Joaquin Arce: The Next-Generation Actor Striking Gold
Wise beyond his years, Joaquin Arce understands that his golden ticket to a successful career is pure, hard work—no shortcuts, no handouts
Rising and thriving
Joaquin Arce only recently debuted in the Philippine entertainment industry, but the 18-year-old is already being heralded as the next big thing.
It seemed inevitable. His father is a film producer, while his stepmother is an acclaimed dramatic actress. On his own, he fell in love with the craft, and he couldn’t have gotten better mentors than his own family. When news of his signing to a major talent agency came out earlier this year, the industry was abuzz with heightened expectations toward the next-gen artist.
The fashionFashionThe art and industry of designing, producing, and styling clothing, footwear, accessories, and beauty trends. It reflects cultural influences, personal expression, and evolving styles across seasons and markets. world has also taken notice. Standing at six feet with sharp features and a physique defined by sports, Joaquin has showcased his commanding presence on the runway.
But Joaquin sets the record straight: he’s not exactly who people are claiming him to be. At least, not yet.
“There are people who say that I am the ‘next big thing,’ but I do not see myself as that now, especially since I just started. That label is something that I have to work hard for. If I think that I haven’t earned a title that people are giving me, I would rather not have it. I wouldn’t take it to heart,” he affirms.
It is a refreshing sentiment, especially at a time when fame and virality are often pursued for its own sake, and hard work often gets overshadowed by the easy way out.
“I’m in this industry to act. I love the art, and I am dedicated to it. I wouldn’t pursue something if I am not going to give it my all. I want to be the best that I can be, and to be around better actors that I can learn from.”
“If I just wanted to be famous, I could have just bought followers. If I wanted to be known immediately as the ‘next big thing,’ I could just go around and shout, ‘hey, I’m the next big thing!’ But I’m not like that,” he assures.
Joaquin is here to work. And he’s in it for the long haul.
Chasing craft over clout
Joaquin is entering the industry with a healthy balance of confidence and humility. “I’d like to think I’m a well-rounded person, but I also know I have so much more to improve as an actor.”
Case in point: language. The past year and a half, he has locked in on honing his Filipino-speaking skills, especially for Tagalog-heavy scripts. He’s also working on being laser-focused. On set, he puts away his phone and stays in the present moment.
“My mom and dad always remind me to ‘be in the scene.’ It’s easy to overthink your every move or line during a sequence, but it’s also easy for me to come back. I just keep my parents’ words in mind.”
But one thing that Joaquin has going for him is his powers of observation, looking at his world through the eager eyes of a student. “They say actors are good thieves—and yes, every time I watch a film or show, I always get something from the artists I see. There’s always something that an actor is particularly good at, something you can pick up from them.”
His list of idols is extensive: Timothée Chalamet, Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and Christian Bale, among others. Locally, he is in awe of veteran actor Aga Muhlach and, of course, his stepmom, Angel Locsin.
Beyond observation, Joaquin thrives by connecting with people—something that he thinks is an advantage.
“I’m extroverted. I’m good with talking to people on set—I’m not shy. I think that’s one thing that you have to get over when you want to pursue this career. If you start feeling embarrassed while you act, you’re setting up a roadblock for yourself. And it’s not just with acting—to do what we want to pursue in this life, you will need confidence. It’s something that everyone should have in order to succeed.”
But Joaquin is quick to ground his confidence with vulnerability. “I do have my insecurities, but I also think that life is all about getting over those. And I get to do that by loving myself—and learning how to love myself more.”
For Joaquin, faith is his foremost source of strength to overcome such challenges. “I know I am exactly how God wants me to be. Knowing that is already a significant step toward loving yourself.”
Exploring worlds beyond the script
Joaquin’s mind and body have been tempered by sports. He’s a natural: he plays basketball, volleyball, weightlifting, pickleball, and badminton; and he engages in wrestling, jiu-jitsu, boxing, and Muay Thai. “I love sports—I believe I was born to love sports.”
“It’s all about the love of the game. It’s all about fair competition and equal ground. I want to get things because I earned them. I think I developed a good work ethic and through sports.”
The dynamic nature of sports is also something that he takes cues from as he navigates his budding career. “After all, any job in the world—and life in general—has some form of competition in it. And sports has allowed me to be comfortable with that.”
Then there’s music, which also shapes Joaquin’s sensibilities as an actor. A guitar player, Joaquin started with songs that were specifically written for the instrument—tracks from Guns N’ Roses, and Queen, among others, that were introduced to him by his mom.
He also takes cues from music’s greatest acts to work on his acting chops. “When musicians perform on stage, there are a lot of things you can pick up from them: charisma, confidence, and presence.”
“Today’s artists are good, but acts like Guns ‘N Roses and Michael Jackson? I don’t think anyone can top their level of performance and endurance. Many decades ago, even before stage presence workshops, they just knew how to be on stage. The more they performed, the more they became better at it. They just went for it and did their thing.”
Fashioning a sense of style
FashionFashionThe art and industry of designing, producing, and styling clothing, footwear, accessories, and beauty trends. It reflects cultural influences, personal expression, and evolving styles across seasons and markets. isn’t exactly unfamiliar to Joaquin, but it’s still a world that he’s building a solid footing in. Before, his fit is just whatever is on top of the pile in his closet. Nowadays, it’s a bit more defined, leaning toward comfort and simplicity, but with a few tweaks and an openness to new things.
The Joaquin style starter pack is simple, he describes: a plain tee, straight-cut denim jeans or sports shorts, footwear depending on the fit—gym shoes or lifestyle sneakers like Air Jordans, for instance—and a few jewelry pieces for a unique touch.
He points at the several accessories he wore to his VMAN shoot: a bracelet and a special Gucci ring from his grandmother, a Twojeys ring with several stars (his ‘Star Magic’ ring, alluding to his talent management agency), and a ring decked with silver wings. “I’m the type who will wear my jewelry until I lose them, or if an inconvenience happens, like if it gets caught onto something then breaks.”
With the shoots that he’s been doing as of recently, Joaquin is enjoying cherry-picking what he can from his fashionFashionThe art and industry of designing, producing, and styling clothing, footwear, accessories, and beauty trends. It reflects cultural influences, personal expression, and evolving styles across seasons and markets. pursuits. “I’ve been learning how to dress well by doing all these shoots and getting exposed to different styles. Any trend, I’ll try it as long as it suits me—and I have quite a good idea of what looks good on me,” he shares.
He’s particularly taken a liking to the streetwear pieces he wore for his cover shoot. He quips: “I love all of them. I was browsing the racks and looking at the price tags, because I want some of the pieces for myself. I need to work harder to buy them!”
But there’s one particular piece that will never leave his wardrobe—and serendipitously, it’s a staple of streetwear across generations: a particular plain white tee.
“At one time, I only had one white tee that was suited for going out. They often required us to wear a plain white shirt for auditions, so that specific one was always what I wore,” he recalls. While he has more plain tees now, he still wears that specific piece for casting calls. “It’s like my lucky charm now. I take good care of it,” he says.
Taking the next step
Joaquin is dead set on what he wants next: “More acting opportunities. That’s what I want. People always ask what my dream roles are. Of course, I want to do it all. But I always say: the best project, what I am most looking forward to, is the next one. Always the next one.”
He quotes a line from American legal drama series Suits: “‘I don’t have dreams. I have goals.’ And I live by that quote. Having dreams? That’s good. But having goals—that’s better.”
With that mindset alone, Joaquin has already struck gold—and he’s just getting started.
Chief of Editorial Content Patrick Ty
Photography Gab Villareal
Creative direction Vince Uy
Art direction Mike Miguel
Words Angelo Dionora
Grooming and hair Myckee Arcano
Production design Arj Madarang of Jagger Studios
Production Francis Vicente
Photography assistant Rojan Maguyon
Grooming assistant Jam Jacobe
Retouching Summer Untalan
Production assistants Mark Joseph Halili, Bryle V.J I. Fernandez, LAnce Andrew Malana, and Raven Sanmiguel
Special thanks Shobe Lim of Star Magic
Frequently Asked Questions
Joaquin Arce is mentored by his father, a film producer, and his stepmother, acclaimed dramatic actress Angel Locsin, who heavily inspire his entry into the entertainment world.
Joaquin Arce is signed with Star Magic, a premier talent management agency in the Philippines, which generated significant industry buzz following his high-profile signing announcement earlier this year.
Joaquin Arce plays basketball, volleyball, pickleball, badminton, weightlifting, and practices combat sports like wrestling, jiu-jitsu, boxing, and Muay Thai to cultivate a highly resilient work ethic.
Joaquin Arce describes his style as minimalist streetwear focused on comfort, typically mixing plain white tees and straight-cut denim with Air Jordan sneakers and sentimental family jewelry pieces.
Joaquin Arce rejects passive dreaming in favor of setting actionable career goals, focusing his ambitions entirely on securing diverse acting opportunities and constantly executing his next consecutive project.
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