Actor Dennis Trillo’s Asian Academy Creative Award Cemented by 'Green Bones'

The highly accomplished Filipino actor, Dennis Trillo, recently secured his status as the best in Asia after winning the Best Actor in a Leading Role category for his critically acclaimed inspirational drama, Green Bones, at the 2025 Asian Academy Creative Awards (AAA) held in Singapore. Trillo emerged victorious over a strong field of leading actors from across eleven Asian countries, notably including Hollywood star Jacob Elordi (nominated for The Narrow Road to the Deep North) and the celebrated Korean actor Park Bo-gum (nominated for When Life Gives You Tangerines).

Upon receiving the honor, Trillo expressed a profound sense of gratitude and humility. He admitted he "never expected it to be completely honest considering such a strong roster of co-actors also nominated in the same category." Trillo views the win as a significant milestone for his home country, sharing that, "As a Filipino artist who has done most of his work for local television and cinema, I am just grateful that we are finally breaking the barrier and now able to tell our stories to a wider audience. To have this recognition from our Asian peers is just humbling and inspiring for me.”

In Green Bones, Trillo delivers a powerful performance as Domingo Zamora, a notorious prisoner awaiting parole after being incarcerated for the alleged murder of his sister and niece. Zamora’s imminent freedom is jeopardized when a dedicated new prison guard, Xavier Gonzaga (played by Ruru Madrid), enters the facility and commits to keeping him behind bars. The film proved to be a major commercial success, earning approximately $2.3$ million at the local box office and becoming one of the most-watched titles on the streaming platform Netflix.

The inspirational drama, which was a joint production between GMA Pictures, GMA Public Affairs, and Trillo’s own company, Brightburn Entertainment, also secured the actor multiple domestic accolades. Trillo previously received Best Actor recognitions for the role from prestigious local award-giving bodies, including the Gawad Urian, the PMPC Star Awards, and the Metro Manila Film Festival.

Beyond the box office success and the accumulation of numerous awards, the most essential and fulfilling aspect of the work for Dennis Trillo is the emotional impact his craft has on the lives of viewers. He summarized the film's core message as "simple and that is to be a good person." Trillo finds it profoundly rewarding to serve as an instrument for such a powerful message, stating, "For them to carry that with them after watching our film and for them to apply it in their lives, gives so much more meaning to my craft."

Trillo is recognized as one of the most celebrated and respected Filipino actors currently working in Philippine television and cinema. With a career spanning over twenty years, he has successfully swept recognitions from all major Filipino award-giving bodies, achieving a local equivalent of an EGOT win. In addition to the Asian Academy Creative Award, Trillo’s international honors include recognitions from the Seoul International Drama Awards and the Asian TV Awards.

A married father of three, Trillo is wed to award-winning actress-singer Jennylyn Mercado. He has consistently top-billed numerous top-rating and groundbreaking local television dramas, such as Sanggang Dikit FR, Maria Clara at Ibarra, Pulang Araw, Legal Wives, and My Husband’s Lover. Furthermore, Trillo starred in the HBO Original series On the Job: Missing 8, which premiered internationally at the 78th Venice International Film Festival in 2021.

The actor is currently represented by his management group, Aguila Entertainment, and is also a member of Filipino actor's guild AKTOR: League of Filipino Actors.