Character actor Renato ‘Guido’ del Prado passes away at 73

Renato del Prado in 2011. (Photo courtesy of Pilar Mateo)

Character actor Renato del Prado, best known to television audiences as “Guido” in the original, long-running version of the soap opera “Anna Liza”, passed away Saturday morning (Manila time) in his home in San Diego, California. He was 73.

This was revealed by his daughter, entertainment journalist and InterAksyon contributor Pilar Mateo in her latest posts on her Facebook page.

“I know Daddy’s in a better place…at sa pagtugon mo sa ‘ming mga panalangin…na huwag na siya mahirapan…eternal rest grant unto my Daddy…good night Daddy…I love you! Thank you sa last conversation natin…and your mga bilin to me,” posted Mateo who is currently in Puerto Princesa in Palawan.

Credited in over 200 films, Del Prado was one of the resident kontrabida actors of Sampaguita Pictures during the 1960s along with Rodolfo “Boy” Garcia, Romeo Rivera, Jose Morelos and Charlie Davao.

He continued playing villainous roles throughout the rest of his career in films topbilled by action and comedy stars like Vic Vargas, Bernard Bonnin, Dante Varona, Dolphy, Chiquito, Rudy Fernandez, Phillip Salvador, Bong Revilla and Fernando Poe, Jr. who cast him in several films late in his career.

A turning point for his career came in 1980 when he was cast in the GMA Network soap opera, “Anna Liza”. In the series that catapulted the late Julie Vega to stardom, Del Prado’s portrayal of Guido, Anna Liza’s cruel stepfather in the series, turned him into a household name.

Renato Del Prado and wife Belen during his last birthday celebration in San Diego in June. (Photo courtesy of Pilar Mateo)

Del Prado and Daria Ramirez, who played his common-law wife Stella in the series, took turns making life miserable for the often hapless Anna Liza. The actor’s performance was so indelible in the primetime soap, which stayed on the air for six years even after Vega’s death in 1985, that he was credited in some of his later movies as Renato “Guido” Del Prado.

In the ongoing ABS-CBN remake of “Anna Liza”, Guido is now played by Zanjoe Marudo who, in comparison to Del Prado’s portrayal, plays the character as a kinder, more conscientious stepfather to the lead character now played by Andrea Brillantes.

Mateo is the eldest among Del Prado’s six children from his wife although he also had children from former actresses Verna Gaston (deceased) and Amy Robles. He had a daughter with Gaston and two sons from Robles, including young character actor Janus Del Prado.

Character actor Renato ‘Guido’ del Prado passes away at 73

Source: InterAksyon.com (November 02, 2013 at 01:49PM)

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