'We were the bulol Tagalog boys': Dale Villar remembers '90s contemporary Patrick Guzman
MANILA, Philippines — Former matinee idol Dale Villar is among those who were saddened by the passing of his contemporary, '90s actor Patrick Guzman, last Saturday.
"Patrick was my counterpart. He was my opposite. He and I started about the same time, ended our careers at the same time," the now US-based former actor said to Pep.ph's Cabinet Files.
Dale was eight years younger than Patrick, who passed away last Saturday, June 17, in Canada where the latter was based.
Dale won "Face of the Year in 1993," which he said in his Instagram account was one of the "pivotal points" in his showbiz career. Both were active in the 1990s as hosts and actors.
"I was telling my wife, he was my twin in showbiz. I was from the U.S. He was from Canada. We were the two 'bulol' Tagalog boys. I felt that we always had a connection and while we didn’t look alike exactly, everyone always thought I was him and him as I," Dale said.
They starred in several movies, including the 1994 romantic-comedy flick, "Ikaw Ang Miss Universe ng Buhay Ko," which also stars Andrew E, Nino Muhlach and Charlene Gonzalez.
Dale left showbiz in 1997 and settled in Portland, Oregon. He currently works as the executive sales/Internet director for Mercedes-Benz in Portland.
Patrick was based in Toronto, Canada. In 2019, the late actor starred in "BroMance," a movie directed and written by formerly active actress and acting coach Beverly Vergel, who is also now based in Canada.
Dale remembered how they were pitted against each other because they were co-hosts of two shows on rival networks, GMA-7 and ABS-CBN. He was seen on "Vilma," while Patrick was co-hosting in "Sharon."
It did not deter them from being friends off-camera even though the "competition" was tough.
"However, we were friends and we had some amazing time. I remember, I would even try to talk just plain English, and he would continue to speak Tagalog. He was always making sure that he was focusing on his skills as an actor," Dale said.
He extended his condolences to Patrick's wife and son.
According to the Facebook post of seasoned showbiz columnist Aster Amoyo, Patrick died due to a heart attack last June 16 (Manila time) in Toronto, Canada. He was 55.
Vergel shared on her Instagram the interment details for Patrick.
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