Piolo Pascual, born on January 12, 1977 at Manila, is the youngest son of Amelia "Amy" Nonato Pascual, and Philip Victoriano Pascual who is half-Spanish and half-German. Piolo's father was the son of Harold Herzig, a full-blooded German, and his Filipina wife with Spanish descent, Aurora Victoriano. Harold Herzig, however, died while Piolo's father was young, which led to the remarriage of Piolo's grandmother to a Pascual.
 

While growing up, Piolo enjoyed a close bond with his siblings—Chiqui, Paulette, Pam, Choi, and Patricia—despite their own father's early death. His father was a casting director for international films that are shot here in the Philippines, though Piolo can't recall if it affected his ambition on becoming an actor, ramp model or a performer. He lived an ordinary life; he went to school and spent time on outings and celebrations with his family. Piolo studied grade school and high school at St. Francis School in Santa Ana, Manila. When he was in Grade 5, Piolo joined the school theater group, Teatro Ni Kiko, wherein he was introduced to the world of theater and acting.
 

While he was in third year high school, Piolo started appearing in That's Entertainment, a popular teen variety show aired in the 1990s. He eventually left That's Entertainment, however, to get into college full-time, studying at the University of Sto. Tomas (UST), where he took up AB General Education. He later shifted to Physical Therapy in preparation for his immigration to the States. Around 1996, however, Piolo had to put his study and career plans on hold due to his imminent migration to the US.
 

Pascual joined his family in the US that year. They made their home in Los Angeles, where Piolo worked as an ER representative in a hospital where his mother is working. When Pascual turned 21, he decided to return to Manila in order to pursue his acting career once again.

Pascual is the father of a son, Iñigo. His son lives with his family in the States, but father and son frequently keep in touch.^[1]