domingo and was paired with “Pinoy Big Brother Lucky Season 7” alumna, Kisses Delavin. It was succeeded by his appearance in the “Dayuhan” episode of the legal drama anthology “Ipaglaban Mo” as the titular character named Philip the following year.

We then got to see him in two different shows in 2021. The first one was in the travel program “Aja! Aja! Tayo sa Jeju,” which he hosted alongside Robi Domingo, Kristel Fulgar, and Shine Kuk. Entirely shot in Jeju, South Korea, in late 2019, the foursome didn’t simply take us around the popular tourist destination in the country but also gave us a glimpse of its rich and colorful culture and tradition.

The second one was in the teen romance-comedy series “He’s Into Her,” which is based on the 2012 novel of the same title by Maxinejiji (Maxine Lat Calibuso). It was his first-ever starring role in an ABS-CBN Studios series, charming us as the campus crush and basketball varsity captain Deib Lohr Enrile, as well as his first time working opposite Belle Mariano, who eventually became his loveteam partner until present. Due to its tremendous success, “He’s Into Her” had a Season 2 that aired in 2022.

Ardent supporters of his and Belle’s team-up, dubbed DonBelle, surely rejoiced when they finally headlined their first-ever primetime series both as individual artists and as a loveteam via “Can’t Buy Me Love.” Donny indeed impressed us with his portrayal of Andrei “Bingo” Mariano, whose personality was deemed to be absolutely far from the previous roles he portrayed, more so his own in real life.

In 2024, Donny achieved one of his career aspirations that he shared with Belle, which was to star in a romantic comedy series, via “How To Spot A Red Flag.” He won our hearts as Matthew “Matt” Valdez, whose identity was used by his best friend, JR (Jameson Blake), to catfish Cha (Belle Mariano).

And this 2025, get ready to be amused and fascinated by Donny as he’s about to display his wit, eloquence, and playfulness as he joins Kathryn Bernardo, Eugene Domingo, and former ABS-CBN president Freddie “FMG” M. Garcia as one of the judges of “Pilipinas Got Talent Season 7.”

Don’t miss its premiere on March 29 and 30, airing every Saturday and Sunday night on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), TV5 and A2Z.