Anthony Constantino Steps From Fashion Into Film With Ambition

Anthony Constantino’s transition from modeling to acting

When Anthony Constantino appears for his third sit-down with VMAN Southeast Asia, he arrives as a familiar figure rather than a newcomer. The Filipino-American model has, in a sense, been orbiting the spotlight for quite some time now, his presence tall, composed, and immediately striking.

Yet what is unfolding now feels different. It marks the beginning of a career shift, one that requires unlearning the habits that once made him comfortable in front of a camera.

“Modeling requires control. Acting often calls for the opposite. You have to let go. You’ve got to be messy.”

The distinction might seem obvious, but in practice it has meant confronting vulnerability in ways he never experienced as a model. At acting workshops, he has been asked to draw on painful memories and channel them into performance. Sometimes that means crying in front of strangers, an exercise he admits is both uncomfortable and unexpectedly liberating. “It’s embarrassing and nerve-wracking,” he says. “But I’ve learned to shed a couple of tears in front of people.”

This emotional openness marks a shift in Anthony’s trajectory. Raised in California with two sisters and a brother, he grew up performing in subtler ways, joking with siblings and feigning anger.

Early instincts

The craft of acting was not part of his childhood in any formal sense, but the instinct was always there. In Los Angeles, he began experimenting with small acting opportunities, though it is only in recent years that he has pursued it seriously.

Now his move into Filipino television and film places him in a larger conversation about identity. Online, he calls himself Moreno King, a title that references both his appearance and cultural roots. Yet onscreen, his Filipino heritage carries expectations. “Being real may not be the role they want me to be,” he says. For Anthony, the challenge lies in bridging those gaps without losing the essence of who he is.

At the same time, he is eager to see his own narrative represented more fully. Asked what kind of character he would want to play with creative freedom, he gravitates toward the story of the Fil-Am experience, of growing up abroad while staying connected to the Philippines. “It’s a different story, but from the same heritage,” he explains. That duality of belonging and distance shapes how he sees himself and what he wants to bring to the screen.

Ambition beyond borders

Beyond identity, Anthony’s ambition is expansive. His goals are not confined to Manila’s entertainment industry. Hollywood remains the benchmark. “If TV and film are the best in Hollywood, then yes, without a doubt, I want to be one of the best, not just here in the Philippines,” he says. For him, it is less about location than aspiration: the pursuit of acting at its highest level, wherever that may be.

Ambition, he admits, works best when balanced with grounding. The noise of sudden attention, going viral or being labeled the next big star, can easily distort priorities. He keeps his circle tight, relying on family, close friends, and himself. “At the end of the day, all you really have is yourself sometimes,” he says, reflecting a philosophy that is both protective and pragmatic.

For now, the work continues in workshops, auditions, and incremental steps toward larger roles. The direction is clear. Anthony Constantino is not simply moving from modeling to acting. He is shaping an identity that bridges cultures, industries, and expectations.

His story is unfinished, yet he is already rehearsing for a role larger than himself, one that embraces being both Filipino and international, polished and raw, grounded and ambitious.

As seen in the pages of VMAN SEA 04, available in print and by e-subscription.

Photography JV Rabano

Art direction Summer Untalan

Fashion Rex Atienza

Grooming Rogue Lily (Nix Institute of Beauty)

Fashion associate Corven Uy

Photography assistant PJ Salazar

Special thanks Jeanger Navarro and Myk Labuguen