Veteran actor John Regala dies
JOHN REGALA – The veteran “kontrabida” actor passed away at the age of 58 due to cardiac arrest caused by complications from liver and kidney problems.
Regala, whose real name is John Paul Guido Boucher Scherrer, gained fame for his portrayal of antagonist roles in Philippine movies and TV series, particularly during the 1990s. Alongside Robin Padilla and the late Ace Vergel, he was unofficially referred to as one of the “Bad Boys” of Philippine action films.
His acting career began in the mid-1980s as a member of the renowned showbiz group That’s Entertainment. He gained recognition as an action star with his debut film, Boy Kristiano, in 1989. Throughout his career, he took on notable roles such as a villain in Isa-Isahin ko Kayo (1990) alongside Ronnie Ricketts and the lead role as Marcial “Baby” Ama in Primitivo Ebok Ala: Kalaban Mortal ni Baby Ama (1992), a true-to-life action-drama film based on his late uncle.
After a period of hiatus, Regala made a comeback to acting and participated in various projects. He starred in the horror-comedy-thriller film Zombading: Patayin Sa Shokot Si Remington (2011) alongside Mart Escudero. One of his notable works includes the award-winning film Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story (2011), where he collaborated with his best friend, Gov. ER Ejercito, and won the Best Supporting Actor award.
Regala was the son of former character actor Mel Francisco and former actress Ruby Regala. He faced career setbacks due to drug abuse but later sought rehabilitation and became a Born Again Christian, eventually joining the Iglesia ni Cristo.
Regala battled health issues, specifically liver cirrhosis, and was hospitalized in August 2020. Unfortunately, he passed away on June 3, 2023, due to cardiac arrest caused by complications from liver and kidney problems.
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