Renato L. Requiestas (January 22, 1957 – July 24, 1993), professionally known as Rene Requiestas (), was a Filipino actor and comedian. Requiestas was one of the top Filipino

comedians A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolish (as in slapstick), or employing prop comedy. A comedian who addresses an audience dir ...

of the late 1980s up to the early 1990s. Requiestas was known for his

sidekick A sidekick is a slang expression for a close companion or colleague (not necessarily in fiction) who is, or is generally regarded as, subordinate to the one they accompany. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, ...

roles alongside other comedy actors such as

Joey de Leon Jose Maria Ramos de Leon Jr. (born October 14, 1946), professionally known as Joey de Leon, is a Filipino comedian, actor, television presenter and songwriter. He hosts the noontime variety show ''Eat Bulaga!'' He is a member of the comedy trio ...

and his pairing with

Kris Aquino Kristina Bernadette Cojuangco Aquino (born February 14, 1971), professionally known as Kris Aquino (), is a Filipino television host, actress, producer, socialite and businesswoman. Dubbed as Philippine's "Queen of All Media", Aquino has hos ...

in romantic comedies, as well as his distinctive gaunt, toothless appearance.

Career

Requiestas' early appearances in films consisted of small incidental roles in dramas such as '' Ikaw Ay Akin'' in 1978 and Alyas Batman en Robin 1991 as The Joker, ''Pabling'' in 1981. From 1987 to 1988, he was a cast member of the stage play ''WIS: Walang Ibig Sabihin'' () at the

Manila Metropolitan Theater The Metropolitan Theater ( fil, Tanghalang Metropolitan), abbreviated as MET, is a Philippine Art Deco building found near the Mehan Garden located on Padre Burgos Avenue corner Arroceros Street, near the Manila Central Post Office. It was design ...

, with critic Mike Feria noting his inclination to

ad-lib In music and other performing arts, the phrase (; from Latin for 'at one's pleasure' or 'as you desire'), often shortened to "ad lib" (as an adjective or adverb) or "ad-lib" (as a verb or noun), refers to various forms of improvisation. The r ...

. He would later receive supporting roles in comedy films beginning with '' Sheman: Mistress of the Universe'' in September 1988. His performance in ''

Smith & Wesson Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (S&W) is an American firearm manufacturer headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. Smith & Wesson was founded by Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson as the "Smith & Wesson Revolver Company" in 1856 ...

'' as the bumbling villain named Don Johnson Waks was praised by critic

Lav Diaz Lavrente Indico Anciro Diaz (born December 30, 1958) is a Filipino independent filmmaker and former film critic. Frequently known as one of the key members of the slow cinema movement, having made several of the list of longest films, longest na ...

, who considered him to have a natural talent in comedy.

Maricel Soriano Maricel Soriano (; born Maria Cecilia Dador Soriano; February 25, 1965) is a Filipina film and television actress, occasional host and dancer. With a career spanning of over 50 years, Soriano is one of the most celebrated artists and popularly ...

, who collaborated with Requiestas in the film ''Leon at Tigre'' (), expressed that unlike other lead actors she worked with in comedies, he was usually quiet and by himself on the set. Requiestas once remarked that the films he does is largely for his mother, stating that "She is already old and need to be sure that everything is for her. I don't want her to experience anymore hardships at her age." In 1992, Requiestas was elected a councilor of

Taguig Taguig (), officially the City of Taguig ( fil, Lungsod ng Taguig), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in Metro Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 886,722 people. Located in the northwestern shores of ...

's 2nd (lone) district.

Personal life

In 1989, Requiestas expressed his wish to attend

college A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...

in order to set an example for his siblings. Later that year, Requiestas adopted a daughter and named her Darren Krisnee, taken from his and

's names. She was born on November 11, 1989 to Requiestas' distant relatives, but due to their difficulty in raising numerous children, Requiestas decided to adopt the child as his own.

Death

Requiestas died on July 24, 1993 at the age of 36 due to

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

and complications brought about by alcohol abuse and smoking. He was buried in Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque.

Filmography

Film

Television

*''U.F.O.: Urbano, Felissa & Others'' (1985–1989) *'' Sic O'Clock News'' (1987–1989) *''Mother Studio Presents'' (produced by Regal Television, 1987–1993) *''Regal Shockers'' (1988–1993) *''

Lovingly Yours, Helen ''Lovingly Yours, Helen'' is a Philippine television drama anthology broadcast by GMA Network and Banahaw Broadcasting Corporation. The show is the second longest running drama anthology in Philippine television history. Originally hosted by H ...

'' (1988) *''Coney Reyes on Camera'' (1989) *''

Bhoy The Celtic Football Club, commonly known as Celtic (), is a Scottish professional football club based in Glasgow, which plays in the Scottish Premiership. The club was founded in 1887 with the purpose of alleviating poverty in the immigran ...

'' (1989–1991) *''

Sa Linggo nAPO Sila ''Sa Linggo nAPO Sila'' ''(They Are Now On Sunday)'' is a Philippine musical-variety show that aired on ABS-CBN from November 6, 1988, to January 29, 1995, replaced by the first Talent Singing competition show Tawag ng Tanghalan from 1987–1988 ...

'' (1990–1993) *''GMA Presents: Alice'' (1990) *''

Palibhasa Lalake ''Palibhasa Lalake'' is a Philippine sitcom on ABS-CBN which ran from March 3, 1987, to November 9, 1998, and directed by Johnny Manahan. Sypnopsis The show began on March 3, 1987, with the original cast composed of Joey Marquez, Richard Gomez, ...

'' (1990) - Adonis *''Pandakekoks'' (1990–1992) *''

Maalaala Mo Kaya ''Maalaala Mo Kaya'' (; formerly written as ''Maala-ala Mo Kaya...''; abbreviated as ''MMK''), also known as ''Memories'', is a Philippines, Philippine television drama anthology show broadcast by Kapamilya Channel under ABS-CBN Entertainment. ...

'' (1991–1993) - his last TV appearance *''

Tunay Na Buhay ''Tunay na Buhay'' () is a Philippine television documentary show broadcast by GMA Network, GMA News TV and GTV. Originally hosted by Rhea Santos, it premiered on January 21, 2011 replacing '' OFW Diaries'' on the network's evening line up. Th ...

'' (2013) - aired posthumously 20 years after his death in 1993 *''Sabado Badoo'' (2015) - posthumous cameo stock footage

Awards

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Requiestas, Rene 1957 births 1993 deaths 20th-century comedians 20th-century deaths from tuberculosis 20th-century Filipino male actors Burials at the Manila Memorial Park – Sucat Filipino male comedians Male actors from Manila Metro Manila city and municipal councilors People from Tondo, Manila Tuberculosis deaths in the Philippines People from Taguig Filipino actor-politicians Male actors from Metro Manila Alcohol-related deaths in the Philippines