Rank 3 rigid representations of projective fundamental groups

Let X be a smooth complex projective variety with basepoint x. We prove that every rigid integral irreducible representation $\pi_1(X,x)\to SL (3,{\mathbb C})$ is of geometric origin, i.e., it comes from some family of smooth projective varieties. This partially generalizes an earlier result by K. Corlette and the second author in the rank 2 case and answers one of their questions.
Comment: v3, 49 pages; final version, to appear in Compositio Math