He rose to fame with the 1965 movie, Palos. In 2008, ABS-CBN remade Palos into a teleserye starring Jake Cuenca, with Bonnin returning in a supporting role. Bonnin appeared in over 100 films, including Gagamba, Ako ang Lalagot sa Hininga Mo, Code Name: Bomba, Target: Captain Karate. His first film was Ay Pepita.