Elijah Luiz Madiclum Canlas (born August 16, 2000) is a Filipino actor and commercial model. He began his professional acting career in the 2014 independent film Sundalong Kanin, an official entry to Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival. He then rose to prominence for his award-winning performance in Kalel, 15 (2019), where he received Best Actor awards at the 43rd Gawad Urian Awards, 68th FAMAS Awards, 17th Asian Film Festival in Rome, Italy, and 16th Harlem International Film Festival in New York, United States.
Early life and education Elijah Luiz Madiclum Canlas was born on August 16, 2000, in Manila. He is the second son of Rommel and Lyn Canlas. Second of three siblings, he is called "Jelo" by his older brother Jerom Andrei, and younger brother, Jamile Matthew "JM" (2005/06–2023). The Canlas brothers are all actors who played various roles in film, theater, and television. With their mother being a ballerina, and theater actress in Bacolod, they were exposed to arts, and theater at a very young age.
Canlas finished grade school at Statefields School, a private institute located in Bacoor, Cavite. In Junior High School, he studied Theater Arts at the Philippine High School for the Arts and finished Senior High School at MINT College. He is currently taking up his Bachelor of Arts in Philippine Arts at the University of the Philippines Manila while continuously pursuing his acting career.
Career When he was 14 years old, he debuted as one of the four main characters in the film Sundalong Kanin (2014), a Cinemalaya entry directed by Janice O'Hara.
In 2014, he auditioned for the main role of Kalel, 15 when it was still titled Son of God, but got rejected because the role was supposed to be given to someone who resembles a mestizo son of a Spanish friar. Four years later in 2018, Canlas met with director Jun Robles Lana because he was looking for a talent manager. During the meeting, Lana suddenly said Canlas could play the lead in his next film as Kalel.
A year after portraying his role in the film Edward (2019), his performance won him a Best Supporting Actor award (PinakaPASADOng Katuwang na Aktor) from the Pampelikulang Samahan ng mga Dalubguro (PASADO), alongside other nominees such as Baron Geisler, Joross Gamboa and Ian Veneracion. He also won Best Acting Ensemble together with the other cast members of the film Kalel, 15 (2019) in the 2020 PARAGON Critics Choice Awards.
In May 2020, he was cast as one of the main actors in the YouTube series, Gameboys. Produced by The IdeaFirst Company, it is a boys love series in the Philippines that tackles the story of two young men who find each other online amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with Kokoy de Santos as Gavreel Alarcon, Canlas starred in the thirteen-part web series as Cairo Lazaro, an up-and-coming online game streamer.
On August 5, 2020, he won his first Best Actor award at the prestigious 17th Asian Film Festival in Rome, Italy for Kalel, 15. On December 22 of the same year, he was named by CNN Philippines as "Actor of the Year".
Personal life In 2021, Canlas dated Miles Ocampo and announced their relationship to the public in 2022. They broke up in 2026.
His younger brother, former child actor JM Canlas, died on August 3, 2023, at the age of 17. A cause of death was not revealed. His older brother Jerom said that JM had "been struggling with his mental health" prior to his death.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes 2014 Sundalong Kanin Badong 10th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival entry 2016 Sakaling Hindi Makarating Benjie CineFilipino Film Festival entry Gasping for Air "1-2-3" Rey Northern Virginia International Film and Music Festival entry 2019 Kalel, 15 Kalel Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival entry Edward Renz 15th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival entry LSS (Last Song Syndrome) Cedie 3rd Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino entry Babae at Baril Jun QC International Film Festival entry 2020 He Who Is Without Sin Martin Pangan Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino entry 2021 Gameboys: The Movie Cairo Lazaro 2022 Blue Room Troy Rodriguez 18th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival entry Livescream Exo About Us But Not About Us Lancelot 26th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and 2023 Metro Manila Summer Film Festival entry 2023 Keys to the Heart Joselito "Jayjay" Hermano GomBurZa Paciano Mercado 49th Metro Manila Film Festival 2024 Sunshine Miggy 49th Toronto International Film Festival entry Uninvited Christopher 'Tofy' Almario 50th Metro Manila Film Festival entry 2025 Salvageland PO1 Jules Morales2026Drags to RichesTroye Edgar Jopson TBA
Television series Year Title Role 2019Past, Present, Perfect?Marius2020 Paano ang Pasko? Noel Aguinaldo Almost Paradise Luke Unconditional Arthur 2020–2021 Paano ang Pangako? Noel Aguinaldo 2021 My Fantastic Pag-ibig Dwayne 2022 Misis Piggy Jeffrey Suntok sa Buwan Jaime "Dos" Laurente II 2023 The Iron Heart Conrado Reyes 2023–2024 Senior High Archie Aguerro 2024 FPJ's Batang Quiapo Pablo Caballero High Street Archie Aguerro2024–present ASAP Himself / Co-host / Performer 2025 Incognito Donato Escalera / Spade Maalaala Mo Kaya Season 31: Apoy Sofronio Vasquez VibeVibe Jock Elijah
Web series Year Title Role 2020 Pearl Next Door Cairo Lazaro Gameboys 2022 Gameboys 2
Music videos +YearTitleArtistRef 2025 "Multo" Cup of Joe "Ano Ba Talaga Tayo?" The Juans 2026 "Kontrabida" Kakie
Theater Year Production Role Location 2024 Emulsyon Anak/Jerome Erehwon Center for the Arts, Quezon City 2025 Dagitab Gab Atienza Fine Arts Black Box Theater, Pasay Power Mac Center Spotlight Blackbox Theater, Makati 2026 About Us But Not About Us Lancelot
Awards and nominations + Year Award ceremony Category Nominated work Result 2020 17th Asian Film Festival Best Actor Kalel, 15 68th FAMAS AwardsBest Actor 22nd Gawad Pasado Awards Best Supporting Actor"Edward" 43rd Gawad Urian Awards Best Actor Kalel, 15 PARAGON Critics Choice Awards Best Acting Ensemble Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino Special Jury Prize for Performance in a Lead Role He Who Is Without Sin Best Actor 38th Luna Awards Best Supporting Actor Edward 2021 7th Urduja Heritage Film Awards Best Young Actor Kalel, 15 5th Film Ambassadors' Night 11 New Film Ambassadors for Acting Performance 16th Harlem International Film Festival Best Actor 4th EDDYS Awards Best Actor He Who Is Without Sin Young Critics Circle Best Performance Best Performance (Duo) alongside Enzo Pineda Ani ng Dangal Awards (National Commission for Culture and the Arts) Recipient for Ani ng Dangal Awards Himself 36th PMPC Star Awards for Movies Best Actor Kalel, 15 Best Supporting Actor Babae at Baril 2023 1st Summer Metro Manila Film Festival Awards (MMFF) Jury Prize About Us But Not About Us Best Actor 6th EDDYS Awards Best Actor Blue Room 2024 Platinum Stallion National Media Award 2024 Best Primetime Drama Actor Senior High 7th EDDYS Awards Best ActorKeys to the Heart
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