Ricky Davao Biography: Wife, Age, Children, Net Worth, Parents, Cause Of Death, Height, Movies
Ricky Davao was a Filipino actor and television director whose career spanned more than four decades across film, television, and theatre.
Born Frederick Charles Abiera Davao on May 30, 1961, in Manila, Philippines, he died on May 1, 2025, at age 63.
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Davao was the son of veteran actor Charlie Davao and the younger brother of actor Bing Davao. He trained as an industrial management engineer at Mapua Institute of Technology before fully committing to entertainment, beginning his career in 1978 as a dancer for the Vicor Crowd group.
He went on to receive 14 wins and 38 nominations across various award-giving bodies, including honours from FAMAS and the Film Academy of the Philippines.
He won the Gawad Urian for Best Supporting Actor in 1995 for Ipaglaban Mo, and the Film Academy of the Philippines’ Best Actor award in 2001 for Minsan May Isang Puso. His role in the 2019 film Fuccbois earned him Best Supporting Actor honours at Cinemalaya, FAMAS, and the Star Awards for Movies.
In theatre, he was best known for portraying a fictionalized version of Bongbong Marcos in the 1980s play Bongbong at Kris, and he was inducted into the Aliw Awards Hall of Fame in 2008. Beyond acting, he directed television shows for GMA Network, including the Filipino adaptation of Coffee Prince (2012) and Little Nanay (2016).
He was married to actress Jackie Lou Blanco from 1989 until their separation in 2011, with whom he had three children: Rikki Mae Davao, Kenneth Davao, and Arabella Davao. He briefly ran for councillor in Quezon City’s 4th District in 2010 before withdrawing his candidacy.
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| Wiki Facts & About Data | |
| Real Name: | Frederick Charles Abiera Davao |
| Stage Name: | Ricky Davao |
| Born: | May 30, 1961 |
| Died: | May 1, 2025 (age 63 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | Manila, Philippines |
| Nationality: | Filipino |
| Ethnicity: | Filipino |
| Education: | Mapua Institute of Technology |
| Height: | 1.7 m (5 feet 7 inches) |
| Religion: | Roman Catholic |
| Parents: | Charlie Davao, Emma Marie Abiera |
| Siblings: | Bing Davao, Mylene Davao, Mymy Davao, Charlon Davao, Marielle Davao |
| Spouse: | Jackie Lou Blanco (m. 1989-2011) |
| Relationship: | Malca Darocca |
| Children: | Rikki Mae Davao, Kenneth Davao, Arabella Davao |
| Occupation: | Actor, Television Director |
| Net Worth: | $3 million |
Early Life & Education
Ricky Davao was born Frederick Charles Abiera Davao on May 30, 1961, in Manila, Philippines, making him a Gemini.
He was the son of actor Charlie Davao and Emma Marie Abiera, a professor who taught Spanish at St. Theresa’s College.
His mother died of TB meningitis when Davao was around nine years old, after which his father remarried Mary Grace Iñigo, who became his stepmother. He was of Filipino descent on his mother’s side, while his father carried Spanish and Arab (Jordanian) ancestry, and he was raised Roman Catholic, the predominant religion in the Philippines.
Davao grew up alongside his elder brother Bing Davao, also an actor, and his sister Mylene Davao, who died in a childhood accident at age four. Through his father’s second marriage, he gained two half-siblings, including former child star Charlon Davao and Mymy Davao.
He pursued an industrial management engineering degree at Mapua Institute of Technology, completing his studies before turning his full attention to a career in entertainment.
Career
Ricky Davao began his entertainment career in 1978 at age 17 as a dancer for the Vicor Crowd group, a performance ensemble linked to the Vicor Music Corporation.
That same year, he transitioned into acting, taking on a minor role in the film Patayin si Mediavillo, which starred Fernando Poe Jr. and was directed by Armando Herrera. He built his early career independently of his father, Charlie Davao‘s, established name, working his way up from entry-level roles throughout the 1980s.
His breakthrough as a leading man came with Saranggola (1999), directed by Gil Portes, in which he played Homer Agustin. The performance earned him the Best Actor award at the 1999 Metro Manila Film Festival, the 1999 Gawad Urian, and the 1999 Cinemanila International Film Festival, along with a nomination at the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS).
Six years earlier, he had already won the Gawad Urian for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the legal drama anthology Ipaglaban Mo.
Davao went on to build one of the more versatile filmographies in Philippine cinema, deliberately seeking out roles that diverged from mainstream typecasting.
He appeared in Minsan May Isang Puso (2002), for which he won the Film Academy of the Philippines’ Best Actor award in 2001, as well as Mga Pusang Gala (2006), Iadya Mo Kami (2017), and Smaller and Smaller Circles. He also took on roles in progressive, genre-bending independent films such as Fisting: Never Tear Us Apart.
His performance as a gay mayor in Fuccbois (2019) won him Best Supporting Actor honours at Cinemalaya, FAMAS, and the Star Awards for Movies, while also drawing acclaim at international festivals for the film.
On television, Davao became a familiar presence across multiple networks, appearing in long-running anthology series Maalaala Mo Kaya and Magpakailanman, as well as primetime dramas including Dyesebel (2008), Mars Ravelo’s Darna (2009), and Carmela. He also starred in the digital series Cattleya Killer in 2023.
Beyond performing, Davao built a parallel career as a television director, applying skills from his industrial management engineering background to production work.
He directed his first episode of Maalaala Mo Kaya, titled “Sagwan,” in 1996, and went on to helm several GMA Network productions, including the Filipino adaptation of Coffee Prince (2012), Mga Basang Sisiw (2013), Inday Will Always Love You (2015), and Little Nanay (2016).
His work in theatre proved equally significant. He made his stage debut in 1982 in Convent Bread, produced by Nora Aunor and directed by Maryo J. de los Reyes. He was best known for his portrayal of a fictionalized Bongbong Marcos in Bienvenido Noriega Jr.‘s Bongbong at Kris in the 1980s. This performance earned him the Best Stage Actor award from the Aliw Awards.
Other notable stage credits included Larawan, Insiang, and EJ: Ang Pinagdaanang Buhay nina Evelio Javier at Edgar Jopson. He was inducted into the Aliw Awards Hall of Fame in 2008.
Across his career, Davao accumulated 14 wins and 38 nominations from various award-giving bodies, including 12 from FAMAS and 5 from the Film Academy of the Philippines.
In 2013, he served as a juror at the inaugural ASEAN International Film Festival Awards, and in 2007, he travelled to New York to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from Fanclubx.com, a Filipino-American filmmaker organisation that cited his body of work as an inspiration to young creatives.
Social Media
- Wikipedia: Ricky Davao
- IMDb: Ricky Davao(1961-2025)
- Instagram: Ricky Davao (@rickyad)
Personal Life
Ricky Davao died at age 63. He stood at 1.7 m (5 feet 7 inches).
Davao was married once, to actress Jackie Lou Blanco.
Their relationship began after Blanco stood in for Snooky Serna on the variety program GMA Supershow, when Serna failed to appear for a segment in which Davao was scheduled to sing to her.
The couple married in 1989 and had three children together: Rikki Mae Davao, an actress known for the TV series Widows’ War (2024) and TiktoClock (2022); Kenneth Davao, who has kept a low profile away from the entertainment industry; and Arabella Davao, also an actress, known for Batang Quiapo and the film Love Is Color Blind.
Davao and Blanco separated in 2011 after more than two decades of marriage, though they remained on amicable terms and reunited on-screen in 2021 in the drama anthology I Can See You: AlterNate, playing husband and wife.
Following his separation from Blanco, Davao‘s dating history was largely kept private. Beginning in 2023, he was in a relationship with Malca Darocca, a producer known for the 2013 TV miniseries Titser and Bayan Ko, whom he affectionately called his “silver lining.”
He publicly expressed his feelings for her on social media, including a tribute posted in January 2025.
Davao died on May 1, 2025, from cancer, after privately battling a terminal illness diagnosed in 2024. He and his family chose to keep details of his diagnosis and treatment private until his passing was announced.
Net Worth
Ricky Davao‘s net worth was estimated at $3 million, built over more than four decades as an actor and television director in Philippine entertainment.
His income came primarily from film, television, and theatre acting roles, supplemented by directing fees from television productions he helmed for GMA Network.
Filmography
Movies
- Patayin si Mediavillo (1978) — acting debut
- Bulaklak sa City Jail (1984) as Crisanto
- Misis Mo, Misis Ko (1988) as Rafael Villanueva
- Abot Hanggang Sukdulan (1989) as Romano — FAMAS Best Supporting Actor win
- Ipaglaban Mo: The Movie (1995) — Gawad Urian Best Supporting Actor win
- Puerto Princesa (1997) as Edward Hagedorn
- Saranggola (1999) as Homer — Best Actor wins at the Metro Manila Film Festival, Gawad Urian, and Cinemanila International Film Festival
- Minsan May Isang Puso (2001) as Simon Pacheco — Film Academy of the Philippines Best Actor win
- American Adobo (2002) as Gerry
- Mga Pusang Gala (2006) as Manong Jay
- Endo (2007) — Golden Screen Award for Best Supporting Actor
- Boses (2008) as an abusive father
- Working Girls (2010) as Nelson Obleta
- Dáyâng Ásu (2015) — ASEAN International Film Festival Best Supporting Actor win
- Paki (2017) — Cinema One Originals Best Supporting Actor win
- Iadya Mo Kami (2017) as Julian — FAMAS Best Supporting Actor win
- Smaller and Smaller Circles (2017) as Cardinal Rafael Meneses
- Never Tear Us Apart (Fisting) (2018) as Q
- Fuccbois (2019) as a sugar daddy — Best Supporting Actor wins at Cinemalaya, FAMAS, and the Star Awards for Movies
- Parole (2020) — lead role
- On the Job 2: The Missing 8 (2021)
- Sosyal Climbers (2025) as Mr. Wendel Tecson
- 58th (2026), posthumous release, as Reynaldo “Bebot” Momay
Television
- Maalaala Mo Kaya (1992–2021) — recurring anthology guest appearances
- Familia Zaragoza (1996–1997) as Alfredo Zaragoza
- Mula sa Puso (1997–1999) as Edward Rodrigo
- Oka Tokat (1997–2002) as Joaquin “Jack” Viloria
- Pangako Sa ‘Yo (2000–2002) as Tony Banks
- Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay (2002–2003) as Francis Ventaspejo
- Mars Ravelo’s Dyesebel (2008) as Don Juan Legaspi
- Mars Ravelo’s Darna (2009) as Dr. Morgan
- Carmela (2013) as Danilo Fernandez
- Inday Will Always Love You (2018) as Philip Fuentes
- Paano ang Pangako? (2020–2021) as Jose Aguinaldo
- I Can See You: AlterNate (2022) as Lyndon David
- Encantadia Chronicles: Sang’gre (2025) as Gov. Emilio “Emil” Salvador — final TV appearance
Web Series
- Cattleya Killer (2023) as Demet Noble
Theater
- Convent Bread (1982)
- Bongbong at Kris (1987) as Bongbong — Aliw Award for Best Stage Actor
- Larawan (1997) as Tony Javier
- Insiang (2003) as Dado — Aliw Award for Best Stage Actor
- Padre Pio ng Pietrelcina (2008) as Padre Pio
- Palasyo ni Valentin (2015) as Valentin
- Baka Naman Hindi (2023) as Victor Delgado and Dodong
Directorial Work
- Maalaala Mo Kaya: Sagwan (1996) — directorial debut
- Coffee Prince (2012) — GMA’s Filipino adaptation
- Mga Basang Sisiw (2013)
- Little Nanay (2015–2016)
- Inday Will Always Love You (2018)
What People Ask
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