Alden Richards

Richard Reyes Faulkerson Jr. (born January 2, 1992), popularly known by his stage name Alden Richards, is a Filipino actor, host, model and recording artist. His notable works include Alakdana, Tween Hearts, One True Love, Carmela, The Road, Imagine You and Me, Victor Magtanggol and Hello, Love, Goodbye. He is also known for his role as Lakan in the reboot series of Encantadia. During the 29th PMPC Star Awards for Television in 2015, Richards won his first Best Actor award for his portrayal of José Rizal in Ilustrado. As a recording artist, Richards released two albums, a self-titled album in 2013 under Universal Records and Wish I May in 2015 under GMA Music. His eponymous album reached Platinum status while Wish I May reached Diamond status. He has released his third album, Say It Again and is doing well in record and iTunes sales. Richards who started as a model joined various male beauty pageants, appeared in various magazines and endorsed a number of products. He is also known for his philanthropy and took part in charitable works. His life story is featured in an episode of Magpakailanman and Richards released an autobiographical book entitled In My Own Words in August 2016 under Summit Media. The BBC described AlDub as a "phenomenal television and social media success in the Philippines".