Jonathan Anthony Solis Lapus (born July 7, 1973), also known as Sweet, is a Filipino actor, presenter and director. He began his career performing several stage plays and later branched into acting on screen. He became one of the leading queer comedians in the 2000s to mid 2010s, appearing in numerous blockbusters, presented several television shows, and later expanded into filmmaking in late 2010s. Lapus is the recipient of two Aliw Awards, two Box Office Entertainment Awards, two Golden Screen Awards and a Star Award for Television.[2]
Early life and education
John Lapus is the son of showbiz columnist Jojo Lapus. The elder Lapus has been estranged from his son since the former was eleven years old.[3]
Lapus attended the University of Santo Tomas (UST) in Manila where he obtained a degree in hotel and restaurant management in 1993. At UST he was part of Teatro Tomasino.[4] He planned to shift to nursing or physical therapy but abandoned such move due to financial constraints.[5]
Career
Lapus started his professional career in television in 1993 when he was hired as a researcher for ABS-CBN. He would become a segment producer around the following year and would start making appearances in sitcoms.[5]
He worked as a researcher of ABS-CBN's Showbiz Lingo. He appeared in numerous ABS-CBN shows and often moonlighted as a Creative Consultant for the network's film arm, Star Cinema.[citation needed] His nickname "Sweet" was named after his character in the sitcom Arriba, Arriba!.[6] In 2006, he transferred to joining S-Files after his assignments at ABS-CBN dwindled.[7] When S-Files was cancelled by the network he was named main host of Showbiz Central together with Pia Guanio and Raymond Gutierrez. Since then, his career has experienced resurgence. Lapus won two awards namely, Best Male Stand-Up Comic in Aliw Awards 2006 and Best Game Show Host (along with Ai-Ai delas Alas) for ABC-5 (now TV5)'s Sing Galing in PMPC Star Awards 2004.[citation needed]
Lapus is openly gay.[8] He returned to his original home network ABS-CBN but in 2012, he was still in GMA for joining the cast of Makapiling Kang Muli. He had been cast first at Ikaw ay Pag-Ibig, Kahit Konting Pagtingin and now at Mirabella which he was known as the foster father Paeng Robles.[9]
^Vanzi, Sol Jose (November 4, 2002), "Boy Abunda: Sweet Vindication", Philippine Headline News Online, archived from the original on December 11, 2008, retrieved February 8, 2008
