Teodoro Galan Baldomarro, the actor, stuntman and filmmaker better known by his screen name Baldo Marro, passed away early Sunday morning. He was 69.
Jo Macasa, assistant director of the GMA teleserye “Ika-6 na Utos,” told InterAksyon that according to Marro’s son Monching, Marro had been initially treated for dengue fever and then was sent home. He was later rushed back to the hospital and confined to the intensive care unit due to bleeding ulcers.
Doctors were unable to revive him after he lost consciousness.
In a 2012 feature on the actor by News5’s Roda Magnaye, Marro revealed that he was a cab driver who decided to follow the footsteps of his idol, Jess Lapid, Jr., and pursued a career as a stuntman. He later became the stunt and fight director for countless films as far back as 1976.
At right about the same time, he was also often cast as one of the bad guys for films headlined mostly by Rudy Fernandez starting with “Bitayin si…Baby Ama” where he first became a stunt and fight instructor.
Marro’s big break as an actor came in 1988 when he was given his first starring role in Cesar S.B. Abella’s action-drama, “Patrolman,” an entry in that year’s Metro Manila Film Festival. Marro won the Festival Best Actor award. The following year, he received a Gawad Urian nomination for Best Supporting Actor for the film “Boy Negro” starring Phillip Salvador.
At the time of the News5 feature on him in 2012, Marro considered himself “retired” as an actor and had been happily teaching stunts for free in his home in Las Piñas. But he returned to the big screen the following year in Erik Matti’s acclaimed feature “On The Job” where he played the role of a jail warden who turns a blind eye when inmates who double as killers for hire are temporarily set free.
He was later cast in several films in 2014 including high-profile blockbusters like “Da Possessed” and “Feng Shui 2” where he was also stunt director. Both films were directed by Joyce Bernal.
Marro also dabbled in directing and was behind the camera in several action films starring the likes of Lito Lapid, Jestoni Alarcon, Raymart Santiago, Zoren Legaspi, Ace Espinosa and himself.
His work as stunt and fight director remained his bread and butter, though and he was personally in charge of the stunts and fight scenes for films like “Pagpag: Siyam na Buhay,” “Boy Golden,” “Third Eye” and “Halik sa Hangin” as well as TV series like “Magpakailanman” and “Ika-6 na Utos.”
Macasa posted on her Facebook page that all of the fight scenes in “Ika-6 na Utos” choreographed and directed by Marro became viral. “Our fight scenes will never be the same again. Pahinga ka na, Tatay Baldo Marro. It was an honor working with you,” Macasa wrote.
On her Instagram page, “Ika-6 na Utos” lead star Sunshine Dizon paid tribute to her Tatay Baldo.
“Baldo Marro or Tatay Baldo as I fondly call him is our Stunt Director. Sya po ang gumawa ng lahat ng madugo at nag trending na stunt scenes sa #ika6nautos. Alam din ni tatay lahat ng deprensya ko sa balikat, at likod pero parati nyang nagagawaan ng paraan. He also pushed me to do things na di ko pa nagawa dati. Pinayagan din nya ko mag stunt driving. Nalulungkot sya pag mahaba ang stunt scene tapos minsan napuputol sa editing. Perfectionist din sya at kadalasan ay strict dahil sa sobrang ingat na walang masasaktan sa set,” the actress posted.
Sunshine even recalled her experience as Marro’s young co-star in “Patrolman” especially his generous gesture during the MMFF awards night.
“Pero ang di ko malilimutan ay nung naging anak nya ako sa pelikulang “PATROLMAN” i was nominated for best child performer lahat sila sinabi mananalo daw ako i was only 4 or 5 years old and I expected somehow that i will win pero ibang bata ang nanalo. Sa sobrang iyak ko nun parang batang naagawan ng candy.”
“Nung tinawag na si Tatay at nanalo ng Best Actor sinama nya ako on stage at ako ang pinahawak ng trophy nya at sabi sakin anak wag ka na umiyak panalo na din daw ako. I remember he was giving his speech ako may hawak ng award ni Tatay at feeling ko nanalo nga din ako. At yun ang di ko malilimutan kay Tatay sa lahat ng pag kakataon na nag kasama at nag katrabaho kami.”