For someone without the backing of a major record label or management team, Jace Roque is quite the accomplished artist.
Jace already has a long list of credits as an actor, commercial model, and musician.
Showbiz is in Jace’s blood, because he’s related to quite a few celebrities. But the relative that had the most impact on his own showbiz career was veteran character actor and stuntman Boy Roque, who is an uncle of Jace’s.
Unfortunately, Boy passed away on April 10, 2019 due to heart failure.
Boy did over 100 films before his passing, including Nadine Lustre’s Ulan. He also did plenty of TV work. He worked on ABS-CBN’s Ang Probinsyano and The General’s Daughter as a fight and stunt director, and appeared on camera for GMA Network’s My Love From the Star, That’s My Amboy, and Victor Magtanggol. Although Boy played kontrabida roles, Jace remembers him as a kind and loving man, contrary to his onscreen image.
Jace admits that his family is still coming to terms with his uncle’s passing.
“The past year still feels like a dream. None of us were prepared for it. It was really sudden. One day he was alive and kicking and the next day he was gone.”
Jace says Boy was more than a godfather or an uncle to him. In fact, he describes Boy as a second father. Growing up, Jace would often turn to Boy for comfort or help whenever he had problems. In terms of showbiz, he was Jace’s number-one fan—and then some.
“He was my mentor. He served as my backer, booking agent and unofficial manager, among other things. By showing me the ropes, he basically made me the artist I am today. He taught me that in this industry, it’s important to work very hard. Although he was always supportive of me, he made it clear that I shouldn’t just rely on him or any of my relatives to pave the way for me.”
Shortly after Boy’s passing, Jace made a video as a tribute to him. It’s on YouTube, and has since earned over 200,000 views.
“It was unexpected,” Jace says of the recent surge in interest in Boy’s life and times. “I uploaded the video to YouTube on September 17, 2019 as a birthday gift to him. Back then, it earned 20,000 views, but a month ago the views skyrocketed to 286,000. Comments from his supporters poured in. I don’t know how or why it gained traction, but I’m happy that it did. His fans deserve to know that he was already reunited with our Creator.
Jace tries his best to honor Boy’s memory in his own small way.
“He was and still is on the board of the Actors Guild of the Philippines, and I joined the guild over a year ago hoping to continue his work for the betterment of our industry. I also talk about him as much as I can because I don’t want people to forget him and his contributions.”
Jace is an independent artist whose songs have earned 2 million total streams across all platforms. That number says a lot about his drive, as well as his talent (he arranges, produces, and writes his own material). He recently released a new single titled “Forever.”
Jace says the thought that Boy is looking down on him gives him strength.
“I want to believe that he’s proud of what I have achieved. Before he passed away, we had so many plans. He was going to help me book roles in movies, TV shows, and even sign a record deal with a major label. All that disappeared when he passed. It felt like the end of my showbiz journey, but through his guidance and God’s grace, I was able to get back up and keep going. I’m thankful that even in death he still looks after me.”
“Forever” download and streaming links:
Apple Music/iTunes: https://smarturl.it/JRFOREVERiTunes
Spotify: https://smarturl.it/JRFOREVERSpotify
All stores: https://smarturl.it/JaceRoqueFOREVER
