Noel I. Aparilla (born 17 December 1968), known professionally as Leon Miguel,[1] is a Filipino actor, model, and engineer. He won Best Actor (Short) at the International Film Festival Manhattan (IFFM) in 2016[2] for his performance in the short film Redlights.
Earlier in his career, Miguel portrayed Visel, the primary antagonist in the crime thriller Graceland: A Life for Every Lie (2012),[3][4] directed by Ron Morales. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival[5], where it earned second place in the Audience Choice Award competition and later won the Audience Award at the Gasparilla Film Festival in Tampa, Florida.
Leon Miguel, IFFM 2016 Best Actor (Short)Leon Miguel IFFM 2016 Best Actor (Short)
Miguel also received recognition for his role in Mang Abe's Ube,[6][7] directed by Paolo Bitanga, a modern-day folktale about a Filipino ube farmer protecting his magical crop from corporate exploitation.[8] His work includes EJK (Extra-Judicial Killing), a political drama produced by Red Carpet Philippines, which premiered at Greenbelt 1, Cinema 2, Ayala Center, Makati.
In November 2014, Miguel was profiled in the Manila Bulletin article "International filmfest veteran is proudly from Masbate."[9]
Early career
Leon Miguel first gained international exposure through supporting roles in American, Japanese, and Italian movies shot in the Philippines. He appeared in minor roles in films such as In the Name of the Queen (1996), Behind Enemy Lines (1998), and Legacy (1998).
Notable roles
Leon Miguel has appeared in various notable Filipino films, taking on distinctive roles such as kanto boy (Street Toughie), siga (Toughie), syndicate member, school worker, youngster’s hoodlum, snatcher, hitman, rapist, banker (boatman), Katipunero (rebel), and Hukbalahap (rebel).
Miguel portrayed the guerilla Juan in Concerto (2008), a Cinemalaya finalist directed by Paul Alexander Morales. In Sean Lim's films, Panahon Na (2009) and Pendong (2010), he played a Lobo[clarification needed] and a farmer. He appeared as a gangster in Third World Happy (2010) with Sam Milby as the lead actor, of CinemaOne/Brass Knuckles Inc., directed by Edward James Salcedo. Miguel also played a rebel in a CinemaOne Originals film Tsardyer (2010), directed by Sigfried Barros-Sanchez. Additionally, he took on the role of Baloy in Isda (Fable of the Fish), a 2011 Cinemalaya entry directed by Adolfo Alix Jr. He again appeared in a film directed with Alix in July 2012, portraying a guerrilla in Death March.
Television commercials
Leon Miguel was in several television commercials as a Katipunero in KKK (Andres Bonifacio) (1998), and Isang Bandila (Emilio Aguinaldo) (1998) for the Philippine Centennial Celebration. He was the lead actor Katipunero in the Duty-Free Centennial Presentation (2010) directed by Raymond Red. He also appeared in San Miguel Beer (2004), SMB Vietnam Setting commercial, Metro Bank (2004), Blend 45 (2005), SMB Walng Kupas (2005), Oracle (2006) and Touch Mobile (2008). He also portrayed a Chavacano fisherman in an intrusion project of GMA Channel 7 and Globe Company, in the music video "Believe" which was used as a Station ID for the Peace and Unity information-dissemination drive.
He was also featured in a Talk & Text (Hati) (2010) commercial, Snitch Choco Bar (Rockers Dream) (2010), Head & Shoulders (2010), Project Building Medicine TVC (2010), and Ayos Dito Rocker TVC.[10]
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