Former veteran actor Pepito Rodriguez passes away at 83
Former veteran actor Pepito Rodriguez (Facebook)
Jose Maria Rodriguez, better known as Pepito Rodriguez in the entertainment industry, passed away on Feb. 26. He was 83.
The news was confirmed by Pepito's nephew, Marco Yutuc, through a statement that was posted on his Facebook page.
"Our beloved tito former actor of #SampaguitaPictures & matinee idol Pepito Rodriguez Jose Maria Rodriguez, passed on this 4:05 this morning due to pneumonia, wherein he was confined yesterday in the hospital. We will miss you so much, especially in seeing you always in our Rodriguez reunion tito Pepito we love you so much, and so does your loyal fans, because of how you showed how respected a person you are, being a gentle man, soft spoken, humble, and one who's very compassionate to many. Prayers ???? #MarcoFNY," the statement read.
Further details about Pepito's wake and condition are not yet disclosed as of this writing.
Pepito, the sibling of the late seasoned actor Ramil Rodriguez, was a contract artist of Sampaguita Pictures who appeared in many movies spanning the 1960s through the 1990s. He was also part of the batch of gifted performers known as "Stars ’66."
He was known for his work on the films "Sa Bilis, Walang Kaparis," "Abaruray Abarinding," wherein he both starred with the late Susan Roces; and the so-called "Bata" film series, like the "Mga Batang Bakasyonista," where he worked with the late German "Kuya Germs" Moreno, Rosemarie Sonora, and Gina Pareño.
Pepito and Rosemarie also teamed up in several projects, including "Juanita Banana” and "Life Everlasting."
Other notable screen partners of Pepito included the late actresses Gloria Romero, "Ang Bituin at Araw," and Amalia Fuentes, "Santa Teresa de Avila".