William Martinez | |
|---|---|
| Born | William Pineda Martinez May 31, 1966 |
| Other names | Kulit, Pabling, Papa Yam |
| Occupation(s) | Television and film actor |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Spouse | |
| Relatives | Albert Martinez (brother) |
William Pineda Martinez (born May 31, 1966) is a Filipino actor who belongs to the first batch of Regal babies whose movie career was launched in the early 1980s. He initially starred in drama films, Manila by Night (1980), Bilibid Boys (1981), Tambay sa Disco (1980) until his studio paired him with Maricel Soriano in Oh My Mama (1981) and the result was a box-office success. Their tandem spawned many hits for Regal Films, mostly comedy movies that defined and cemented their Taray and Kulit loveteam. In 1984, William was given a title role in the 10th Metro Manila Film Festival with the thriller, Alapaap as a drug-crazed writer. He got best actor nominations from award-giving bodies the following year. He is also known for his role as Ton-Ton in Bagets & Bagets 2.
William Pineda Martinez was born in Manila on May 31, 1966, to Bert Martinez, a Filipino Mestizo, and Margarita Pineda.[1] He is of Spanish and Filipino descent. As a young boy, William was known to have memorized commercials on television and had dreams of being an actor someday. William started as a commercial model for "Close-Up" toothpaste in 1979 and was discovered by late Talent Manager Douglas Quijano, after which he became a permanent artist under Regal Films which skyrocketed his career as the "Pambansang Pabling" or the ultimate 80's matinee idol.
He was married to Bagets co-star Yayo Aguila from 1985 to 2010.[2] In November 2010, he had a stroke.[3] He is the son of Bert Martinez and Margarita Martinez, the brother of Albert Martinez, Ronnie Martinez, and Bernadette Martinez-Lim.
On June 28, 1987, Martinez was arrested in Antipolo for the illegal possession of cannabis and two traffic violations.[4]