Filipino actor Eddie Garcia has passed away today at the age 90. A statement has been released from Manila's Makati Medical Centre.
"We join the entire Filipino community in praying for the soul of Mr Garcia and his dearly beloved family and friends," the institution said. "We extend our deepest condolences to the Garcia Family."
The actor was in the hospital for about two weeks, and was initially rushed to Mary Johnson hospital on June 8 after tripping on a cable while filming television show Rosang Agimat. Early reports suggested that he had suffered a heart attack, but it was later clarified that he had fractured his neck (cervical spine).
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Actor-director Eddie Garcia has died at the age of 90. Facebook / Isidra Reyes -
The veteran actor was widely regarded as the Philippines' greatest actor. Facebook / Isidra Reyes -
Garcia worked in cinema and television for 70 years. Facebook / Isidra Reyes -
Actor-director Eddie Garcia with Susan Roces in the 1967 movie 'Maruja'. Facebook / Manila Nostalgia -
Garcia previously admitted he never initially wanted to be an actor. Courtesy of Video48 Blogspot -
Garcia is in The Philippine Academy's Hall of Fame. Facebook / Isidra Reyes -
Eddie Garcia in the movie 'Bwakaw' in 2012. Courtesy of Cinemalaya -
Garcia with Gloria Romero in the film 'Rainbow Sunset'. Courtesy of Heaven's Best Entertainment
Garcia was widely regarded as the Philippines greatest actor, and is the only person inducted into three different categories in the FAMAS [The Philippine Academy] Hall of Fame, with listings under Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Director. He worked in cinema and television for 70 continuous years.
He told Esquire last year that he never actually wanted to be an actor, and that "he always dreamed of being a soldier". But what a career he made: early in his acting life, in the time of black and white films, he was a villain, but he managed to transform himself into a leading man after a few decades of being the bad guy.
While he was known for his quick sense of humour and the fact he kept fit well until his later life, he was famously private about his personal affairs, and widely considered to have lived a fairly simple existence.
Here is one of his most notable performances: 2012's Oscar entry from the Philippines, Bwakaw. The incredibly moving film charts the loneliness of a man's last years, and feels especially poignant today.
