We will miss you, Rudy Fernandez

June 9, 2008

DABOY, the nickname of action star Rudy Fernandez, passed away at his home in White Plains at 6:15 a.m., Saturday, after fighting his biggest battle, with the big C, for more than two years. Rudy told his wife, Lorna Tolentino, that he wanted to go home after being confined at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center.

He went home on Sunday, June 1, their 25th wedding anniversary. Rudy and Lorna have two sons, Ralph and Renz. Rudy also has a son, Mark Anthony, with Alma Moreno, with whom he has two grandchildren.

We have fond memories of Rudy since the year he was successfully launched to stardom, 1976, in “Bitayin si Baby Ama,” was also the year that we started writing movie reviews for TV Guide and later, Times Journal, sister publication of People’s Journal.

Rudy was born on March 3, 1953, the youngest among eight children of Dr. Gregorio Fernandez (a respected film director whose film, “Higit sa Lahat,” won the best picture award in the Asian Filmfest). His mother was the sister of a top actor in the ‘50s, Jose Padilla, Jr. Although he got a lot of offers to be an “artista,” it was only when he was 18, when he was a college sophomore at UST taking up commerce, that he decided to try acting in 1971 when he signed a 3-year contract with Sampaguita Pictures where his first movie was “For You, Mama” with Tirso Cruz III and Aurora Salve. He was never launched and it will take five years before MBM Productions gambled on him in “Baby Ama” when he was 23 years old.

The movie was a big hit when released in August of 1976 and he quickly became one of the country’s top action heroes famous for prison films. He made one movie after another like “Makahiya at Talahib” (an entry in the 1976 Metro Manila Film Festival, with Vilma Santos), “Usigin ang Maysala,” “Ikaw, Ako Laban sa Mundo,” “Hijack,” “Iligpit si Pretty Boy,” “Bilangguang Walang Rehas,” “Joe Quintero,” “Doble Kara,” “Ex-Convict,” “Salonga,” “Teritoryo Ko Ito,” “Hoodlum Killer,” “Star,” “Kasal-Kasalan,” “Puga,” “Hari ng Tundo,” “Tatak Angustia,” “Tataak Munti,” “Sa Init ng Apoy” (this is a horror flick made by Trigon Cinema where he was first paired with Lorna Tolentino in 1980), “Bantay Salakay” (again with Lorna), “Pambato,” “Deadly Brothers” (with Phillip Salvador), “Laya,” “Wanted: Sabas,” “Death Row,” “Pepeng Shotgun” (one of his best films made by Sining Silangan), “Lukso ng Dugo” (with Charo Santos), “Babalik Ka Rin” (reunion movie with Alma), “Kumusta Ka, Hudas,” “Enkuwentro,” “Kumander Kris,” “Tres Kantos” (with Ace Vergel and Bembol Roco), “Kumander Elpidio Paclibar,” “Get My Son Dead or Alive,” “Amo,” “Vendetta,” “Pader at Rehas” (with Eddie Fernandez), “Inside Job,” “Sumuko Ka, Ronquillo,” “Anak sa Una, Kasal sa Ina,” “Somewhere,” “Nagkataon, Nagkatagpo” (with Maricel Soriano), “Kung Kailangan Mo Ako” (with Sharon Cuneta), “Tatak ng Yakuza,” “Markang Bungo,” “Kaaway ng Bayan,” “Pasukuin si Waway” (he won a FAMAS best actor award), “Kahit Ako’y Lupa,” “Lumuhod Ka sa Lupa,” “Tulisang Dagat,” “Lagalag, The Eddie Fernandez Story,” “Kriminal,” “Idol,” “Ulo ng Gapo,” “Bilang Na ang Oras,” “Humanda Ka, Ikaw ang Susunod,” “Baun Gang,” “Laban Kung Laban,” “Tubusin Mo ng Dugo,” “Wag na Wag Kang Lalayo,” “Diskarte,” Huli Mo, Huli Ko” (his last movie in 2002 for his own company, Reflection Films), and others. When the local movie industry slackened, Rudy also went to TV, doing “Daboy en Dagirl” with Rosanna Roces. He was last seen in the GMA-7 telefantasya, “Atlantika.” He ran for public office as Quezon City mayor but lost.

Rudy is one of the nicest guys in showbiz. He’s friendly, always smiling and had very good PR. We will all miss him. To Daboy, goodbye, sleep tight in the bosom of our Lord. Let’s all pray for the repose of his soul.

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