IVAN PADILLA is the grandson of the late actor Amado Cortez, husband of veteran actress Gloria Sevilla, whose real name is Arsenio Padilla. “Bale Robin Padilla is my mom's cousin,” he says. “I grew up in the household of my Lola Gloria and my aunt, Suzette Ranillo, is now helping me with my career here. My first experience in acting was in the Star Cinema movie, ‘Sana Maulit Muli’, where I played Lea Salonga’s young half brother in the U.S. when I was about 9 or 10 years old, directed by Olivia Lamasan. Then I studied acting under coach Lorrie Hull when I was in college.”
His full name is Ivan Germaine Padilla Grimes. His mom is the Padilla and his dad is an American. In Hollywood, he used the screen names Germaine Grimes and Germaine de Leon. He often played Latino and American roles on TV and in films. He has appeared in the TV series “Dexter” and various “CSI” episodes, also “ER”, “The Closer”, “Castle”. He has also appeared in the movies like “Here Comes the Boom” with Salma Hayek and Charice (who played his classmate and encouraged him to try acting in Manila), the horror film “Buried Alive” and the critically acclaimed HBO film “Walkout” with Edward Olmos. How Filipino is he?
“I love Filipino foods, like sizzling pork sisig and bangus belly. I could eat it everyday. I’ve read Rizal’s Noli and Fili and I believe Fil-Ams should instill in their children a sense of pride in being a Filipino and our accomplishments as a people. I love reading about our national heroes and I’d love to play one of them, like Juan Luna, in a movie.”
