Coco Martin: The Life Story Behind the Philippines' Tough Star

Coco Martin is the toughest star in Philippine television, and toughness is the right word for him. He did not arrive at the top through a talent contest or a famous family. He arrived through years of hard, unglamorous work in independent films, playing small and difficult roles that most young actors would have refused. He slept in modest places, he worked for little money, and he learned his craft in the hardest school there is: the world of indie cinema, where there is no glamour and no safety net.

He was born Rodel Pacheco Nacianceno on 1 November 1981 in Novaliches, Quezon City. He grew up with his grandmother, and he has spoken about a childhood that was simple and sometimes hard. As a young man he worked in jobs that had nothing to do with acting, and he even spent time working abroad. When he returned to the Philippines and began to act, he brought with him the toughness of a man who had worked for a living and who knew what real life looked like.

His breakthrough came slowly, through films like Masahista and Serbis, and then through television dramas that made him a household name. The role that made him a legend was Cardo Dalisay in FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano, a series that ran for seven years and became one of the longest-running shows in Philippine television history. He later created and starred in Batang Quiapo, another huge hit. This is the story of how a boy raised by his grandmother became the most powerful actor-director in the country.

A Boy From Novaliches Raised by His Grandmother

Rodel Pacheco Nacianceno was born on 1 November 1981 in Novaliches, Quezon City, in Metro Manila. Novaliches is a large, crowded district, full of ordinary working families, markets, and jeepneys. Rodel grew up there in a home that was not wealthy. His parents were not able to raise him in the usual way, and he spent much of his childhood with his grandmother. She became the most important person in his early life, and he has spoken about her with deep love and gratitude ever since.

His grandmother taught him the values that would guide his whole life. She taught him to work hard, to respect older people, and to never forget where he came from. She also taught him to be tough, because life in a poor family in a big city is not easy. Rodel learned those lessons well. He was not a child who complained. He was a child who helped, who worked, and who understood that nothing in life comes for free. That understanding stayed with him when he became famous, and it is one reason people who work with him say he has never forgotten his roots.

As a young man, Rodel tried to find work that would support him and his family. He took on jobs that were hard and poorly paid, and he learned what it meant to earn a living with his hands. He has spoken about working abroad, in Canada, where he did manual work far from home. That experience changed him. It taught him what it feels like to be a stranger in a foreign country, to miss your family, and to keep going because you have no other choice. Many of the characters he would later play were men like that: men who work hard, who suffer quietly, and who refuse to give up.

He did not dream of becoming a star when he was young. Acting was not something he thought about. He was thinking about survival, about work, and about helping his family. The path to acting came later, and it came through a different door from the one most stars use. He did not enter a talent contest. He did not come from a rich family. He came from the world of independent film, where directors were looking for actors who looked and sounded like real people. Rodel looked and sounded like a real person, because he was one.

Hard Jobs, Canada, and the Road to Indie Film

Before he became an actor, Coco Martin lived the life of an ordinary worker. He has spoken in interviews about the years when he did manual jobs, about the time he spent in Canada working far from home, and about the feeling of being a stranger in a cold country where nobody knew his name. Those years were not wasted. They gave him a deep understanding of the lives of ordinary Filipinos, the people who work hard and are rarely noticed. When he later played those people on screen, he did not have to pretend. He knew them, because he had been one of them.

When he returned to the Philippines, he began to try acting. He did not start in mainstream television. He started in independent films, where the budgets are small and the work is hard. Independent directors in the Philippines were looking for actors who were willing to play difficult roles for little money, and Coco was willing. He took on parts that other young actors would have refused, and he worked with directors who were making films about the real Philippines: about poverty, about crime, about the lives of people on the margins of society.

His first important film role came in Masahista in 2005, a film about a young masseur in Manila. The role was difficult and brave, and it required an actor who was not afraid of looking vulnerable. Coco played it with an honesty that surprised critics. The film won awards at international festivals, and it put his name on the map in the world of independent cinema. He was no longer an unknown young man. He was an actor to watch.

He followed Masahista with more indie films, including Serbis in 2008, directed by Brillante Mendoza, one of the most respected directors in the Philippines. Serbis was a film about a family that runs a rundown cinema in Angeles City, and it was shown at the Cannes Film Festival in France. Coco’s work in these films earned him a reputation as a serious actor, someone who cared about the craft and not only about fame. He was building a career the hard way, and the hard way was making him strong.

Masahista, Serbis, and the Indie Years

The independent film years were the foundation of Coco Martin’s career, and they are the reason his acting feels so real. In films like Masahista, Serbis, Kinatay, and Jay, he played men who lived on the edges of society: workers, drivers, masseurs, and men caught in crime. These were not glamorous roles. They were roles that asked him to show pain, fear, and desperation without hiding behind a handsome face or a clever line. He did the work, and the critics noticed.

Kinatay, released in 2009 and also directed by Brillante Mendoza, was one of the most talked-about Filipino films of its time. It told the story of a young criminology student who is drawn into a terrible crime, and it was shown at Cannes, where it won the Best Director award for Mendoza. Coco’s performance was praised for its rawness and its honesty. He was not acting like a man in a film. He was a man in a terrible situation, and the audience could feel it. That kind of acting cannot be learned in a classroom. It comes from life, and Coco had lived the life.

During these years, he also began to be noticed by mainstream television producers. They saw an actor who was different from the usual young stars: tougher, more natural, and more believable as a man from the streets. They began to offer him television roles, and he accepted them, but he did not abandon independent film. He moved between the two worlds, and he brought the honesty of indie cinema into his television work. That honesty is what made his television performances stand out.

The indie years also taught him how films are made. He watched directors work, he learned about cameras and editing, and he began to think about directing himself. He was not content to be only an actor. He wanted to understand the whole process, from the script to the final cut. That curiosity would later make him one of the most powerful director-actors in Philippine television. But in those early years, he was simply a young man learning his trade, one hard film at a time.

Tayong Dalawa and the Move to Mainstream Television

Coco’s breakthrough on mainstream television came in 2009, when he starred in the drama series Tayong Dalawa on ABS-CBN. He played Ramon, a man caught in a story of two brothers, two families, and a long-buried secret. The series was a hit, and it showed that Coco could carry a prime-time drama just as well as he could carry an independent film. His performance was praised for its intensity and its truth, and the audience responded to him in a way they had not responded to a new leading man in years.

Tayong Dalawa was followed by more hit series. He starred in Kung Tayo’y Magkakalayo in 2010, in Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin in 2011, and in Walang Hanggan in 2012, a series about two families whose lives are bound together by love and revenge. Each series added to his reputation, and each one showed a different side of his talent. He could play a good man, a flawed man, a man in love, and a man in trouble, and he could make each one feel real.

In 2012, he also starred in the fantasy drama Juan dela Cruz, in which he played a young man who discovers that he is the son of a monster and a human, and who must use his powers to protect people. The series was a huge hit with families, and it showed that Coco could carry a fantasy story as well as a serious drama. He was becoming the most versatile leading man on Philippine television, and the audience trusted him with any kind of story.

By the early 2010s, Coco Martin was one of the biggest stars in the country. He had come from independent film, from hard jobs, and from a childhood raised by his grandmother, and he had become a household name. He had done it without a famous family, without a talent contest win, and without the usual shortcuts. He had done it through work, and the work had made him strong.

Ang Probinsyano and Seven Years as Cardo Dalisay

In 2015, Coco Martin took on the role that would define his career. He starred as Cardo Dalisay in FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano, a television series based on a famous film by the late Fernando Poe Jr., the most beloved action star in Philippine history. Cardo is a police officer who fights crime, protects the innocent, and stands up to corrupt officials. The role was a huge responsibility, because Fernando Poe Jr. was a legend, and the audience expected the series to honour his memory.

The series became a phenomenon. It ran for seven years, from 2015 to 2022, and it became one of the longest-running and most-watched shows in Philippine television history. Families watched it together every night, and Cardo Dalisay became a hero to millions of people. Coco played him with a mixture of toughness and kindness, as a man who is strong in a fight but gentle with his family and with the people he protects. That combination is exactly what the audience wanted, and Coco gave it to them night after night for seven years.

Playing Cardo for seven years was an enormous job. Coco was not only the star of the show. He was also one of its directors and its creative force, shaping the story and making decisions about how it was told. He worked long hours, and he carried the weight of the whole production on his shoulders. The work was exhausting, but it also gave him a level of creative control that few actors ever achieve. He was not only acting in a story. He was building it.

Ang Probinsyano also made Coco one of the most powerful figures in Philippine show business. He was no longer only an actor. He was a director, a producer, and a man whose name could guarantee an audience. The series ended in 2022, after seven years, and its ending was a major event in the country. Millions of people watched the final episodes, and they said goodbye to a character who had been part of their lives for years. Coco had done something very few actors ever do: he had become a hero to a whole nation.

Batang Quiapo and the Director’s Chair

After Ang Probinsyano ended, Coco did not rest. He created and starred in a new series, FPJ’s Batang Quiapo, which began in 2023. He played Tanggol, a young man from the Quiapo district of Manila who grows up in a world of crime and trouble, and who must decide what kind of man he wants to be. The series was another huge hit, and it showed that Coco’s power as a star had not faded. He could still draw a massive audience, and he could still tell a story that people wanted to watch.

Batang Quiapo also showed how much Coco had grown as a director. He was now in full creative control of his work, shaping the story, directing the scenes, and leading a large cast. He had become the kind of artist who does not wait for someone else to give him a good role. He creates the role himself, and he builds the whole world around it. That is a rare achievement, and it is one that few actors in any country ever reach.

His work as a director has earned him respect inside the industry. He is known for being demanding on set, for working long hours, and for expecting the best from everyone around him. Some people find that hard, but the results speak for themselves. His shows are among the most-watched in the country, and his actors often say that working with him taught them a great deal. He is a tough teacher, but he is a teacher who cares about the work.

Today, Coco Martin is one of the most important figures in Philippine entertainment. He is an actor, a director, and a producer, and he has built his career from nothing. He is also known for his loyalty to the people who helped him, and for his love for his grandmother, who raised him. He has said many times that everything he has achieved is for her. That loyalty, and that gratitude, are at the heart of who he is.

Juan dela Cruz and the Fantasy Hero

In 2012, Coco starred in Juan dela Cruz, a fantasy drama series in which he played a young man who discovers that he is the son of a monster and a human, and who must use his powers to protect people from evil. The series was a huge hit with families, and it showed a side of Coco that his indie film fans had not seen. He could play a hero in a fantasy world, with special effects and action scenes, and he could make it feel real. He played Juan with a mixture of toughness and kindness, as a young man who is different from everyone around him but who chooses to use his difference to help others.

Juan dela Cruz was important because it proved that Coco was not limited to serious indie dramas. He could carry a family fantasy series, and he could do it with the same honesty he brought to his film work. The series ran for many months, and it became one of the most watched shows of its year. Children loved it, parents loved it, and it made Coco a hero to a new generation of viewers. He was no longer only the tough indie actor. He was a hero for the whole family.

The role also showed his physical commitment to his work. The action scenes were demanding, and Coco performed them with a dedication that impressed everyone on the set. He trained, he rehearsed, and he gave the role everything he had. That physical toughness came from his life, from the hard jobs he had done and from the years of work in indie films where there was no room for complaint. He brought that toughness to Juan dela Cruz, and it made the character believable as a man who could fight and protect.

Today, Juan dela Cruz stands as a bridge in Coco’s career, between the indie films that made his name and the huge television series that made him a legend. It showed that he could do anything, and that he could do it well. It was the series that proved his versatility, and it prepared him for the even bigger roles that were coming.

Working With Brillante Mendoza and the Cannes Years

Coco’s work with the director Brillante Mendoza was one of the most important partnerships of his career, and it deserves to be told in its own right. Mendoza is one of the most respected directors in the Philippines, known for films that show the real lives of ordinary Filipinos with a raw and honest eye. He saw something in Coco that other directors had not seen: a young actor who was willing to be vulnerable, who was not afraid of looking ugly or weak, and who could carry a film with his presence alone. He cast him in Serbis, in Kinatay, and in other films, and each one pushed Coco further as an actor.

Serbis, released in 2008, was shown at the Cannes Film Festival in France, one of the most important film festivals in the world. Coco walked the red carpet in Cannes, a young man from Novaliches standing among the great actors and directors of world cinema. It was a moment that would have seemed impossible a few years earlier, when he was doing manual jobs and working in indie films for little money. He had arrived on the world stage, and he had done it through hard work and talent.

Kinatay, released in 2009, was also shown at Cannes, where Mendoza won the Best Director award. The film was dark and difficult, and it divided critics, but it proved that Philippine cinema could compete with the best in the world. Coco’s performance in it was praised for its rawness, and it showed that he was willing to go to dark places as an actor. He was not afraid of controversy. He was interested in truth, and he trusted the director to guide him there.

These Cannes years changed Coco. They gave him confidence, they gave him a reputation as a serious actor, and they gave him a deep understanding of how films are made. He watched Mendoza work, he learned about cameras and editing, and he began to think about directing himself. The lessons he learned in those years would later make him one of the most powerful director-actors in Philippine television. He did not learn directing in a classroom. He learned it on the sets of some of the most important films in Philippine history, working alongside one of its greatest directors.

Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin and Walang Hanggan: The Drama Years

Before he became Cardo Dalisay, Coco starred in a series of prime-time dramas that made him one of the most trusted leading men on Philippine television. In 2011, he led the series Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin, a drama about two brothers, a family torn apart by secrets, and a love that must survive betrayal. Coco played a young man caught in a story of loyalty and revenge, and he played him with an intensity that made the audience care about a character who is flawed and human. The series was a hit, and it showed that Coco could carry a long drama with the same power he brought to his indie films.

In 2012, he starred in Walang Hanggan, a series about two families whose lives are bound together by love and revenge. The story followed a love that crosses generations, and it asked Coco to play a man who must choose between his family and his heart. He played him with a quiet strength, as a man who is loyal to his family but who refuses to give up on love. The series was a huge success, and it became one of the most talked-about dramas of its year. It proved that Coco was not only an action star. He was a dramatic actor who could carry a story about family, about love, and about the choices that define a life.

These drama years matter because they show the bridge between Coco’s indie film career and his later work as Cardo Dalisay. He was learning to work in the world of prime-time television, with its long hours, its large casts, and its demanding schedules. He was learning to be a leading man, to carry a show night after night, and to keep an audience’s attention for months. Those lessons would later make Ang Probinsyano possible. He did not become a television legend overnight. He became one through years of hard work in dramas like Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin and Walang Hanggan, where he learned his craft one scene at a time.

The drama years also showed his ability to work with the biggest stars in the industry. He shared the screen with actors who had been famous for decades, and he held his own. He was not intimidated. He was confident, he was prepared, and he treated every scene as a chance to learn. That confidence came from his indie film years, where he had learned to act without the safety net of a big budget or a famous co-star. He brought that independence to television, and it made him stand out. He was not just another leading man. He was an actor who had earned his place, and everyone on the set knew it.

My Take:

Coco Martin’s story is the one in this whole set that moves me most, and I want to say why. He did not have a famous family. He did not win a talent contest. He did not have money or connections. He had a grandmother who raised him, a willingness to work hard jobs, and a refusal to give up. That is all he had, and it was enough. I think about that whenever I feel as if I do not have enough to succeed. Coco had less than most people, and he built more than most people ever build. His life is proof that where you start does not decide where you finish.

What I admire most is the way he learned his craft in the hardest place possible. Independent film in the Philippines is not glamorous. The budgets are tiny, the hours are long, and the roles are difficult. Coco took those roles when other young actors were chasing fame on television. He played a masseur, a driver, a man caught in crime, and he played them with an honesty that came from his own life. He had done hard jobs. He had lived far from home. He knew what those men felt like, because he had been one of them. That is why his acting feels real, and that is why I trust it. He is not pretending to understand poor people. He was a poor person, and he remembers it.

His grandmother is the heart of his story for me. She raised him when his parents could not, and she taught him to work hard and to respect others. He has never forgotten her, and he has said many times that his success belongs to her. I find that deeply moving, because it shows that he knows success is never a solo achievement. Someone always helps you, someone always believes in you, and someone always sacrifices for you. For Coco, that person was his grandmother. I think we all have someone like that in our lives, a person who gave us more than we can repay. His story reminds me to remember that person, and to be grateful for them.

Ang Probinsyano is the part of his career that I find hardest to understand, and I mean that as a compliment. Seven years as one man, night after night, in a series that the whole country watched, is an enormous job. Most actors would be exhausted after one year. Coco did it for seven, and he did it while also directing and shaping the story. That takes a level of discipline and energy that I can barely imagine. I think it also takes a deep sense of responsibility. He knew that millions of people were watching Cardo Dalisay, and that many of them looked up to him. He took that responsibility seriously. He did not treat it as a joke. He treated it as a job that mattered, and I respect that.

There is also something I want to say about his toughness, because it is easy to misunderstand. People see Coco as a tough man, and he is. But his toughness is not about being cruel or hard. It is about endurance. It is about working long hours, about refusing to quit, and about standing up for what you believe. On screen, Cardo Dalisay is tough because he protects people. Off screen, Coco is tough because he protects his work, his family, and his values. That kind of toughness is not about hurting others. It is about refusing to be broken. I think that is a useful lesson for anyone who feels as if life is trying to break them. You do not have to be loud. You have to be strong enough to keep going.

What is sad in his story is the childhood he had. A boy who is raised by his grandmother because his parents cannot raise him carries a wound that never fully heals. He has spoken about that with honesty, and he has not pretended it was easy. I think about that boy in Novaliches, and I wonder what it felt like to grow up without the usual family around him. I do not think he wants pity, and I do not feel sorry for him. But I do think we should remember that the strongest people are often the ones who had the hardest childhoods. Their strength was not given to them. It was built, day by day, out of necessity. Coco’s strength was built that way, and it is real because it was earned.

The lesson I take from Coco Martin is about work. He worked when nobody was watching. He worked in indie films for little money. He worked in jobs that had nothing to do with acting. He worked for seven years on one series, night after night. Work is the thread that runs through his whole life. I think that is a lesson many of us need to hear, because we live in a world that promises quick success. Coco’s life says something different. It says that success comes from years of work, from doing the hard jobs, and from refusing to quit when the work is thankless. If you are willing to work when nobody is watching, you will be ready when everyone is watching. That is what Coco did, and it is why he is still standing at the top.

I also learn from him that you do not need to forget where you came from to succeed. Coco is one of the most powerful men in Philippine show business, and he still talks about his grandmother, about Novaliches, and about the hard jobs he did. He has not pretended to be someone else. He has not hidden his past. He has carried it with him, and it has made him stronger. I think that is a lesson for anyone who feels ashamed of a humble beginning. Your beginning is not something to hide. It is the source of your strength, and the reason you understand people in a way that rich and sheltered people never will.

Finally, I want to say that Coco Martin reminds me that a hero is not someone who never struggles. A hero is someone who struggles and keeps going. Cardo Dalisay is a hero on screen, but the real hero is the man who plays him: a boy from Novaliches who worked hard, who loved his grandmother, who learned his craft in the hardest school, and who built a career that no one gave him. That is a story worth telling, and it is a story I will remember for a long time.

I also think about his work with Brillante Mendoza, because it shows what can happen when a talented actor meets a director who believes in him. Mendoza saw something in Coco that others had missed, and he gave him roles that pushed him to his limits. Coco trusted him, and he went to dark and difficult places as an actor. That trust between an actor and a director is a beautiful thing, and it is the reason some of the best films in the world exist. I think about the people in my own life who have believed in me, who have seen something in me that I could not see myself, and I am grateful for them. Coco’s story reminds me to be grateful for those people, and to trust them when they push me to be better than I think I can be.

His role in Juan dela Cruz is another part of his career that I value, because it shows that a tough actor can also be a hero for children. Coco played a young man who is different, who has powers he did not ask for, and who chooses to use them to help others. That is a powerful message for young viewers. It tells them that being different is not a curse, that it can be a gift, and that the choice of what to do with your gift is what defines you. I think many children who watched that series felt less alone because of it. They saw a hero who was different, just like them, and who was brave anyway. That is a gift that goes beyond entertainment, and it is one reason Coco’s work matters.

I also want to say something about the way Coco directs, because it is a part of his story that is easy to overlook. He is known for being demanding on set, for working long hours, and for expecting the best from everyone. Some people find that hard, but I think it comes from a place of respect for the work. He knows how hard it is to make something good, because he has done it from the bottom, in indie films with tiny budgets and in huge series with hundreds of people. He expects the best because he gives the best, and that is a fair expectation. I think that is a lesson for anyone who leads others. Do not ask people to do what you are not willing to do yourself. Work harder than anyone, and then ask them to work hard with you. Coco does that, and his shows succeed because of it.

Finally, I think about what Coco’s life means for the people of Novaliches, for the poor families of Quezon City, and for every young person who has been told that they come from the wrong place. Coco came from Novaliches, from a grandmother’s home, from hard jobs, and he became the most powerful man in Philippine television. That is not a fairy tale. It is a real life, built through real work. I think that is the most hopeful message in this whole set of stories. You do not need to be born in the right place. You need to work, to learn, and to refuse to give up. Coco did that, and he is still doing it. His story is proof that where you start does not decide where you finish, and I will carry that proof with me for a long time.

I also think about his drama years, in Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin and Walang Hanggan, because they show the bridge between his indie films and his later fame. He was learning to be a television leading man, to carry a show night after night, and to keep an audience’s attention for months. That is a different skill from film acting, and it is a hard one to learn. Coco learned it, and he learned it well. I think about the bridges in my own life, the periods when I was learning a new skill, when I was neither a beginner nor an expert, and when the work felt thankless. Those periods are easy to forget, but they are the ones that make the later success possible. Coco’s drama years were that bridge, and I am glad I took the time to remember them.

His loyalty to his grandmother is another part of his story that I keep returning to, because it is the most human part of who he is. She raised him when his parents could not, and he has never forgotten her. He has said many times that everything he has achieved is for her. I think about the people in my own life who sacrificed for me, who gave me more than I can repay, and I wonder whether I thank them enough. Coco thanks his grandmother every day, through his work and through his words. That gratitude is not a performance. It is a way of life, and it is the reason he has stayed grounded through all of his success. I want to be that grateful in my own life, to remember the people who helped me, and to honour them in the way I live.

I also want to say something about the way Coco treats his work as a responsibility, because it is a part of his story that is easy to miss. He knows that millions of people watch his shows, and that many of them look up to Cardo Dalisay and to Tanggol. He takes that responsibility seriously. He does not treat it as a joke. He treats it as a job that matters, and he works long hours to get it right. I think that is a lesson about the weight of influence. When people look up to you, when they trust you, you owe them your best work. Coco gives them his best, night after night, year after year. That is a form of respect, and it is one reason his audience trusts him so deeply.

Finally, I think about what Coco’s life means for the directors and producers who are looking for the next great actor. He did not come from a talent contest. He did not come from a rich family. He came from indie films, from hard jobs, and from a grandmother’s home. That means talent can be found anywhere, even in the places where nobody is looking. I hope the people who cast films and series remember that. I hope they look in the poor neighbourhoods, in the indie films, and in the places where young people are working hard without being noticed. Coco was found there, and he became a legend. There are other Cocos out there, waiting to be found, and I hope someone is looking for them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where was Coco Martin born?

Coco Martin was born on 1 November 1981 in Novaliches, Quezon City, in the Philippines. His real name is Rodel Pacheco Nacianceno. He grew up largely with his grandmother, who raised him and taught him the value of hard work.

What was Coco Martin’s first important film?

His first important film role came in Masahista in 2005, a film about a young masseur in Manila. The film won awards at international festivals and put his name on the map in independent cinema. He followed it with Serbis and Kinatay, both directed by Brillante Mendoza.

What is Ang Probinsyano about?

FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano is a television series in which Coco plays Cardo Dalisay, a police officer who fights crime and protects the innocent. It ran for seven years, from 2015 to 2022, and became one of the longest-running and most-watched shows in Philippine television history.

Is Coco Martin also a director?

Yes, he is a director as well as an actor. He directed much of Ang Probinsyano, and he is the creative force behind Batang Quiapo, the series he created and stars in. He is known for being demanding on set and for working long hours to get the story right.

What is Batang Quiapo?

Batang Quiapo is a television series that began in 2023, in which Coco plays Tanggol, a young man from the Quiapo district of Manila who grows up in a world of crime and trouble. Coco created the series and stars in it, and it became another huge hit for him.

Why is Coco Martin called a tough star?

He is called tough because of his background in hard jobs and independent films, and because of the strong characters he plays on screen. He grew up in a modest home, worked abroad, and built his career through years of difficult work in indie cinema before he became a mainstream star.