Ernesto dela Cruz, better known as Weng Weng, was an actor, stunt performer, martial artist, and Philippines' first international celebrity, who happens to be a short person at 83 cm (2 feet, 9 inches) tall. Born in Baclaran, Parañaque with a primordial dwarfism condition, dela Cruz started exercising and studied karate. In the mid 1970s, dela Cruz was noticed by film producers Peter and Cora Caballes of Liliw Productions, and got the pseudonym Weng Weng. Following this, dela Cruz played supporting roles in films, and shared his first top billing with Ramon Zamora in Chopsuey Meets Big Time Papa (1978). Dela Cruz's first lead in the action film spoof Agent OO (1981) was followed by two sequels. It became dela Cruz's most well known role, where he demonstrated skills in stunts and martial arts. Agent OO's sequel For Your Height Only (1981) turned dela Cruz in an international star and gave him the notoriety to become a unique figure in cinema. After its local release, first lady Imelda Marcos organised a lavish film festival in the hope to present Filipino films to foreign distributor. At the event, For Your Height Only outsold every other film on foreign sales, while dela Cruz was the mediatic center of attention and the breakthrough celebrity. In the Philippines it is still their highest exported film, and within their acting community dela Cruz's international reach hasn't been topped. Following his success, dela Cruz appeared in three more films D'Wild Wild Weng (1982), The Impossible Kid (1982), his final performance as Agent OO, and The Cute... The Sexy n' The Tiny alongside Berting Labra and Pia Moran. Eventually, 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. With the passing of time, dela Cruz became a cult film icon. Online, some of his movies went viral. By the 2000s, a lot of information published about him was unclear or hyperbolic mythos, some with accounts that support them. Research about his life led to the making of two successful documentaries Machete Maidens Unleashed! (2010), and The Search for Weng Weng (2013).
