Weng Weng

Weng Weng
Born
Ernesto de Guzman de la Cruz

(1957-09-07)September 7, 1957
Parañaque, Rizal, Philippines
DiedAugust 29, 1992(1992-08-29) (aged 34)
Pasay, Philippines
Occupation(s)Actor, martial artist
Years active1972–1984
Height83 cm (2 ft 9 in)

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 centimeters (2 ft 9 in) tall. Born in what is now Baclaran in Parañaque, dela Cruz studied karate. In the mid-1970s, dela Cruz played supporting roles in films, until his first starring role in Agent OO (1981). 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.

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).