Noel I. Aparilla (born December 17, 1968), commonly known by the screen name Leon Miguel[1] is a Filipinoactor, model, and engineer. He received the Best Actor (Short) award from the International Film Festival Manhattan (IFFM) in 2016[2] in New York Cityfor his performance in the short film Redlights. Earlier, he gained notoriety for his role as the leading villain, Visel, in a crime-thriller movie called Graceland: A Life for Every Lie (2012)[3][4] directed by Ron Morales. Graceland premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival[5] and was awarded Second Place in the Audience Choice Award competition. It also won Audience Award at the Gasparilla Film Festival in Tampa, Florida.
Leon Miguel, IFFM 2016 Best Actor (Short)Leon Miguel IFFM 2016 Best Actor (Short)
Miguel's starring role in Mang Abe's Ube also caught the attention of international film festivals.[6][7]Mang Abe's Ube, directed by Paolo Bitanga, is a modern-day folktale about a Filipino ube farmer trying to protect his magical source of success from corporate crooks.[8] Miguel's work includes EJK (Extra-Judicial Killing), a political film narrative by Red Carpet Philippines which premiered at Greenbelt 1, Cinema 2, Ayala Center, Makati.
Miguel was featured in the November 2014 issue of Manila Bulletin titled "International filmfest veteran is proudly from Masbate".[9]
Early career
Leon Miguel first appeared on the international scene by appearing in supporting roles in American, Japanese and Italian movies shot in the Philippines. He appeared in minor roles in films such as In the Name of the Queen (1996), Behind Enemy Lines (1998), and Legacy (1998).
Exotic Asian roles
International directors and producers frequently utilize Leon Miguel's "exotic Asian face"[10] to portray Asian and native roles. He was involved in various notable Filipino films, where he took on distinctive roles such as kanto boy (Street Toughie), siga (Toughie), syndicate member, school worker, youngster’s hoodlum, snatcher, hitman, rapist, banker (boatman), Katipunero (rebel), and Hukbalahap (rebel).
He played the guerilla Juan in Concerto (2008), a Cinemalaya finalist directed by Paul Alexander Morales. In Sean Lim's films, Panahon Na (2009) and Pendong (2010), he portrayed a Lobo[clarification needed] and a farmer. He was a gangster in Third World Happy (2010) with Sam Milby as the lead actor, of CinemaOne/Brass Knuckles Inc., directed by Edward James Salcedo and he played the rebel in CinemaOne Originals, Tsardyer (2010) directed by Sigfried Barros-Sanchez. Additionally, he took on the role of Baloy in Isda (Fable of the Fish), a 2011 Cinemalaya entry directed by Adolfo Alix Jr. In July 2012, he portrayed as a guerilla in Death March, which is another film directed by Adolfo Alix Jr.
Television commercials
Leon Miguel also did several television commercial advertising as a Katipunero in KKK (Andres Bonifacio) (1998), and Isang Bandilla (Emilio Aguinaldo) (1998) for the Philippine Centennial Celebration. He was also the lead actor Katipunero in the Duty-Free Centennial Presentation (2010) directed by Raymond Red. He also appeared in San Miguel Beer (2004), SMB Vietnam Setting commercial, Metro Bank (2004), Blend 45 (2005), SMB Walng Kupas (2005), Oracle (2006) and Touch Mobile (2008). He also portrayed a Chavacano fisherman in an intrusion project of GMA Channel 7 and Globe Company, in the music video "Believe" which was used as a Station ID for the Peace and Unity information-dissemination drive.
He was also featured in a Talk & Text (Hati) (2010) commercial, Snitch Choco Bar (Rockers Dream) (2010), Head & Shoulders (2010), Project Building Medicine TVC (2010), and Ayos Dito Rocker TVC.[11]
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