Richard Frank Icasiano Gomez (born April 7, 1966) is a Filipino actor, TV host, politician, and épée fencer. He has been serving as the Representative of Leyte's 4th district since 2022, and was mayor of Ormoc from 2016 to 2022. Gomez was a leading actor in the early 1990s, earning several awards and nominations. He played the title character in Super Islaw and The Flying Kids (1986) and appeared in the romantic drama films Nagbabagang Luha and Babaing Hampaslupa (both 1988), and starred in Hihintayin Kita sa Langit (1991) opposite Dawn Zulueta. From 1987 to 1998, he co-starred in the ABS-CBN sitcom Palibhasa Lalake alongside John Estrada and Joey Marquez. In 1998, he married actress Lucy Torres, who later also became a politician. The couple starred in the ABS-CBN sitcom Richard Loves Lucy from 1998 to 2001. He was then part of the main casts of Mano Po (2002) and The Trial (2014), and appeared in the GMA sitcom Lagot Ka, Isusumbong Kita (2003–2007), and teleseryes Captain Barbell (2006–2007), Marimar (2007–2008), and Codename: Asero (2008). He was paired again with Zulueta in Walang Hanggan (2012), The Love Affair (2015), and You're My Home (2015–2016). He also co-hosted the talk show S-Files (2002–2007), and presented the Philippine version of Family Feud (2008–2009). In politics, Gomez had an unsuccessful start. His party was disqualified in the 2001 House of Representatives elections, and he then lost in the 2007 Senate election. He moved to his wife's hometown of Ormoc to run for the local House seat in 2010 but was disqualified for failing to establish residency. In 2013, he lost the mayoral election but won in 2016 and was re-elected in 2019.

Biography and entertainment career

Gomez is the only child of race car driver Eddie Kelly Gomez and Josephine Icasiano (known famously by her stage name Stella Suarez), an actress in the 1960s. His cousin is Stella Suarez Jr. (also known as Pinky Suarez) who was adopted by his parents and raised as his sibling. He was raised by his grandmother after his parents separated. Gomez was working at McDonald's when he was discovered by talent manager Douglas Quijano. He then became one of the faces of Bench, a Philippine clothing brand. His acting debut came in the 1984 movie Hindi Mo Ako Kayang Tapakan. In April 1998, he married Lucy Torres at the Saints Peter and Paul Parish Church in Ormoc, Leyte. They currently reside in Ormoc, and have one daughter, Juliana Marie Beatriz (b. 2000), who graduated cum laude from the UP National College of Public Administration and Governance. In 2002, he transferred to GMA network with his first melodrama show, Ang Iibigin Ay Ikaw and its sequel Ang Iibigin Ay Ikaw Pa Rin as well as presenting S-Files. His first GMA sitcom was Lagot Ka, Isusumbong Kita which aired from 2003 to 2007. Gomez hosted the Philippine edition of Family Feud on GMA Network. He is a former GMA Network contract artist under GMA Artist Center (now Sparkle GMA Artist Center). After his movie Filipinas in 2003, Gomez made a comeback in the indie film Bente which starred Senator Jinggoy Estrada and Iza Calzado. He briefly returned to GMA Network in the weekly drama anthology, Claudine, and returned to the Kapatid Network The 5 Network after 17 years by hosting the weekend variety show, P.O.5.. He appeared in the drama show, My Driver Sweet Lover, and Mga Nagbabagang Bulaklak. Gomez was part of the teleseries Walang Hanggan from January 16, 2012. He co-hosted The Biggest Game Show In The World (Asia) with Joey de Leon, and appeared in the comedy-drama, Madam Chairman. In 2015, he starred in the mystery drama You're My Home with Dawn Zulueta and an ensemble cast. Aside from his native tongue Tagalog, Gomez is also fluent in English and Cebuano.

Education

He graduated from the University of the Philippines Open University (Associate in Arts, 2009) and the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA (Masters in Business Administration, 2016). He earned a doctorate in public administration from the Cebu Technological University in 2019.

Political career

Gomez was a nominee of Mamamayan Ayaw sa Droga (MAD) Partylist in the Congressional election of 2001. Their party won but was disqualified for failing to present proof of sectoral representation. He planned to run as governor of Bulacan province but, lacking the residency requirements, ran instead as an independent in the 2007 Senatorial elections which he lost. In 2010, he ran for a seat in the Congress for the 4th district of Leyte but was disqualified by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for failing to establish residency in Ormoc. His wife, Lucy Torres-Gomez, took his place and won. He served as his wife's chief of staff during her term as congresswoman. In 2013, he ran for mayor of Ormoc City but lost. He was finally elected as Mayor in 2016 and was reelected in 2019. He ran for a seat in the Congress for the 4th district of Leyte in 2022, switching places with his wife and eventually won.

Sports

Gomez was a member of the Philippine team that won gold in the team men's épée event at the 2005 Southeast Asian Games. Gomez won the gold medal for the Philippines at the Asian Master Fencing Championship in 2015. Since 2016, he has also served as the president of the Philippine Fencing Association. He is also the president of the Philippine Modern Pentathlon Association.

Controversies

In 2019, Gomez's painting titled "Oooohh", which depicted a male genitalia, went viral and gained controversy. Displayed at the ManilART fair at SMX Convention Center Aura in Taguig, the piece was sold for ₱196,000, garnering significant attention on social media. Critics argued that Gomez used his celebrity status to gain entry to the fair, questioning the artistic merit of his work and highlighting the disconnect between fame and genuine artistry. Gomez described the painting as "self-explanatory" and stated that "with deeper thought, it represents lust, self-pleasure, and power." He has been painting since the 1990s and collecting art since the 1980s. In 2024, Gomez wrote a Facebook post where he complained about being stuck in traffic on EDSA for two hours. In the post, he suggested that the EDSA Busway should opened to regular traffic, arguing that "only a few buses use [it]". This statement drew backlash online, causing Gomez to delete the post but issue a follow-up statement the next day, defending his comments as his own personal opinion. He reiterated his stance, comparing his proposal to the practice of opening counterflow lanes on the Metro Manila Skyway during rush hour. He later made a post on Threads criticizing media outlets for allegedly misreporting that he had deleted the posts, clarifying that he had only hidden them.

Filmography

Films

Television

Awards and nominations

Film

Television

Sports

Others