(Jiro Manio in his early days in film)
Undoubtedly one of
the country’s most talented child actors in the past decades, Jiro Manio had
awards and prestige to his name. Sporting the innocent smile and cherubim
features that won the nation over, he garnered much acclaim through his
short-lived career. A series of unfortunate events led the sought-after child
star off the spotlight; a tragic turn aided by drugs and misguided choices.
Born Jiro Katakura in 1992, the Fil-Jap actor was born and raised in the
Philippines and was introduced into show business at the early age of seven in
his debut film Pamana.
When he was nine he starred in the Diaz-Abaya movie Bagong Buwan, but it was not until his work in Magnifico that he was critically acclaimed and
won Best Actor in the Gawad Urian Awards.
Manio became the up and coming star in the business with a succession of
successful work in television and film, both in the mainstream and independent
scene; although by 2007, when he was just fifteen years old that his personal troubles
surfaced in the news.
Manio was reported to be using marijuana although he immediately denied it. It was
quickly followed by a tragedy when his mother passed away. In the same year, he was still
continuing his work in film when rumors surfaced of him having impregnated his
non-showbiz girlfriend, a woman six years his senior. Like the drug
accusations, Manio was quick to deny this.
In 2009, the eventual downfall of his career officially began when Star Magic,
his talent agency for over ten years, suddenly dropped him off their roster,
consecutive with the dismissal of his roles in every ongoing ABS-CBN project at the time. Manio attempted to patch his sinking career by signing up with GMA on
a few teleseryes. By the end of the year he admitted to being the father of his
non-showbiz girlfriend’s two year old daughter, which was then followed by
another baby girl the next year.
(the life of Jiro Manio presented by ABS-CBN's Maalaala Mo Kaya)
Manio then voluntarily entered rehab for the sake of his children and finished
his senior year in high school. Things seemed to be recovering for the former
child star by this point and his former colleagues showered him with support. He
began to appear in small-time roles on television once more.
His eventual disappearance from the tabloids and the screen had the public
thinking he had settled into the domestic life until, earlier this year he took
the country by surprise.
(A homeless Jiro Manio spotted in NAIA)
Manio was spotted in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport scavenging for food
and living off the goodwill of the airport staff. Apparently, his running away was due to family
troubles about four days prior to his
pictures appearing in social media. Images of the former child star spread like wildfire over the Philippine users of Facebook and Twitter.
Relatives heard of the uproar in the news over Manio and he was immediately brought home by his half-brother.
Celebrity mentors like Ai-Ai de las Alas were concerned over his well-being and
helped with his treatment and recovery.
(Manio fetched from NAIA)
Friends from the media offered him aid in getting back into the show business
but Jiro Manio refused, wanting to finally end his acting career once and for
all. Jiro Manio, the youngest multi-award winning actor of his generation has taken is final bow to the crowd and now resigned himself from the public eye.
References:
- "Who
is Jiro Manio?". INQUIRER.net (INQUIRER.net). 30 June
2015
- Noel Orsal. "ABS-CBN
issues official statement on why young actor Jiro Manio has been
axed". PEP.ph.
- http://philnews.ph/2011/05/24/jiro-manio-confined-in-rehab-for-drug-abuse/
- Shayla, Sirri. "After
journey of renewal, ‘Magnifico’ actor Jiro Manio deserves another
chance". Interaksyon.com
- Andrade, Jeannette (30 June 2015). "Multi-awarded
actor Jiro Manio now roaming NAIA for food, clothes". INQUIRER.net
- ^ Andrade, Jeannette (2 July 2015). "'Terminal
Man' Jiro Manio departs with Ai-Ai's support". INQUIRER.net
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