A Dangerous Life
Encyclopedia
A Dangerous Life is a 1988 English-language Australia
n film about the final years of the Philippines
under Ferdinand Marcos
' rule, from the assassination of Benigno Aquino, Jr.
in 1983 to the People Power EDSA Revolution in 1986 that ousted Marcos. The film focuses on American TV journalist Tony O'Neil (Gary Busey
), who finds himself in the middle of key events that lead to the downfall of the Marcos regime. Originally airing on television as a mini-series that ran for a total of six hours, the film was edited to 162 minutes for the home video release.
The film was shot on location in Sri Lanka
, mostly due to hostilities the producers experienced in Manila
while filming The Year of Living Dangerously
in 1982.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n film about the final years of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
under Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...
' rule, from the assassination of Benigno Aquino, Jr.
Benigno Aquino, Jr.
Benigno Simeon "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr. was a Filipino Senator and a former Governor of Tarlac. Aquino, together with Gerry Roxas and Jovito Salonga, formed the leadership of the opposition to the Marcos regime in the years leading to the imposition of martial law in the Philippines...
in 1983 to the People Power EDSA Revolution in 1986 that ousted Marcos. The film focuses on American TV journalist Tony O'Neil (Gary Busey
Gary Busey
William Gary Busey , best known as Gary Busey, is an American film and stage actor and artist. He has appeared in a large variety of films, as well as making regular appearances on Gunsmoke, Walker, Texas Ranger, Law & Order, and Entourage...
), who finds himself in the middle of key events that lead to the downfall of the Marcos regime. Originally airing on television as a mini-series that ran for a total of six hours, the film was edited to 162 minutes for the home video release.
The film was shot on location in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, mostly due to hostilities the producers experienced in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
while filming The Year of Living Dangerously
The Year of Living Dangerously
The Year of Living Dangerously is a 1982 Peter Weir film adapted from the novel The Year of Living Dangerously by the author Christopher Koch. The story is about a love affair set in Indonesia during the overthrow of President Sukarno...
in 1982.
Fictional characters
- Gary BuseyGary BuseyWilliam Gary Busey , best known as Gary Busey, is an American film and stage actor and artist. He has appeared in a large variety of films, as well as making regular appearances on Gunsmoke, Walker, Texas Ranger, Law & Order, and Entourage...
as Tony O'Neil - Rebecca GillingRebecca GillingRebecca Gilling is an Australian actress. Her first acting role was in Stone but who came to prominence as the "bad girl" flight attendant Diana Moore in the feature film version of soap opera Number 96 , in which she had several nude scenes...
as Angie Fox - James Handy as Mike Heseltine
- Roy Alvarez as Col. "Tiger" Tecson - In real life, Alvarez resembles Col. Gringo Honasan, but producers felt he was better suited as Angie's love interest.
- Guy Stone as Peter
- Alexander Cortez as Raoul
- Jaime Fabregas as Ben Balamo
- Dina BonnevieDina BonnevieGeraldine Schaer Bonnevie known as Dina Bonnevie is an actress in the Philippines.-Early Life and background:...
as Celie Balamo - Though uncredited in the film, her performance was highly praised by Philippine media. - Spanky Manikan as Ramon, a Cameraman
- Grace Parr as a New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
secretary - Arthur Sherman as Alex
- Betty Mae Piccio as a computer operator
Real people
- Ruben Rustia as Ferdinand MarcosFerdinand MarcosFerdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...
- Laurice GuillenLaurice Guillen-Early life and acting career:Guillen studied at St. Theresa's College, Cebu City, before working on a Masters in Mass Communication at Ateneo de Manila University, followed by a television production course under Nestor Torre, in 1967. She then began work as an actress, starring in productions of...
as Corazon AquinoCorazon AquinoMaria Corazon Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino was the 11th President of the Philippines and the first woman to hold that office in Philippine history. She is best remembered for leading the 1986 People Power Revolution, which toppled Ferdinand Marcos and restored democracy in the Philippines...
- Her portrayal was heavily criticized by Philippine media because of the inaccurate design of her prosthetic nose make-up. - Tessie Tomas as Imelda MarcosImelda MarcosImelda R. Marcos is a Filipino politician and widow of 10th Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos. Upon the ascension of her husband to political power, she held various positions to the government until 1986...
- Cris Vertido as Salvador "Doy" LaurelSalvador LaurelSalvador Roman Hidalgo Laurel , also known as Doy Laurel, was Vice President of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992 under Corazon Aquino. Before that, he briefly served as Aquino's first Prime Minister from February 25 to March 25 of 1986...
- Robert Talabis as Joker ArroyoJoker ArroyoJoker Paz Arroyo is a Filipino lawyer, politician and Senator of the Republic of the Philippines. He has no direct relation with former Presidential spouse Jose Miguel Arroyo.-Early life and career:...
- Mervyn Samson as Gen. Fabian VerFabian VerFabian C. Ver was a General and Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines under President Ferdinand Marcos...
- Joonee Gamboa as Juan Ponce "Johnny" EnrileJuan Ponce EnrileJuan Ponce Enrile is a Filipino politician. As a protege of President Ferdinand Marcos, he served as Justice Secretary and then Defense Secretary under the Marcos regime. He later became one of the leaders of the 1986 People Power Movement that drove Marcos from power...
- Ray Ventura as Gen. Fidel "Eddie" RamosFidel V. RamosFidel "Eddie" Valdez Ramos , popularly known as FVR, was the 12th President of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. During his six years in office, Ramos was widely credited and admired by many for revitalizing and renewing international confidence in the Philippine economy.Prior to his election as...
- Johnny DelgadoJohnny DelgadoJohnny Delgado , born Juan Marasigan Feleo, was an award-winning Filipino television and movie actor and writer....
as Lt. Col. "Red" Kapunan - Rez Cortez as Col. Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan
- Rolando Tinio as Cardinal Jaime Sin
- Noel Trinidad as Jimmy Ongpin
- Tony Carreon as Ramon Mitra, Jr.Ramon Mitra, Jr.Ramon "Monching" Villarosa Mitra, Jr. , was a prominent Filipino statesman, diplomat, and a renown pro-democracy activist of the Philippines....
- Vic Diaz as Maj. Gen. Prospero Olivas
- Lea Cabusi as Kris AquinoKris AquinoKristina Bernadette Cojuangco Aquino , commonly known as Kris Aquino, is a Filipino television and movie personality who gained prominence from her talk shows, game shows, and numerous endorsements. Known as the Queen of All Media and Philippines' Queen of Talk, she is the youngest daughter of...
- Freddie Santos as Butz AquinoAgapito AquinoAgapito Aquino Aquino II , more popularly known as Butz Aquino, is a former Senator of the Philippines and congressman from Makati City. He was born to former senator Benigno Aquino, Sr., and Aurora Aquino-Aquino. He is the brother of former senators Benigno Aquino, Jr. and Tessie Aquino-Oreta. He...
- Michael Pate as Ambassador Stephen W. BosworthStephen W. BosworthStephen Warren Bosworth is Dean of The Fletcher School at Tufts University and serves as United States Special Representative for North Korea Policy. He has served three times as a U.S. Ambassador, to South Korea , to the Philippines , and to Tunisia...
- Pen Medina as Col. Eduardo Doromal
- Felindo Obach as Brig. Gen. Artemio Tadiar
- Junix Inocian as Evelio JavierEvelio JavierEvelio Bellaflor Javier was a Filipino lawyer, civil servant, politician, and an oppositionist during the authoritarian regime of President Ferdinand Marcos. Due to these activities, he was assassinated by the regime on February 11, 1986...
- Odette Khan as June Keithley
- Mona LisaMona Lisa (actress)Gloria L. Yatco, better known as Mona Lisa is a FAMAS award-winning Filipino film actress. One of the most popular Filipino actresses of the 1940s, she resumed her film career in the 1970s after a two-decade long absence and remained active in the industry well into her eighties.-Biography:She...
as Francisca Monzon - Joe Gruta as Col. Antonio Sotelo
Production credits
- Robert Markowitz - director
- Brian MayBrian MayBrian Harold May, CBE is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the guitarist and a songwriter of the rock band Queen...
- composerComposerA composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
(music score) - James Bartle - cinematographerCinematographerA cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...