Spanky Manikan was a Filipino theater, film and television actor. In 1981, Manikan won as the Metro Manila Film FestivalBest Supporting Actor and the Catholic Mass Media Awards Best Supporting Actor for Himala. He was also awarded the Best Supporting Actor for GMA's Bahaghari Awards for the tele-movie Parola in 1995. In 2014, Manikan was nominated by the PMPC Star Awards as Best Supporting Actor for Bamboo Flowers. On December 1, 2014, he was awarded the Best Actor by the Aliw Awards for his portrayal of Zacarias Monzon in Tanghalang Pilipino's Mga Ama Mga Anak.
Career
He began his theater career with the Philippine Educational Theater Association in the production Halimaw in 1972. Since then, he has acted with Dulaang UP, Manila Metropolitan Theater, Bulwagang Gantimpala and Tanghalang Pilipino of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. He also played roles in Kabesang Tales, Joe Hill, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Rehas Sa Tubig, Solo Entre Las Sombras, General Goyo, The Boor, Henry IV , Mando Plaridel, Canuplin, Marat Sade, Kang Tse, Bombita, Pilipinas Circa 1900, Bien Aligtad, Puntila and Matti, Pantaglieze, The Iceman Cometh, Maliw and Mga Ama Mga Anak. Manikan's filmography consists of local and international productions, with roles in Lino Brocka's Maynila sa Kuko Ng Liwanag and Bona, and Ishmael Bernal's Broken Marriage and Himala. He went on to work with American and European directors in Behind Enemy Lines, Saigon Commandos, HBO's A Dangerous Life, Le Zhan Chang An, In Naam der Koningin, Tatort-Manila, Au Bout De Rouleau, and Amigo.
Health and death
In August 2017, Manikan diagnosed with stage-4 lung cancer, Veteran actor Nanding Josef made the announcement on his Facebook account last August 4, and revealed that Spanky is "in need of financial assistance." Spanky, who played Mr. Jang in the GMA Network adaptation of the hit Korean drama My Love from The Star, abruptly left the show last July due to health problems and he is replaced by Crispin Pineda. On January 14, 2018, Manikan died due to lung cancer, at the age of 75.
Theater roles
Mga Ama Mga Anak, Zacarias Monzon, Tanghalang Pilipino, Cultural Center of the Philippines
Maliw, Tanghalang Pilipino, Cultural Center of the Philippines
Pantaglieze, Judge, Cultural Center of the Philippines
Taos, Cult Leader ; Puntila and Matti, Matti , Cultural Center of the Philippines ; The Police, Chief of Police, Cultural Center of the Philippines
Luwalhati sa Kaitaasan, Fanatic , Cultural Center of the Philippines
Bien Aligtad, Takyong Bagting, Cultural Center of the Philippines ; Three Penny Opera, MacKieth , Cultural Center of the Philippines
The Importance of Being Earnest, Ernest Worthing, Cultural Center of the Philippines ; Pilipinas Circa 1900, Andres , Philippine Educational Theater Association
The Weavers, Jaeger, Cultural Center of the Philippines ; Bombita, Nestor, Cultural Center of the Philippines ; Kang Tse, Kang Tse, Cultural Center of the Philippines
Marat Sade, Jean Paul Marat, UP Theater; Canuplin, Blas, Philippine Educational Theater Association ; Mando Plaridel, Mando Plaridel, Cultural Center of the Philippines ; Henry IV, Henry IV, UP Theater; The Boor, Smirnoff , Cultural Center of the Philippines ; Bent, UP
Salubong, Cultural Center of the Philippines ; General Goyo, General Goyo, Cultural Center of the Philippines ; Solo Entre Las Sombras, Metropolitan Theater; Rehas Sa Tubig, MET
Caucasian Chalk Circle,Narrator, Philippine Educational Theater Association ; Joe Hill,Joe Hill, Philippine Educational Theater Association ; Juan Tamban, Philippine Educational Theater Association
Kabesang Tales, Philippine Educational Theater Association ; Antigone, Creon, Philippine Educational Theater Association ; Alitan Sa Venetia, Bepe, Philippine Educational Theater Association
Halimaw, Activist, Philippine Educational Theater Association ; Godspell, Clown, Philippine Educational Theater Association
