Ronnie Lazaro

Ronnie Zabala Lazaro (born November 14, 1957) is a Filipino film and television actor, producer, casting director, and art director. He won the Gawad Urian for Best Actor for Yanggaw (English title: Affliction; 2008).

He has received many nominations throughout his career as an actor, nine of which were for Best Supporting Actor, and two for Best Actor (Ebolusyon in 2005 and Boatman in 1984). His films received recognition not only in the Philippines but also in international film festivals such as Cannes, Berlin and Hong Kong. He is currently working on a saga, Heremias, with Filipino director Lav Diaz, the first part of which has been shown for exhibition in the 23rd Turin Film Festival. He has also performed in several foreign projects filmed both in the Philippines and abroad.

Lazaro is also active in television and has appeared in various soap operas, such as Kamada, winner of the Dove Awards in 1997, and Anna Luna, where he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 1990.

Lazaro was born in Fabrica, Sagay City, Negros Occidental, Philippines. His roots are in theatre: He co-directed an improvisational play entitled Pugakhang in 1979, and has toured nationwide to stage several plays including Hiblang Abo, which he co-produced.

Aside from his work as a film, theatre and television actor, Lazaro has had his share of achievements behind the camera. His art direction in Manila by Night won the Best Production Design Award in 1981. A self-taught photographer, he also launched in January 2005 a photo exhibit in the Museo de la Cárcel Real in Cáceres, Spain entitled Manila en las palmas de la luz (Manila in the palms of light), which ran for two months. The same exhibit was again mounted in October 2006 in Museo Perez Commendador–Leroux, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the said museum.

The Gawad Urian Awards named Lazaro Best Actor in 2009 for his portrayal of a troubled father in the movie Yanggaw (English title: Affliction). He clinched two nominations from this same award-giving body in 2012: he was nominated as Best Actor for the film Boundary, and for Best Supporting Actor for Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story.

Aside from his native Hiligaynon, Ronnie speaks Tagalog, English and a little Spanish.