Juan Carlos Cuenca, better known by his screen name Jake Cuenca (born December 30, 1987 in San Jose, California, U.S.), is a Filipino commercial model and actor and now, currently a member of ABS CBN‘s circle of homegrown talents named Star Magic.
Cuenca grew up in San Jose, California and the middle child in a brood of three. He was a student of PAREF Southridge, a school for boys. His career in the Philippines began when he was discovered by a talent scout for Cosmo Modeling Agency at the age of nine. Soon after, he made several television and commercials including endorsements for Safeguard, Coke, and Globe Telecom.
By the time he was fourteen, Cuenca was taken under the wing of star makers, Neil de Guia and Douglas Quijano. In 2003, he auditioned for GMA Network’s highly successful youth program, Click, where he was included as one of the cast. His stint in the show contributed much to his growing popularity. When the show was defunct, Cuenca began portraying varied roles and was cast in several television outings including Hanggang Kailan, Forever In My Heart and Love to Love.
Alongside his growing television career, Cuenca also attended workshops with directors, Peque Gallaga and Joel Lamangan, where he developed the technique and motivation needed for television acting, a far cry from the broad-gestured and exaggerated manner of billing in commercials.
His career heightened in 2005 when he became part of the fantasy series, Encantadia, playing Dingdong Dantes‘s and Karylle’s invincible heir, Kahlil. He also appeared in the ninth season of Love to Love entitled Miss Match where he was paired with reality show winner and young actress Jennylyn Mercado.
He starred as one of the wizards in the fantasy-themed television series Majika. Cuenca, along with fellow male stars hailing from successful telefantasya’s, was featured in the second issue of X-ray Magazine where he sheds off his boy-next door charm for a much more provocative and mature take on his image [1].
Jake Cuenca is now in the Kapamilya Network ABS-CBN after his contract with GMA-7 expired. He is now featured in top-rated TV shows in ABS-CBN.
Jake was part of the cast of one of ABS-CBN‘s highest rating soap opera entitled Sana Maulit Muli. The series was topbilled by Kim Chiu and Gerald Anderson in 2007. He was also in a Lovespell Episode called “Sweet Sixty”, starring Sarah Geronimo, Oyo Boy Sotto, and Roxanne Guinoo.
Cuenca got a big break in his career when he and supposedly ex-girlfriend Roxanne Guinoo were given the chance to play the lead roles in the well-received 2007 TV series Sineserye Presents: Natutulog Ba Ang Diyos?. He was also a part of the fantaserye Mars Ravelo’s Lastikman with Roxanne Guinoo, Vhong Navarro and Iya Villania. They played characters involving in a love quadrangle (square). He got his biggest break as he star in ABS-CBN‘s action series Palos with action star Cesar Montano.
