Alden Richards facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alden Richards
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Richards at the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival
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| Born |
Richard Reyes Faulkerson Jr.
January 2, 1992 Quezon City, Philippines
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| Other names | Tisoy, RJ |
| Education |
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| Occupation |
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| Years active | 2011–present |
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Notable work
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films, albums, concerts |
| Musical career | |
| Genres |
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| Instruments | Vocal |
| Years active | 2013–present |
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Richard Reyes Faulkerson Jr. (born January 2, 1992), known as Alden Richards, is a famous Filipino actor, host, and businessman. He is also a filmmaker. Alden is well-known for his main roles in romantic and historical TV shows and movies.
He has won many awards, including a Seoul International Drama Award and a FAMAS Award. He also has five Star Awards for Movies and five Box Office Entertainment Awards. These awards show how talented he is in acting and entertaining people.
Alden's acting journey started in 2011 with the fantasy show Alakdana. His big break came in 2012 with the romantic drama One True Love. He became even more famous when he teamed up with Maine Mendoza in the comedy sketch EB' Kalyeserye. Their team was called AlDub.
Some of his most successful movies include My Bebe Love: KiligPaMore (2015), Imagine You and Me (2016), and Five Breakups and a Romance (2023). His films Hello, Love, Goodbye (2019) and Hello, Love, Again (2024) are among the highest-earning Filipino movies ever.
Alden also produces films, concerts, and events. In music, he has won awards for his albums. His album Wish I May (2015) sold so many copies that it was certified Diamond. This makes it one of the best-selling albums in the Philippines.
Outside of entertainment, Alden helps many charities, especially those focused on reading and learning. He started AR Foundation Inc., which gives scholarships to students who need help to finish college. He has also been a member of the Mowelfund Inc. Board of Trustees since 2023.
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Alden's Early Life and School
Richard Reyes Faulkerson Jr. was born on January 2, 1992, in Quezon City, Philippines. He grew up in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. His parents are Richard Peralta Faulkerson Sr. and Rosario Reyes Faulkerson. Alden is the second of four children. He has an older brother and two younger sisters.
His father is half-Filipino and half-American, which means Alden has American roots too. His American grandfather passed away in California when Alden was three years old.
Alden went to high school at Paco Catholic School in Manila. When his family moved to Laguna, he changed schools and graduated from Colegio de Santa Rosa de Lima. He started college at De La Salle University-Canlubang to study Business Administration.
However, he had to pause his studies when his mother passed away in 2008. To help his family, he decided to follow his mother's dream for him to become an actor. This is when he started using the stage name Alden Richards. He has also studied at an aviation school to become a pilot, a dream inspired by his father.
Alden's Journey in Showbiz
Starting His Acting Career (2011–2014)
Before becoming an actor, Alden worked as a model and joined male pageants. He then auditioned for the TV show Alakdana and got the role of Joma. This was his first acting job, and he was paired with Louise delos Reyes. For this role, he won a Golden Screen Television Award for Breakthrough Performance by an Actor.
He also appeared in the teen drama Tween Hearts and its movie version, Tween Academy: Class of 2012. Alden was also part of GMA's Sunday variety shows Party Pilipinas and Sunday All Stars. He also acted in the comedy-horror series Spooky Nights.
Alden appeared in the films Ang Panday 2 and The Road. Critics praised his acting in The Road. Many writers thought he would become a big star. He had supporting roles in My Beloved and CBN Asia's UNOS.
He was offered lead roles in One True Love and Mundo Mo'y Akin. His performances in these shows earned him a nomination for an Outstanding Performance by an Actor award. In October 2013, he signed a special contract with GMA Network.
As a singer, Alden first performed on Party Pilipinas. In April 2013, he released his first song, Haplos. His first album, Alden Richards, came out in May 2013. His songs were used in TV shows. He was also a guest VJ for Myx in June 2013.
In 2014, Alden starred with Marian Rivera in Carmela. His song Naalala Ka was used as the show's ending theme. That same year, he played the national hero José Rizal in the historical drama Ilustrado. He won Best Actor for this role at the 29th PMPC Star Awards for Television. He also started hosting Bet ng Bayan with Regine Velasquez. Alden also acted with famous actress Nora Aunor in a short film called Kinabukasan.
Becoming a Big Star (2015–2021)
In 2015, Alden joined the popular noontime show Eat Bulaga!. On July 16, 2015, he was accidentally paired with Maine Mendoza during a segment. They became a very popular love team known as AlDub. Because of their huge popularity, a special comedy series called Kalyeserye was created just for them.
In August 2015, Alden signed a four-year movie contract with APT Entertainment and a music contract with GMA Records. His second album, Wish I May, was released in October 2015. The album's first song, also called Wish I May, quickly became number one on iTunes (PH).
Before its official release, Wish I May was already certified gold. In October 2015, his first album, Alden Richards, also earned a gold record. It even reached number 10 on the Billboard World's Album chart. Later, a special edition of his first album was released, including the AlDub theme song God Gave Me You. This helped his album become platinum in November.
His second album, Wish I May, became 2x platinum in December 2015. By July, it was 7x platinum and earned a Diamond Record award in October 2016.
In December 2015, Alden and Maine Mendoza starred in My Bebe Love: KiligPaMore. This movie was part of the 41st Metro Manila Film Festival. Alden was also honored with a star on the Philippines Walk of Fame. He returned to the big screen with Maine Mendoza in Imagine You and Me in July 2016. The next year, they starred in their first primetime TV series Destined to be Yours. They also headlined Love is..., a TV film produced by Eat Bulaga!.
Alden released his book, Alden Richards: In My Own Words, in July 2016. Besides hosting Eat Bulaga! and Sunday PinaSaya, he appeared as a guest in other shows. He renewed his contract with GMA Network in September 2016. In December of that year, he co-hosted the 21st Asian Television Awards in Singapore.
Alden played the main role of activist Bonifacio Ilagan in the docudrama Alaala: A Martial Law Special. This show won a silver medal at the New York Festival TV and Film Awards. In 2018, he played the main character in Victor Magtanggol, an action-drama fantasy series.
After almost three years, Alden returned to movies. He was paired with Kathryn Bernardo in Star Cinema's Hello, Love, Goodbye in 2019. This film became the highest-earning Filipino movie of all time.
In 2020, Alden received the Ani ng Dangal award for his work in Alaala: A Martial Law Special. He also won the Asian Star Prize at the Seoul International Drama Awards. He returned to All-Out Sundays, a musical variety show.
Recent Projects (2022–Present)
In March 2023, Alden returned to Eat Bulaga! after taking a year off to focus on other projects. One of these projects was the TV series Start-Up PH in 2022.
Alden and Julia Montes starred in Five Breakups and a Romance, released in 2023. This movie was a collaboration between GMA Pictures, Cornerstone Studios, and Myriad Entertainment. He also starred with Sharon Cuneta in the film Family of Two, which was shown at the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival.
He played the lead role in Magpakailanman: Sa Puso't Isipan. This episode won Best Single Drama Anthology National Winner at the 2024 Asian Academy Creative Awards. The episode first aired in August 2023 and was re-aired in January 2025.
Alden joined the cast of the war-drama series Pulang Araw, playing Eduardo Dela Cruz. This show aired on Netflix in July 2024.
In November 2024, Alden reunited with Kathryn Bernardo in Hello, Love, Again. This movie was the first time ABS-CBN's Star Cinema and GMA Pictures worked together on a film. The movie was released on Netflix in February 2025.
He is set to host the dance reality competition Stars on the Floor in June 2025. In the same month, it was announced that Alden would direct his first film, titled Out of Order.
Other Things Alden Does
Modeling and Endorsements
Besides acting, Alden Richards has also done a lot of modeling. In 2010, he was ranked 4th on Candy Magazine's list of "Celebrity Cuties". In July 2012, he was on the cover of MEGA Magazine with other young GMA actors. Since then, he has appeared in many magazines and endorsed many products.
Helping Others (Philanthropy)
Alden has performed in many benefit concerts to support charities. These include the GMA Kapuso Foundation, foundations for the elderly, and children's charities. He also supports the Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation and his own AR Scholarship Foundation.
After Typhoon Yolanda hit in 2013, Alden helped with relief efforts. For over 10 years, he has supported Holy Trinity Home for Children, an orphanage in Quezon City. Since 2013, he visits the orphanage, bringing food and gifts, and playing with the children. He was also part of the Department of Health (DOH) campaign to promote healthy living.
He became an ambassador for Habitat for Humanity in the Philippines in 2014. For three years, he helped build homes with volunteers and families. In 2016, he celebrated his birthday with the Aeta community in Tarlac. He returned in 2019 to help build a school for them.
Alden was part of the #NowPH Climate Change campaign. He also became an ambassador for a campaign that encouraged students to earn money while in school. He has donated blood for the Red Cross for two years in a row.
In 2017, he joined the Make-A-Wish Foundation program for sick children. The next year, he visited cancer patients at a hospital on Valentine's Day. In 2019, he helped build a school for the Mangyan people in Mindoro. Alden became an ambassador for Ronald McDonald House of Charities (RMHC) in November 2019. He helps raise awareness for their reading programs.
In early 2020, he turned his restaurant into a donation center for victims of the Taal Volcano eruption. He was chosen by the Department of Health (DOH) for campaigns about COVID-19 prevention and vaccination in 2020. He also became an ambassador for the Philippines' End Tuberculosis campaign. In November 2020, he held a donation drive for victims of Typhoon Ulysses.
He started the AR Foundation, Inc. in 2021. This program gives college scholarships to students from low-income families. By August 2023, his foundation had 27 scholars, and some had already graduated. He became the newest Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) ambassador in 2022. In 2023, he joined a campaign to clean beaches and coral reefs.
Alden became the youngest member of the Movie Workers Welfare Foundation (Mowelfund) in September 2023. He and Dingdong Dantes were introduced as members of the Board of Trustees in March 2024. At an event, Alden's company helped set up a free medical mission for Mowelfund members. He also donated food to victims of Typhoon Carina in July 2024.
In partnership with Mowelfund, he announced a fun-run event called Lights, Camera, Run for May 2025. This event will raise money for Mowelfund members. He also spent time reading books to elementary school students. In April 2025, Alden participated in the Run to Share event to help children with cancer.
Alden's Businesses
In 2016, Alden started his first business, a restaurant called Concha's Garden in Tagaytay. It now has four branches. He also owns his own McDonald's franchise in Biñan, Laguna.
In 2022, he started his own company, Myriad Entertainment Corporation. This company helped organize the reunion concert of the rock band Eraserheads, where Alden was a co-producer.
Alden's Personal Life
Alden credits his grandmother, Linda Reyes, for teaching him about the Catholic faith. He shared that he would visit seven churches and watch Christian movies during Lent. He believes his faith helps him stay grounded. In December 2023, he shared that he went through a tough time for three months and thought about leaving showbiz. He also said he wanted to grow closer to God during this period.
He enjoys mountain climbing, running, cycling, and playing video games.
His hometown is Santa Rosa, Laguna, but he currently lives in Quezon City.
Alden's Movies and TV Shows
Alden Richards has appeared in 15 movies and 17 television series. Some of his well-known movies include The Road (2012) and Alaala: A Martial Law Special (2017). His most successful films are My Bebe Love: KiligPaMore (2015), Imagine You and Me (2016), Five Breakups and a Romance (2023), Hello, Love, Goodbye (2019), and Hello, Love, Again (2024). These are among the highest-earning Filipino films ever.
On television, he has starred in drama series like Alakdana (2011), One True Love (2012), Mundo Mo'y Akin (2013), Carmela (2014), Illustrado (2014), Destined to be Yours (2017), Victor Magtanggol (2018), The Gift (2019–2020), The World Between Us (2021–2022), Start-Up PH (2022), and Pulang Araw (2024).
Alden's Music
Alden Richards has released four studio albums, two soundtrack albums, two compilation albums, and eight singles. His albums include his first EP Alden Richards (2013), Say it Again (2016), Until I see you again (2018), and Wish I May (2015). Wish I May is considered one of the best-selling albums in the Philippines.
Alden's Concert Tours
Alden has held many concerts and tours both in the Philippines and abroad. Some of his concert tours include Alden Richards: Live in Dubai! UAE (2016) and Alden Richards: Upsurge (2017). He also had digital concerts like Alden's Reality: The Virtual Reality Concert (2020).
He has also performed in collaboration concerts and music festivals. Alden has joined many promotional concerts with GMA Pinoy TV in different countries, like Kapusong Pinoy sa Vancouver, Canada (2015) and Sparkle World Tour in Anaheim, California USA (2024). He has also performed in several charity concerts to help various causes.
Alden's Awards and Recognitions
Alden Richards has won many awards throughout his career. He has received five PMPC Star Awards for Movies, five GMMSF Box-Office Entertainment Awards, and five PMPC Star Awards for Television. He also has a Seoul International Drama Award and a FAMAS Award.
For his music, he has won eight PMPC Star Awards for Music and three Awit Awards. His album Wish I May received a Diamond Record Award from the Philippine Association of the Record Industry (PARI).
He was honored with the Ani ng Dangal Award by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). He was also named one of the most influential celebrities of the decade by EdukCircle Awards. Alden was also inducted into the Philippines Walk of Fame.
Images for kids
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Richards at the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival
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Richards in his 2017 Upsurge concert
See also
In Spanish: Alden Richards para niños
