MANILA, Philippines — Life imitates art for Nico Antonio, who has now become a lawyer in real life after playing one in back-to-back projects — the ABS-CBN drama “Sins of the Father” and the 51st Metro Manila Film Festival entry “UnMarry.”
The actor was among the 5,594 examinees who passed the 2025 Bar Examinations, from a pool of 11,425 takers.
“(I learned that I passed) when I was on my way to church with my wife to pray over the results,” he told The STAR and another news outlet on Friday.
“When I found out about it, I was shocked, but I didn’t want to cry because I was in public. So, I held back my tears.”
This milestone officially completes Nico’s long and winding legal journey that began nearly two decades ago. Though he came from a family of lawyers — his siblings and his mother, Quantum Films founder Atty. Joji Alonso — plans to follow in their footsteps took a backseat as he focused on acting jobs to support his wife and kids.
“I started law school in 2006, finished it in 2014. Tapos nag-work, then went back to law school again in 2023, took the Bar in 2025,” Nico shared.
Nico never felt any rush or pressure to join the legal profession, but industry uncertainty pushed him to think long-term and find a possible fallback.
“Never ako pinressure. Ako lang ang nag-decide. Sabi ko, nung nahirapan akong makahanap ng work, ‘Mag-law school kaya ako?’ Sabi ng nanay ko, ‘Ikaw bahala.’ Lahat kaming magkakapatid, lawyers. My sister and brother are lawyers. Kaya hindi ako pressured (by my mom). Pero nung nawala ang ABS-CBN at pumasok ang AI, sabi ko, baka kailangan ko ng fall-back.”
On how he was able to balance showbiz and law studies, especially the Bar review, Nico said that where there’s a will, there’s always a way.
“Naniniwala ako dun sa kasabihang kapag gusto may paraan, kapag ayaw may dahilan. And my paraan was to manage my time. For example, I have shoots on certain days, and during days when I don’t have one, I will just stay at home and study the whole day.”
Looking back, he could say it was also his acting that helped him survive law school.
“Kasi ang dami kong mine-memorize na scripts, ‘di ba? So when it comes to studying cases, you’ll just have to search for the key words. Mas mabilis akong magbasa ng kaso at magbasa ng libro.”
When it came to the Bar, on the other hand, Nico was grateful to one professor who never stopped urging him to go for it.
“Sabi ko ayoko na. But I’d like to specially mention this person — every year she always asked me, ‘Mag-Bar ka na?’ Every year, walang mintis si Attorney Sarah Castro-Villanueva of Meralco, VP for Legal Affairs. She was my professor at San Beda for Sales (Agency and Lease). Then, when I transferred to San Sebastian, Commercial Law.”
Then one story finally convinced him it was time to do it.
“In 2023, there was a 68-year-old lady who took the Bar for the first time and she passed. Sabi ko, kung kaya niya, kaya ko rin.”
In hindsight, Nico was glad he didn’t take up the Bar immediately after graduating, as both he and his wife, as well as his mother, felt he wasn’t ready at the time.
According to him, everything eventually fell into place in God’s time, and that faith ultimately guided his decision.
Right after the Bar results announcement by the Supreme Court, Nico opted for a low-key celebration, explaining, “Matanda na ako para mag-celebrate. Hindi nga ako naghahanap ng uminom, lumabas or something. I was just happy and content being with my family.”
As for his law practice, that will have to wait given his current acting commitments, including the TV5 and Netflix series “The Kingdom: Magkabilang Mundo.” He will also do another movie for Quantum Films after “UnMarry,” which is still showing in cinemas.
Nevertheless, Nico already knows which fields of law he plans to specialize in.
“Labor because my mom is a labor practitioner. And also intellectual property, kasi malapit sa puso ko, sa trabaho. Ang pinaka-kinakabahala ko is yung AI (Artificial Intelligence). Nung nakita ko yung mga AI-generated na umaarte na ganon — although medyo halata pa pero sobrang kuha nila yung itsura ng tao — natakot ako.”
Asked what he hopes to do about it, he said, “Lagyan natin ng boundaries kung hanggang saan lang pwedeng gamitin yung AI. Kasi hindi naman natin pwedeng tanggalan ng trabaho yung totoong tao, ‘di ba? Roles need real emotions. So puwede lang yung AI for konti-konti, but not totally eradicate human actors.”
Meanwhile, for those still unsure of how to deal with their unfinished dreams, whether it’s becoming a lawyer or something else, Nico has this advice: “Don’t force it. If you want to do it, then do it. Kasi kahit anong sabihin ko sa’yo, kung hindi mo type, hindi mo tutuloy. Ako gusto ko, so I pursued it. And nakita yun ng nanay ko, ng asawa ko, kaya sinuportahan nila ako. If you feel that it won’t work, get a fall-back.”
Aside from Nico, another showbiz personality who passed the 2025 Bar is model and former actor Luke Jickain, the real-life inspiration for the character Josh Zuniga (Kean Cipriano), one of the aspiring lawyers, in “Bar Boys.” They now join a small group of showbiz personalities who are also lawyers, including singers Jimmy Bondoc and Tippy Dos Santos, and veteran actor Tommy Abuel.
