Being longtime screen partners and lifelong friends, Eddie Gutierrez and Susan Roces undeniably made a mark not only to their fans, but also to each other’s heart.
Recalling his last phone call with his former leading lady and good friend, Eddie went emotional while talking about how his conversation with Susan ended, “Noong birthday niya, tinawagan ko siya. Sabi ko: 80! ‘Oo nga, 80 na ako,’ sabi niya. Nag-usap kami almost an hour. Sabi niya, ‘Eddie, wala na ‘yong mga kasama natin. Si Bobby [Romeo Vasquez], si Amalia [Fuentes], si Jose Mari [Gonzales], si Liberty [Ilagan], si Lito Legaspi. Tayo na lang dalawa.’”
Eventually, Eddie and Susan’s catching up turned sad as they both say goodbye to one another.
“All of a sudden naging malungkot siya tapos nagpaalam na kami. Sabi niya sa akin, ‘Take care.’ Sabi ko, ‘Ikaw din, take care. Mahal na mahal kita, Susan.’ Sabi niya, ‘Ikaw din, mahal kita.’ So ‘yon, ‘yon ang ending namin,” the emotional actor shared.
Eddie and Susan were on-screen partners in the movies they did for Sampaguita Pictures back in the 1960s and for Regal Films in the 1980s. This was how they became friends for more than six decades.
“Naging kaibigan ko siya for 60 years, baka more, at lahat nakukuwento ko sa kanya [at lahat] kinukuwento niya sa’kin. Naging very, very close kami. Sabi ng ibang fans, ‘Eddie, hindi mo ba naging girlfriend si Susan?’ Sabi ko, hindi, never kong niligawan si Susan. We were just partners, ‘ka ko,” he continued.
Eddie’s last words to Susan was a bittersweet, “I miss you and you’ll always be a part of my life. See you in heaven.”
[RELATED: Daughter Grace Poe confirms the passing of Susan Roces, the ‘Queen of Philippine Movies’]
Susan was born Jesusa Purificacion Levy Sonora at the Harrison Hospital in Pasay City on July 28, 1941.
She was everyone’s Lola Flora for more than six years in the hit series, FPJ’s ng Probinsiyano; playing the role of grandmother to Coco Martin’s character, Ricardo Dalisay. Before that, she was the loving wife of the late Da King FPJ and doting mother and grandmother to Senator Grace Poe and her children respectively.
She was in the showbiz industry for nearly seven decades and was dearly revered by everyone.
The award-winning actress’ acting career started in 1952 with “Mga Bituin ng Kinabukasan” where she starred with Ike Lozada as an 11-year-old orphan girl. Having many hit movies after that earned her the title the “Queen of Philippine Movies”.
[Related: Masaya ka na sa piling ni Ronnie’: FPJ’s BFF Erap shares bittersweet message to his Kumareng Susan]