Driving through LA, you may have noticed billboards advertising recruitment for the Los Angeles Police Department. If you’ve seen these, you’ve seen Pablo Vitar, police officer, studio founder, and, most recently, casualty of colon cancer.

Pablo was only 41 years old when he died of the disease on February 5, after having been diagnosed in August 2005.  But even in his young life, Pablo managed to accomplish much for Hollywood.

Getting Discovered

Pablo first became introduced to the entertainment industry on a visit home from UC Berkeley, where he attended college. After meeting an agent who agreed to represent him, Pablo began modeling and acting, eventually earning a role as the character “Older Benny” in 1993’s “The Sandlot.”  

While Pablo was busy working shooting commercials and taking small acting gigs, his family was busy creating for themselves an extensive real estate portfolio for their company, Westcoast Properties. Encouraged by his family, Pablo, too, started helping with the family business, sharing his time between scouting locations and taking acting jobs.

Doing Good in the ‘Wood

After ten years of working on screen, Pablo wanted to have a more profound impact on his community, and in 1996, Pablo joined the LAPD.

“His most memorable times were working with the Hollywood Vice Unit and the Hollywood PAL (Police Athletic League) division,” remembers Pablo’s widow, Gail Vitar, who now raises their three children in their home in the San Fernando Valley.

In 2005, Pablo was chosen to be the face of the LAPD recruitment campaign. He appeared in commercials, movie trailers and billboards throughout the city, some of which can still be spotted throughout the greater LA area. To the city, Pablo was a star again.

Shocking News Becomes the Beginning of a Dream

Pablo’s life changed when, in August 2005, almost immediately after he was chosen to be the LAPD poster boy, he was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer.

While the news shocked Pablo and his family, the disease couldn’t bring down Pablo’s ambitious spirit. Learning of his cancer only motivated Pablo to pursue a life-long dream of owning an entertainment production facility.

“He found this amazing property,” says Min Soo Elle Kim, creative director and studio producer at The BelleVarado Center. “It was an old vending machine repair warehouse, which had an adjacent barn-like warehouse. These became Studio 12 and Stage 22 respectively.”

This was Pablo’s return to entertainment, but this time, with a more behind-the-scenes role.  The Center, which is home to BelleVarado Studios, six hundred production office suites, and a new soundstage, Stage 22, is somewhat of an anomaly of the neighborhood, which has never been considered a studio or production hub within the LA area.

“The space was transformed into an urban loft studio with exposed brick walls, old wooden ceiling with trusses—it made for a successful, creative environment,” describes BelleVarado general manager, Andrea Schroer. Pablo had managed to turn the old warehouse into the BelleVarado Center, all while undergoing chemotherapy.

Construction commenced for Stage 22, BelleVarado’s boutique soundstage in the spring of 2006, and was completed and launched in October 2007. Studio 12 opened its doors in February 2007. 

Pablo’s vision for his facility was realized, and saw the fruits of his labor when he saw Alicia Keys perform live in the sound stage that he built.

Seeing His Vision Through  

Gail still works closely with Pablo’s original staff. Their aim now is to promote the center in order to continue realizing Pablo’s vision for the studios. More importantly to Gail, however, she believes that the Center “continues to keep the family connected.”

It’s been a few months since his passing, but Pablo’s legacy continues to inspire. The BelleVarado Center is still thriving, under the auspices of Gail, Pablo’s mother, Aurora Vitar, and the rest of their team.