Spanky
Manikan began his theater career with the Philippine Educational
Theater Association (PETA) in the production “Halimaw” in 1972. Since then, he
has become a stalwart not only of PETA plays but also with Dulaang UP, Metropolitan
Theater, Bulwagang Gantimpala and Tanghalang Pilipino of the Cultural Center of
the Philippines. Some of the more notable plays where he played lead or major
supporting roles include “Kabesang Tales”, “Joe Hill”, “Caucasian Chalk
Circle”, “Rehas Sa Tubig”, “Solo Entre Las Sombras”, “General Goyo”, “The
Boor”, “Henry IV”, “Mando Plaridel”, “Canuplin”, “Marat Sade”, “Kang Tse”, “Bombita”, “Pilipinas
Circa 1900”, “Bien Aligtad”, “Puntila and Matti”, “Pantaglieze”, “The Iceman Cometh” and “Maliw”. Manikan’s
filmography consists of an impressive array of local and international
productions, with memorable roles in Lino Brocka’s “Maynila sa Kuko Ng Liwanag”
and “Bona”, and Ishmael Bernal’s “Broken Marriage” and “Himala”. He went
on to work with American and European directors in “Behind Enemy Lines”,
“Saigon Commandos” , HBO’s “A Dangerous
Life”, “Le Zhan Chang An”, “In Naam der Koningin", “Tatort-Manila”, “Behind Enemy Lines”, “Au Bout De
Rouleau” and “Amigo”. A regular in television dramas, Manikan has had multiple
guest performances in various programs and is a regular cast in many primetime
series. His passion for perfection has not gone unrecognized. In 1981, Manikan
won as the Metro Manila Film Festival Best Supporting Actor and the Catholic
Mass Media Awards Best Supporting Actor for “Himala”. He was also awarded the
Best Supporting Actor for GMA’s Bahaghari Awards for the tele-movie, “Parola”
in 1995.
