2010–2011: Youth-oriented shows
Daniel Padilla's first acting stint was in 2010 when he starred in a minor role in Gimik 2010, a remake of the hit 90's Filipino youth-oriented show.
He was also casted as Patrick Rivero in another youth-oriented show entitled Growing Up. He reportedly replaced Albie Casiño (who was Kathryn Bernardo's leading man in Mara Clara) for the said role.
2012–present: Debut as a primetime actor
After two consecutive Sunday youth-oriented shows, Padilla finally landed a role in a primetime television series in Princess And I. He played Gerald Antonio "Gino" dela Rosa or Dasho Yuan Rinpoche, a character whom he describes as "a swaggering rich kid who will change and sacrifice a lot for the sake of love".The romantic-comedy royalty-themed series did well in the ratings, having reached the 40% mark and placed second behind Walang Hanggan.
2012-present: Music industry
On May 28, 2012, Padilla released his debut self-titled Album, Daniel Padilla. The album has six tracks with the carrier single "Hinahanap-hanap Kita", which is also featured in his primetime show Princess And I. According to Star Records producer Jonathan Manalo, Daniel Padilla's debut album sold more than 10,000 copies in less than a week. On June 17 of the same year, Daniel Padilla was given a Gold Record Award for the sales of his debut album and later on sold more than 30,000+ copies and reached Double Platinum.
Daniel Padilla is also part of the band The Parking 5, where he plays bass. The Fellow members in the band include His younger brother JC Padilla, Katsumi Kabe, Lester Giri and Seth Gothico. They recorded their version of The Beatles' "Twist and Shout".
