Throwback: Daniel Padilla

A photo of “She’s Dating The Gangster” actor, Daniel Padilla, holding a bottle of beer and a cigarette recently became viral on social media, with many people debating whether it really was the young star’s photo or just a look-alike.

The resemblance is so canny that most of those who commented on the original post on Fashion Pulisbelieved that it was the young actor.  If it were a photo of a look-alike, the photo might have been recent.  After all, it shows someone so obviously looking younger than how he looks today.

Although some might believe that the photo is a hoax or was just photoshopped, a lot of the readers think that it really is him.  The photo came just a few months after a series of photos of what appeared to be the same guy, was posted on the site as well.

Another series of photos as ‘proof’

In May, a guy wearing an Adidas shirt and beige checkered shorts was shown playfully posing for the camera.  It was obviously Daniel Padilla, and was labeled as such. The photographs were credited to an unnamed Fashion Pulis reader.

The newly-released photo where the guy was holding a cigarette and beer was not labeled as him though. In fact, the site could be playing safe in simply labeling the post as “Look Alike or Seems Like: Daniel Padilla Drinking and Smoking”.

The “Blast from the Past” photo in May, however, seems to be proof enough that the viral new photo was part of that same Daniel Padilla photo series.

Role model to the youth

Considering that Padilla is already 19 years old, a number of fans defended the photo, saying that even if it was him, he was not doing anything illegal, per se.  That could be the case, but as a popular teen star, Daniel is also a role model for the youth.

As an influential celebrity, he is supposed to embody the values and image of the person that today’s youth should be.  A tall order for such a young man, but many would also defend him, saying that a lot of men (and women) smoke and drink these days.

On Sunday, July 6, Padilla categorically denied it was him in the photo.  Interviewed on The Buzz, ABS-CBN’s showbiz-oriented talk show, he told the public that they should simply ignore the issue.

So, is it really him or not? You be the judge.