4 days ago, the Philippines and the world that have come to love the legend and the brilliance of Eddie Garcia mourned as the official news informs that Eduardo Verchez Garcia, prolific actor serving our movie and silver screens, died.
It is both tragic and profound how ‘Manoy’ at the age of 90, still doing what he loves met his final fate, shooting a local TV Series and accidentally tripping on a cable wire that resulted to a coma. As expected, many took to social media to express their heartfelt condolences. While Garcia’s stature as an A-list actor puts him on a pedestal too intimidating, the Filipino people have always been attached to the guy that has become part of their lives.
Part of reminiscing Eddie Garcia’s influence is watching countless movies, TV episodes and interviews where Garcia, both young and adult had left us too much to remember him for.
But one interview in particular caught the netizens’ attention: 6 years ago, Garcia was interviewed by Ces Drilon in ANC’s Pipol. The interview showed the veteran performer in his usual wits and charm, but there was a moment that it got really personal and if you’re watching it, knowing that he’s rested, it might get you emotional too.
The brief, vulnerable moment was Eddie Garcia narrating how his two kids, unfortunately suffered tragic deaths in their supposedly prime years while his wife fought cancer until 1995.
The actor’s eldest son died in 1971 at the age of 22 due to a motorcycle accident. Garcia recalled how his eldest would have been an up and coming actor.
“My son who died was starring, he appeared in two films before, one with Nora [Aunor] and one with Vilma [Santos], the one who had a motorcycle accident,” he said.
As if losing a son is not heartbreaking enough, Eddie also told Drilon that his youngest daughter also died early due to a heart attack.
“And my youngest daughter was 39, and she had a heart attack,” Eddie revealed.
Then came his wife’s passing in 1995, Garcia in all those heartaches and loss managed to gather a casual response:
“Well, like they say… when you gotta go, you better go.”
“Yeah, like me, I don’t know, one of these days, I might kick the bucket.”
When Garcia was asked a situational question, an encounter with the doorkeeper of Heaven asking him why he deserves to be in heaven. Garcia’s simple but nail to the head answer sums up how every human being should be:
“Wala naman akong inagrabyado. Ginawa ko kung ano ang nararapat gawin nang matuwid.”
“Wala akong inapi.
“So, bahala ka na kung papapasukin ako o hindi. Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!”
According to his filmography, Garcia’s best regarded works as an actor include Beast of the Yellow Night (1971), The Woman Hunt (1972), Deathrow (2000), The Debut (2001), Abakada… Ina (2001), Bwakaw (2012), and Rainbow’s Sunset (2018), which marked his last film appearance. Later in his career, he starred in television programs including Little Nanay (2015–2016) and Ang Probinsyano (2016–2019).
Garcia is the only Filipino to receive the Asian Film Award for Best Actor.
He has been an actor for almost 7 decades.
