JM Ibarra

Last updated
JM Ibarra
JM Ibarra.jpg
Ibarra in 2025
Born
John Mark Daniel Ibarra

Mauban, Quezon, Philippines
Occupations
  • Actor
  • Model
Years active2024–present
Agent Star Magic
Known for Pinoy Big Brother: Gen 11
Child No. 82

John Mark "JM" Daniel Ibarra is a Filipino actor and model. [1] He gained recognition in 2024 as a contestant on the reality television series Pinoy Big Brother: Gen 11 . [2] Following his appearance on the show, he began a career in film and television, cast in a lead role for the 2025 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival entry Child No. 82 . [3]

Contents

Early life and education

John Mark Daniel Ibarra was born and raised in Mauban, Quezon. [1] Before joining the entertainment industry, he was an aviation student with the goal of becoming a pilot, while working various jobs to support his family as their breadwinner. [1] Ibarra has publicly discussed his estranged relationship with his father, noting that he channeled these personal experiences into his acting work. [4] He stated that he reconnected with his father following his eviction from the Pinoy Big Brother house. [5]

Career

2024–2025: Reality TV and early work

In 2024, Ibarra competed in Pinoy Big Brother: Gen 11 , where he finished in fifth place. During the show, he was introduced as "Ang Poginsyanong Pilo-ToBe ng Quezon". [1] After the competition, he was paired with fellow housemate Fyang Smith in a "love team" partnership. [6]

In January 2025, Ibarra appeared in the music video for Regine Velasquez's song "Wherever You Are". [7] He made a cameo appearance in the film My Love Will Make You Disappear. [8] Later that year, he voiced a character in the Tagalog-dubbed version of the South Korean film Picnic, working alongside Smith, Nova Villa, and Ces Quesada. [9] He also modeled for the clothing brand Bench during Bench Fashion Week Holiday 2025. [10]

2025–present: Acting breakthrough

Ibarra landed his first lead film role in Child No. 82: Anak ni Boy Kana , directed by Tim Rone Villanueva. [11] The film was a finalist in the 21st Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival. [12] Ibarra played Max, a teenager who claims to be the illegitimate son of a deceased action star, played by Vhong Navarro. [5] Ibarra stated that he used the Meisner technique to prepare for the role. [3] The film tackles social issues such as "nepo babies" and illegitimate children. [13] [14] Ibarra noted that this was a solo project without his onscreen partner Fyang Smith, but he remained confident in the support of their fanbase and viewed criticism from "bashers" as a sign of progress. [5] [11]

In 2025, Ibarra starred in the digital series Ghosting , produced by IWantTFC. [15] He played Wilberto, a spirit who falls in love with a human. [16] The series trailer gained over 12 million views, and due to high viewership, a sequel titled Ghosting Part 2 was released in November 2025. [16] [17] [13] A spin-off series, Girly Pop Diaries, was also released to provide backstory for the characters. [18] Ibarra and Smith also recorded the theme song for the series, "Tayo Hanggang Dulo". [16]

Ibarra was cast in the horror anthology film Shake, Rattle & Roll: Evil Origins, an entry to the 2025 Metro Manila Film Festival. [19] [2] He has expressed a desire to work with actor Joshua Garcia. [20] When asked about future roles, Ibarra stated he is not comfortable performing in the Boys' Love (BL) genre and expressed a desire to be known as a "serious artist" rather than just a "leading man". [21] [2] [22]

Personal life

Ibarra is often associated with his onscreen partner Fyang Smith. [23] While fans have speculated about a romantic relationship, both actors have stated that they are focused on their careers but remain happy when together. [6] [24] Ibarra attributed his confidence for his film debut to Smith, while Smith similarly described Ibarra as a positive influence on her professional and personal growth. [25] [26] In July 2025, Ibarra defended Smith on social media against misinformation and edited videos. [27]

In May 2025, Ibarra received death threats on social media from a fan account associated with a rival group, claiming a hitman had been hired to target him. [28] [29] His management agency, Star Magic, condemned the threats and warned of legal action. [30] Talent manager Ogie Diaz publicly urged the agency to file charges. [29]

Filmography

Key
†Denotes films or TV productions that have not yet been released

Film

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
2025 My Love Will Make You Disappear Mico "Tim"Cameo [8]
Child No. 82 MaxLead role; Cinemalaya entry [1]
PicnicN/AFilipino voice dub [9]
Shake, Rattle & Roll Evil Origins †James 2025 Metro Manila Film Festival entry [19]

Television and digital

YearTitleRoleRef.
2024 Pinoy Big Brother: Gen 11 Himself [1]
2025 Ghosting Wilberto [15]
Girly Pop DiariesTreb / MacMac [18]
Ghosting Part 2Macmac [17]

Music videos

YearSongArtistRef.
2025"Wherever You Are" Regine Velasquez [7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ruiz, Marah (October 9, 2025). "Get to know young actor JM Ibarra". GMA Network. Retrieved November 23, 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 Wang, Nickie (October 6, 2025). "JM Ibarra downplays 'leading man' tag". Manila Standard. Retrieved November 23, 2025.
  3. 1 2 Policarpio, Allan (October 10, 2025). "How JM Ibarra fell in love with acting". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved November 23, 2025.
  4. ↑ Tomada, Nathalie (October 8, 2025). "JM Ibarra on channeling real-life pain in Cinemalaya debut 'Child No. 82'". The Philippine Star. Retrieved November 23, 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 Orsal, Noel (April 25, 2025). "Why JM Ibarra welcomes criticisms from bashers". PEP.ph. Retrieved November 23, 2025.
  6. 1 2 Alcantara, Carissa (April 4, 2025). "JM Ibarra, Fyang Smith on their relationship: 'Masaya kami 'pag magkasama'" ['We're happy when we're together']. Manila Bulletin. Retrieved November 23, 2025.
  7. 1 2 Evangelista, Jessica Ann (January 11, 2025). "'PBB' stars Fyang Smith, JM Ibarra to mark first on-screen feature". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved November 23, 2025.
  8. 1 2 Pagulong, Charmie Joy (April 21, 2025). "Fyang Smith and JM Ibarra talk reel-to-real chemistry". The Philippine Star. Retrieved November 23, 2025.
  9. 1 2 del Rosario, Pauline (March 30, 2025). "Fyang, JM ibibida mga boses sa Tagalog version ng Korean film na 'Picnic'" [Fyang, JM to feature their voices in Tagalog version of Korean film ‘Picnic’]. Bandera (in Filipino). Retrieved November 23, 2025.
  10. ↑ Buyo, Carla (September 22, 2025). "JM Ibarra And Fyang Smith Dominate Bench Fashion Week". Metro.Style. Retrieved November 23, 2025.
  11. 1 2 Troika, PEP (September 3, 2025). "JM Ibarra hindi kasama si Fyang sa first niyang Cinemalaya movie" [JM Ibarra not with Fyang in his first Cinemalaya movie] (in Filipino). PEP.ph. Retrieved November 23, 2025.
  12. ↑ Tomada, Nathalie (September 7, 2025). "From Ely Buendia to JM Ibarra: actors mark personal, artistic firsts at Cinemalaya 21". The Philippine Star. Retrieved November 23, 2025.
  13. 1 2 Santiago, Ervin (September 30, 2025). "JM Ibarra na-pressure bilang 'Unacknowledged Nepo Baby': It's a social issue" [JM Ibarra pressured as ‘Unacknowledged Nepo Baby’: It’s a social issue]. Bandera (in Filipino). Retrieved November 23, 2025.
  14. ↑ Mallorca, Hannah (September 24, 2025). "JM Ibarra says Cinemalaya film shows pros and cons of being a 'nepo baby'". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved November 23, 2025.
  15. 1 2 "PBB Gen 11's JM, Fyang debut as loveteam in 'Ghosting'". The Freeman. May 21, 2025. Retrieved November 23, 2025.
  16. 1 2 3 Evangelista, Jessica Ann (July 11, 2025). "Fyang Smith, JM Ibarra star in supernatural romance series 'Ghosting'". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved November 23, 2025.
  17. 1 2 "Fyang Smith And JM Ibarra Open A New Chapter Of Their Love Story In "Ghosting" Part 2 On iWant". PageOne. November 10, 2025. Retrieved November 23, 2025.
  18. 1 2 "Fyang Smith and JM Ibarra relive their "Ghosting" love story in "Girly Pop Diaries" on iWant". ABS-CBN Entertainment. October 25, 2025. Retrieved November 23, 2025.
  19. 1 2 Pagulong, Charmie Joy (August 6, 2025). "JM Ibarra, Fyang Smith tackle romantic firsts in 'Ghosting'". The Philippine Star. Retrieved November 23, 2025.
  20. ↑ Rodelas, Mon (September 23, 2025). "JM Ibarra describes 'Child No. 82: Anak ni Boy Kana' a 'dream come true'". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved November 23, 2025.
  21. ↑ Asis, Salve (September 24, 2025). "JM, hindi kayang mag-BL, nagka-stiff neck sa laplapan nila ni Fyang!" [JM can't do BL, had a stiff neck after making out with Fyang!]. Pilipino Star Ngayon (in Filipino). Retrieved November 23, 2025.
  22. ↑ Deveza, Reyma (September 4, 2025). "JM Ibarra talks about first-ever lead role in a film". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved November 23, 2025.
  23. ↑ Martinez, Lance Joseph (September 11, 2025). "Future Perfect: JM Ibarra and Fyang Smith's Team-Up Makes a Mark in the Hit Digital Series 'Ghosting'". Metro.Style. Retrieved November 23, 2025.
  24. ↑ Martinez, Lance Joseph (September 16, 2025). "JM Ibarra on Living Up to the Entertainment Industry's Standard". Metro.Style. Retrieved November 23, 2025.
  25. ↑ Valdez, Jasper (October 9, 2025). "JM Ibarra opens up about how Fyang Smith helped him through film debut". Manila Standard. Retrieved November 23, 2025.
  26. ↑ Toff C. (August 25, 2025). "Fyang Smith reflects on love team with JM Ibarra, credits him as a positive influence on and off screen". Push.com.ph. Retrieved November 23, 2025.
  27. ↑ Santiago, Ervin (July 8, 2025). "JM Ibarra dumepensa kay Fyang; nagbabala sa pagkalat ng fake news" [JM Ibarra defends Fyang; warns against spreading fake news]. Bandera (in Filipino). Retrieved November 23, 2025.
  28. ↑ Pasajol, Anne (May 29, 2025). "Star Magic condemns death threats vs JM Ibarra, warns legal action". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved November 23, 2025.
  29. 1 2 Santiago, Ervin (June 3, 2025). "Ogie Diaz sa Star Magic: Kasuhan nagbanta sa buhay ni JM Ibarra" [Ogie Diaz to Star Magic: File a case to those who threaten JM Ibarra's life]. Bandera (in Filipino). Retrieved November 23, 2025.
  30. ↑ Baylon, Khryzztine Joy (May 29, 2025). "Star Magic zero tolerance for death threat on JM Ibarra". PEP.ph. Retrieved November 23, 2025.
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