ELIJAH CANLAS may not be known to the masses..yet. When I first heard his name, I had no idea who he was. But after researching and watching clips from his previous projects, I think that the entertainment world is in for a surprise.
He is just 20 years old, yet his acting career will offer you an impressive portfolio. I’m talking about the projects that he did and the awards and nominations that he received. He is definitely a superstar on the rise.
To know more about Elijah, read on!
EARLY LIFE
Elijah Luiz Canlas was born on August 16, 2020 in Manila, Philippines. He is a middle child, with a younger brother named JM, and an older brother Jerom. He actually came from a family that works in the arts, her mom being a former theater actress and his brothers who appeared in films, theaters and television.
He studied Theater Arts at the Philippine High School for the Arts during his Junior high and finished his high school education at MINT College in Taguig Philippines. He is currently pursuing his bachelors at the University of Philippines Manila, majoring in Philippine Arts.
ACTING CAREER
He began his acting career, playing the character of Badong, with his film debut “Sundalong Kanin” directed by Janice O’Hara. This was a Cinemalaya entry and was released in 2014. In 2016, he played a supporting role (Benjie) in the multi awarded film “Sakaling Hindi Makarating” which was co-written, co-produced and directed by Ice Idanan. This film starred Alessandra de Rossi, Teri Malvar, JC Santos and Pepe Herrera and was released in Philippine theaters in 2017.
2019 became a busy year for him as he starred in four movies. Although most of the films he worked on presented him as a supporting role – in the movie “Edward” as Renz, “LSS Last Song Syndrome” as Cedie and “Babae at Baril” as Jun, he got the main role in the film “Kalel, 15” as the protagonist Kalel. He actually met the director of the film Jun Robles Lana several years earlier when he was looking for a talent manager. Jun Lana, then casted him instantly.
WEB SERIES
Apart from appearing in films, Elijah found his niche in several web series. His first web series was in the iWANT TFC series “Past, Present, Perfect?” in 2019, playing the supporting role Marius. He then bagged the lead role Arthur, in another web series “Unconditional” in 2020 as streamed in Cignal Play. He is currently starring in another web series “Gameboys”, his breakthrough project in mainstream and digital.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
Although relatively a newbie in the entertainment industry, Elijah already showcased his acting abilities, gaining nods from national and international award giving bodies. His role in the film “Edward” earned him the Best Supporting Actor award from the Pampelikulang Samahan ng mga Dalubguro beating other veteran actors like Baron Geisler, Joross Gamboa, JC Santos and Ian Veneracion
For his role in “Kalel,15” he won, together with the other cast members, the Best Acting Ensemble award as given by the 2020 PARAGON Critics Choice Awards. He also won his first Best Actor Award at the 17th Asian Film Festival held in Rome, Italy.
2020 and Beyond: Rise to Stardom
Elijah was casted as one of the main leads in the BL series, “Gameboys” a thirteen part series that could be viewed in Youtube. The series is directed by Ivan Andrew Payawal and written by Ash M. Malanum and has Perci Intalan and Jun Lana as executive producers. Elijah plays the role of Cairo Lazaro, an online gamer and the love interest of Gavreel Alarcon (played by Kokoy de Santos).The story revolves around two online gamers who found love on the internet during the COVID 19 pandemic.
So, if you just want to relax or are into BL series, or are exploring interesting series to watch, have a go at his new series, which is available in YouTube! Start bingewatching GameBoys Season 1 now and fall in love!
As we write this, Elijah and his onscreen partner Kokoy de Santos are receiving offers for endorsements and drama projects left and right. The newest one is for the clothing line Bench. As his star continues to rise, we’re just happy to see him shine bright like a diamond!
