:Daniel Matsunaga

{{Short description|Brazilian model, actor, footballer, host and businessman}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Daniel Matsunaga

| image = Shake, Rattle and Roll XV Official Trailer - Daniel Matsunaga.jpg

| caption = Matsunaga in Shake, Rattle & Roll XV (2014)

| birth_name = Daniel Kenji Silva Matsunaga

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1988|11|28}}

| birth_place = Brasília, Brazil

| nationality = Brazilian

| citizenship = Filipino{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

| occupation = {{hlist|Model|actor|athlete|host}}

| yearsactive = 2009–2021

| agent = GMA Artist Center
(2010–2012)
Talent5
(2012–2014)
Star Magic
(2014–2021)
Brightlight Productions
(2020–2021)

| height = 1.85 m

| website =

| module = {{Infobox football biography

| name = Daniel Matsunaga

| embed = yes

| position = Midfielder

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 2011–2012

| clubs1 = Team Socceroo

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 2012–2013

| clubs2 = Pachanga Diliman

| caps2 =

| goals2 =

| years3 = 2013

| clubs3 = Stallion Sta. Lucia

| caps3 = 6

| goals3 = 1

| years4 = 2014

| clubs4 = Kaya

| caps4 = 1

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2013–2015

| clubs5 = Team Socceroo

| caps5 =

| goals5 =

| years6 = 2020

| clubs6 = Maharlika

| caps6 = 0

| goals6 = 0

}}

Daniel Kenji Silva Matsunaga (born November 28, 1988) is a Brazilian former model, actor, professional footballer, host and businessman.{{cite news |title=Daniel Matsunaga shares his healthy food business |url=https://entertainment.abs-cbn.com/tv/shows/kristv/show-updates/2014/11/10/daniel-matsunaga-shares-his-healthy-food-business |work=entertainment.abs-cbn.com}} He became known in the Philippines by appearing in Cosmopolitan Philippines’ September 2009 "Cosmo Men" supplement. He was scouted in the Philippines as an actor and was first given TV drama projects on GMA Network. He also joined ABS-CBN's reality TV show Pinoy Big Brother and was declared as the PBB All-In big winner in 2014.

As a footballer he has played for Team Socceroo, Pachanga and Kaya in the United Football League (UFL) which was the top-flight football league in the Philippines during its existence.

Early life

Matsunaga was born in Brasília, the capital of Brazil. His mother, Gerarda Silva, is a Brazilian of Portuguese, African, and Indigenous descent, while his father, Paulo Mitsuo Matsunaga, is of Japanese descent.[https://push.abs-cbn.com/2014/8/28/fresh-scoops/8-things-you-dont-know-about-daniel-matsunaga-18086 8 Things You Don’t Know About Daniel Matsunaga] He has a brother and a sister.{{cite news|last1=Lo|first1=Ricky|title=The Boys from Brazil|url=https://beta.philstar.com/entertainment/2010/04/25/569167/boys-brazil|access-date=15 February 2018|work=The Philippine Star|date=25 April 2010}}

File:Daniel-matsunaga-heart-evangelista-jonha-richman.png and Jonha Richman]]

Career

=Modelling and acting=

Matsunaga started his career when he became a model for Cosmopolitan Philippines 'Cosmo Men' supplement. His debut series on screen was on GMA-7's top rated drama series The Last Prince with co-stars Aljur Abrenica and Kris Bernal.

In 2012, he moved to TV5 for more TV shows and projects like Game N Go, Enchanted and Misibis Bay.

He went to ABS-CBN to be one of the celebrity judges for It's Showtime. On 17 May 2014, Matsunaga entered the Pinoy Big Brother house on Day 21 as the fourth celebrity and eighteenth official housemate of the Pinoy Big Brother: All In season.{{cite web|author=Abs-Cbn |url=http://entertainment.abs-cbn.com/tv/shows/pbb/housemates/profile/daniel-matsunaga |title=Pinoy Big Brother - Housemates |publisher=Entertainment.abs-cbn.com |date=2014-05-25 |access-date=2014-08-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140518053918/http://entertainment.abs-cbn.com/tv/shows/pbb/housemates/profile/daniel-matsunaga |archive-date=2014-05-18}}

On 24 August 2014, he was declared as the big winner of Pinoy Big Brother: All In.{{cite web | url=http://astig.ph/30-photos-daniel-matsunaga-pbb-big-night/ | title=30 photos of Daniel Matsunaga from PBB All In: The Big Night | access-date=25 August 2014 | website=astig.ph| date=25 August 2014}}

In May 2017, Matsunaga was introduced as the first male endorser for Avon Philippines' Men's Club during the "Confidence is the New Sexy" campaign launch. He was chosen to be the endorser because he "reflects the Modern Gentleman who is a man of style, adventure, and confidence".{{cite web|url=http://www.ruthdelacruz.com/2017/05/avon-confidence-is-new-sexy-modern-gentleman.html|title=Confidence is the New Sexy + The Modern Gentleman|website=www.ruthdelacruz.com|date=12 May 2017}}

Football career

Matsunaga started playing football during his childhood{{cite news|title=One-on-one with Daniel Matsunaga|url=http://bandera.inquirer.net/52854/one-on-one-with-daniel-matsunaga|access-date=15 February 2018|work=Bandera|publisher=Philippine Daily Inquirer|date=3 February 2014|language=en, fil}} and aspired to play for the Brazil national football team before he got involved in showbiz.{{cite news|title=Fabio Ide at Daniel Matsunaga, handa raw makasagupa ang mga Younghusband sa football|trans-title=Fabio Ide and Daniel Matsunaga said to be ready to face the Younghusbands in football|url=http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/showbiz/chikaminute/235028/fabio-ide-at-daniel-matsunaga-handa-raw-makasagupa-ang-mga-younghusband-sa-football/story/|access-date=15 February 2018|work=GMA News|date=11 October 2011|language=fil}} He played for clubs in his native Brazil as well as in Hong Kong before playing in the Philippines. In the Philippines he had played for Team Socceroo, Pachanga, and Kaya.

He played in the now defunct United Football League (UFL) starting in Division 2 playing for Team Socceroo in 2011{{cite news | url=http://www.spin.ph/sports/football/stars-earn-stripes/daniel-matsunaga-shows-hes-more-than-just-a-pretty-face-in-ufls-top-flight | title=Daniel Matsunaga shows he's more than just a pretty face in UFL's top flight | publisher=Sports Interactive Network Philippines | work=spin.ph | date=21 February 2013 | access-date=2 April 2013 | author=Sacamos Karlo}} playing with fellow model actor Fabio Ide. He then moved to Division 1 club Pachanga Diliman during the 2012 UFL Cup, before eventually moving to Stallion for the 2013 season. For the 2014 season he moved to Kaya.

In street football, he played for Team Naxional who secured qualification as the Philippine representatives at the Neymar Jr's Five Football Tournament by winning over Tondo in the final of the Philippine qualifying leg.{{cite news|last1=Reyes|first1=Jaelle Nevin|title=Matsunaga's Team Naxional tops Neymar Five PH leg|url=http://www.manilatimes.net/matsunagas-team-naxional-tops-neymar-five-ph-leg/315529/|access-date=15 February 2018|work=The Manila Times|date=5 March 2017}} The world final held in Brazil was contested by 53 other countries with Romania emerging as champions.{{cite web|title=Neymar Jr's Five - Filippine|url=https://www.neymarjrsfive.com/it/PH|access-date=15 February 2018}}

Matsunaga also became involved in the 7's Football League as a player.{{cite news |last1=Saldajeno |first1=Ivan |title=Anton Del Rosario bares Maharlika Manila seeking PFL license |url=https://www.dugout.ph/2020/08/anton-del-rosario-bares-maharlika.html |access-date=August 7, 2020 |work=Dugout Philippines |date=August 6, 2020}}

He returned to domestic football, when he signed to play with Philippines Football League newcomer Maharlika F.C. in August 2020,{{cite news |title=Midfielder Daniel Matsunaga joins Maharlika FC |url=https://www.panaynews.net/midfielder-daniel-matsunaga-joins-maharlika-fc/ |access-date=October 29, 2020 |work=Panay News |date=August 29, 2020}} although he was not part of the final lineup for the 2020 season for undisclosed reasons.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

Personal life

Matsunaga is a Christian. He obtained permanent residency in the Philippines in December 2014 and had expressed intention to petition for Filipino citizenship.{{Cite web |title=Daniel Matsunaga now a permanent PH resident |work=ABS-CBN News |date=1 December 2014 |access-date=2 February 2019 |url= https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/12/01/14/daniel-matsunaga-now-permanent-ph-resident}}

Filmography

=Film=

Year \|\| Title \|\| Role \|\| Studio
class="wikitable sortable"
2012	Sisterakas	Marlon	Star Cinema
rowspan=2 \|2013	The Bride and the Lover	Sheila's husband	Regal Films
She's the One	Jason	Star Cinema
rowspan=3 \|2014	Endless	Daniel	ABS-CBN (Pinoy Big Brother: All In)
Past Tense	Carlos Santillan	Star Cinema
Shake, Rattle & Roll XV	Bryan	Regal Films
rowspan=3\|2017	Spirit of the Glass 2: The Haunted	Enzo	OctoArts Films, T-Rex Entertainment Productions
Fallback	Chris	Cineko
Meant to Beh	Benjo Marasigan	OctoArts Films, M-Zet Productions, APT Entertainment
2018	Kahit Ayaw Mo Na	Reggie	BluArt Productions, Viva Films

=Television=

Year \|\| Title \|\| Role \|\| Network
class="wikitable sortable"
rowspan=3 \|2010	The Last Prince	Prince Nicolai	rowspan=7 \|GMA Network
Langit sa Piling Mo	Xavier Cruz
Love Bug Presents: Wish Come True	Raoul Del Rosario
2010–2011	Grazilda	Kasmir
rowspan=3 \|2011	Machete	Baal
Spooky Nights: Snow White and the Seven Ghosts	Prince
Futbolilits	Raphael Yamamoto
2012–2013	Game 'N Go	Host	rowspan=3 \|TV5
2012	Third Eye	Lucas
2012–2013	Enchanted Garden	Mark Morgan
rowspan=4 \|2013	Kris TV	Recurring guest co-host	rowspan=2 \|ABS-CBN
Toda Max	Victor
Cassandra: Warrior Angel	Lucas	rowspan=2 \|TV5
Misibis Bay	Andrew Cadiz
rowspan=3 \| 2014	It's Showtime	Celebrity Judge	ABS-CBN
The Replacement Bride	Kael	TV5
Pinoy Big Brother: All In	Housemate (Big Winner)	rowspan=3\|ABS-CBN
rowspan=3\|2015	Two Wives	Kenjie Celdran
Ipaglaban Mo: Nakaw Na Sandali	Peter
R U Tough Enough: Philippines	Host/Ambassador	KIX
2016	Be My Lady	Philip Oliviera	rowspan=4\|ABS-CBN
2016–2021	ASAP	Himself / Performer
rowspan=2\| 2017	I Can Do That	Contestant
A Love to Last	Patrick Buendia
2018	Discover the Philippines	Host	Discovery Channel / TLC
2018–2019	Halik	Yohan Tanaka	ABS-CBN
2020–2021	Sunday 'Kada	Himself / Various characters	TV5