Paul Christian Ocampo

Lito Pimentel opens about past struggles with drugs and journey to redemption in showbiz

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Alyana De Guzman

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<div>Content Warning: This article contains mentions of drug use.  </div>Actor Lito Pimentel has opened about his difficult past, sharing how drug use affected his life and career during his early years in the entertainment industry. In an exclusive interview with PEP, the actor looked back on the long and often painful road that led him to where he is today. Before finding his footing in showbiz, Lito revealed that he went through an unstable period in his youth. He first entered the entertainment scene as a personal assistant earning ₱20 a day to singer Sid Malhabour, a situation that stemmed from a challenging time in his life when he became a street dweller after leaving home due to struggles in college. A friend from a fraternity later helped him get back on track, but another conflict soon followed – one that eventually led him to meet talent manager Alfie Lorenzo, who later hired him to be a personal assistant to then-new talent Edgar Mande.  Under Alfie’s guidance, Lito began landing roles in film along with accompanying Edgar through his shoots. He made his first minor appearance in the 1982 movie Schoolgirls, after which he officially became part of Alfie’s roster. Apart from Edgar, he was later grouped with fellow young actors Patrick dela Rosa, Rey “PJ” Abellana, and Alvin Cannon under the name Liberty Boys. Opportunities continued to open for him, allowing him to work with acclaimed directors and hit movies.  <iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/CArw6tJg1qv/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=485&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A3426144.1%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="746" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div> </div>His career gained momentum through the years, and in 1988, Lito starred in Kapag Napagod ang Puso, a performance that earned him his first Best Supporting Actor award from Gawad Urian. Projects on television soon followed, signaling a promising future for him – until everything came to a halt. By 1996, Lito went on hiatus from showbiz, a decision he later admitted was rooted in his struggle with drugs. “Nagkaroon ako ng problema sa drugs noon. In 1995, pinapili ako ng brother ko na either mag-rehab ako dito or doon ako titira sa kapatid namin sa Australia. Parang magse-self rehab ako. Two years din ako nag-stay doon,” he recalled.  “Tapos gusto ko nang bumalik ng Pilipinas. Gusto kong bumalik sa pag-arte kasi. Nagkaroon ako ng isang trabaho sa Australia, pero natanggal kaagad ako. First day-last day. Gusto kong maging aktor ulit. Tsaka ready na ako. Magaling na ako.” Returning to the Philippines, however, proved far more difficult than he expected. Lito acknowledged that his past behavior left a negative impression on people in the industry, making it hard for him to find work. “Pagbalik ko noong 1997, wala akong trabaho. May masama akong naiwan na impression noon. Yung napa-pack up ang taping dahil hindi ako dumarating. Mga nakakaaway ko sa set.” INSERT: https://share.google/q0OcwbpEcjRF3yhB7  His struggles also affected his professional relationships, including his partnership with his manager at the time. “Nagkasamaan pa kami ng loob ni Alfie at ayaw na niya ako i-manage dahil sa sakit ng ulo na dinala ko sa kanya. Di ko na alam ang gagawin ko noon kasi maraming ayaw ako katrabaho.” Just as he was about to lose hope, Lito received an unexpected call that would change the course of his career. In 1999, he was cast in the ABS-CBN teleserye Marinella, marking his return to television. “Tinawagan ako ni Tita Angge (Cornelia Lee). Nakuha raw niya yung number ko, tapos binigyan ako ng role sa series na Marinella bilang tatay ni Shaina Magdayao.” &quot;Si Tita Angge ang nagbigay ng isa pang pagkakataon sa akin,” he said. “Na-survive ko naman lahat dahil nagtuluy-tuloy ang trabaho ko. Unti-unti na akong nakabangon ulit at napatunayan ko na nagbago na ako,” he assured. &quot;Ngayon, si Tita June Rufino na ang manager ko since 2017,” Lito shared.  Following Marinella, Lito steadily rebuilt his career and went on to appear in numerous projects. He became part of several hit ABS-CBN teleseryes, including FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano, Bagani, Los Bastardos, A Soldier’s Heart, and Mars Ravelo’s Darna, among many others.

Veteran actor Lito Pimentel shareS how drug use derailed his once-promising career in the 1990s and how second chances, perseverance, and support helped him rebuild his life and return to television and film.

Veteran actor Lito Pimentel shareS how drug use derailed his once-promising career in the 1990s and how second chances, perseverance, and support helped him rebuild his life and return to television and film.