Actors - Fernando Poe, Jr.

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	Actors - Fernando Poe, Jr.

Ronald Allan Kelly-Poe a.k.a. Fernando Poe, Jr. (August 20, 1939 – December 14, 2004) was an iconic and hugely popular Filipino actor. Late in his life he ran an unsuccessful bid for president in the 2004 Philippine election, losing to incumbent Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. He was also known as "FPJ" and as "Da King".

Personal background

Ronald Allan Poe was born in Manila, Philippines, of Catalonian, Filipino and Irish-American extraction, the son of actor-producer Fernando Poe, Sr. and Elizabeth Kelley. Poe Jr.'s parents were not legally married yet when he was born in 1939, which Poe, Jr.'s Filipino citizenship would much later in life be called into question as he was the illegitimate son of a non-Filipino mother, according to his political opponents who sought to disqualify him from running in a political race. Although, his parents later married in 1940. He was the second of six siblings, born after Elizabeth and before Fernando (Andy), Genevieve (Jenny), Fredrick (Freddieboy), and Evangeline. His name at birth was Ronald Allan Kelley Poe; it was his brother Andy who was really named Fernando Poe, Jr.

Filipino actor Conrad Poe was his half-brother, the illegitimate son of the late Fernando Poe Sr. by actress Patricia Mijares.

The original family surname was spelled Pou from his grandfather, playwright Lorenzo Pou, a Catalan migrant from Majorca, Spain, who ventured into mining and business in the Philippines.

As his father was a famous actor, Poe had small parts in several movies of the 1940s. However, Fernando Poe, Sr. died in 1951 after rabid puppies licked his wounds. His mother, Bessie Kelley, was an American and sometimes called Elizabeth Kelley in some sources especially in Philippine press. His mother's parents, Arthur Kelley (WWI Army Corp of Engineer from Iowa, USA) was an Irish American who settled in the Philippines and Martha Gatbonton, a Filipina of mixed heritage.

Poe finished primary education in 1953 at San Beda College. For high school, he went to San Sebastian College, Mapua Institute of Technology, and University of the East. After the death of his father, he dropped out of the University of the East in his sophomore year in order to work to support his family.

He married actress Susan Roces in a civil ceremony in December 1968. They were later married in a church and among their primary sponsors were then President Ferdinand Marcos and First Lady Imelda Marcos. Mary Grace was their only child, an adopted one.

Although a well-known public figure, Poe had been very reclusive about his personal life. However, in February 2004, during the presidential campaign, Poe admitted to having sired a child out of wedlock. Ronian, or Ron Allan, was Poe's son by former actress Anna Marin.

Acting career

Poe dropped out of high school to work in the Filipino film industry as a messenger boy, and was given acting roles in subsequent years. Starting as a stuntman for Everlasting Pictures, he was given a break and landed his first starring role in the movie Anak ni Palaris (Son of Palaris) at the age of 14. The movie was not a big hit. In 1957, the movie Lo Waist Gang made him popular, and the film was such a big hit that low-waist pants became a fad.

Known also as FPJ from his initials, Poe acted in a number of movies which depicted him as the champion of the poor and downtrodden. He also directed nine movies, under the pseudonym Ronwaldo Reyes. Reyes originated from the surname of his paternal grandmother, Martha.

He established FPJ productions in 1961 and later organized other film companies such as D'Lanor, JAFERE, and Rosas Productions. In 1963, he and Joseph Estrada testified against criminal gangs who extorted money from the film industry. In 1965, he shared the lead in The Ravagers, a film depicting the United States and the Philippines working together against Japanese war time occupation. The film is considered one of the most influential Filipino films, and it helped establish Fernando Poe, Jr.'s status as a movie icon.

Poe became an award-winning actor and garnered the most best actor awards at the FAMAS. Among the movies that received awards were Mga Alabok ng Lupa (1967), Asedillo (1971), Durugin si Totoy Bato, Umpisahan Mo, Tatapusin Ko (1983), and Magnum 357 (1987).

Poe was dubbed as the "Da King" of Philippine movies because of his box office hits. He made over 200 films in his lifetime and ran a successful movie production firm. Among his famous movies include the Ang Panday
series, Kahit Konting Pagtingin, Dito sa Pitong Gatang and Aguila. His last movie was Pakners which also stars 9-ball billards champion Efren "Bata" Reyes.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Fernando Poe, Jr. ]

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