Weng Weng

Ernesto de Guzman de la Cruz (September 7, 1957 – August 29, 1992), known by the stage name Weng Weng, was a Filipino actor, stunt performer, and martial artist.

He was a short person at 83 cm tall.

Born in what is now Baclaran in Parañaque, dela Cruz studied karate.

Dela Cruz was born to Felicito Jose dela Cruz, an electrician (1914–1968), and Rita De Guzman dela Cruz, a laundry woman (1919–1989), the youngest of five brothers, on September 7, 1957.

As described by dela Cruz's brother Celing, his early life went as follows.

When his mother was pregnant, she didn't know until the doctor informed her, and when she gave birth, his size was "no bigger than a small Coke bottle".

His premature state forced dela Cruz's parents to place him in a shoe box under a light as a rudimentary incubator, feeding him with a dropper.

With a medical condition known as primordial dwarfism, it caused him to reach the height of only 2 feet 9 inches (0.83 meters) tall.

Being devout Catholics, dela Cruz's mother showed their devotion to their faith by dressing and parading a young dela Cruz as Santo Niño each year for the annual Baclaran parade.

Dela Cruz became popular in the neighborhood and his mother felt he should become an actor.

In 1968, dela Cruz's father died after falling down a ladder at work.

According to Celing, as a child dela Cruz was fascinated with action films and started to study them.

Neighbours of dela Cruz began to notice him climbing on clothing lines doing acrobatics and pull-ups.

Dela Cruz joined karate classes, where he learned quickly, and impressed his instructor, so much so that the instructor would perform demonstrations with dela Cruz to promote the school.

During one of these demonstrations, dela Cruz was noticed by producer and actor Peter Caballes of Liliw Productions.

Dela Cruz's mother, who had a hard time raising five boys, allowed him and his wife Cora to take dela Cruz under their helm for an acting career.

Dela Cruz began to work almost exclusively with Liliw Productions.

In the mid-1970s, dela Cruz played supporting roles in films, until his first starring role in Agent OO (1981).

He began with an uncredited role in Silakbo, released October 17, 1975.

In 1976, dela Cruz received his first billing as Weng Weng, which would be his pseudonym for the rest of his career, when he co-starred in Silang Matatapang and ''Sila...Sa Bawat Bangketa.

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In 1978, dela Cruz shared the top billing with actor Ramon Zamora in Chopsuey Meets Big Time Papa.

Comic actor Rodolfo Vera Quizon Sr., better known as Dolphy, was friends with Peter Caballes, who introduced him to dela Cruz.

Quizon felt he could use dela Cruz in a comedy film and hired him to act for his company RVQ Productions.

Their first collaboration was The Quick Brown Fox. Dela Cruz played Quizon's sidekick.

The movie was released on November 6, 1980.

At the Manila International Film Festival, dela Cruz's starring role in the Agent OO's sequel For Your Height Only (1981) outsold every other local production on foreign sales.

On February 13, 1981, Stariray premiered.

Dela Cruz plays a supporting role, in a comedy starring Quizon.

On May 29, Agent 00 was released.

In it dela Cruz plays the lead as Agent OO.

On June 12, Da Best In Da West was released.

Starring Quizon, with dela Cruz in a minor role.

On July 2, the musical film Legs... Katawan... Babae! premiered.

Following this, dela Cruz appeared in the D'Wild Wild Weng (1982), The Impossible Kid (1982), as Agent OO, and The Cute... The Sexy n' The Tiny alongside Berting Labra and Pia Moran.

Eventually, his managers Peter and Cora Caballes changed professional paths and dela Cruz never worked again in the media industry.

Dela Cruz spent the rest of his life with his family in Baclaran and died at the age of 34 in 1992.

Dela Cruz has since became a cult film icon after some of his movies went viral.

By the 2000s, a lot of information published about him was vague.

Research about his life led to the making of two successful documentaries: Machete Maidens Unleashed! (2010), and The Search for Weng Weng (2013).