Today marks the 15th death anniversary of ’90s matinee idol and youth ambassador Rico Yan. Known as Claudine Barretto’s on-and-offscreen partner in the last years of his life, Rico passed away at the peak of his career. It was a Good Friday in 2002 when news broke that he died in his sleep while vacationing at Dos Palmas, Palawan. He would have been 42 years old today.
To this day, the bedimpled boy-next-door with squeaky clean image still remains to be the benchmark for matinee idols. Young stars come and go but the memories of the Rico Yan people loved remain.
Featured image courtesy of Rico Yan Youth Foundation.
Here’s a lookback at his most memorable projects: