Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.
The veteran actor leaves behind a legacy in Philippine cinema and theater
MANILA, Philippines – Filipino film and theater actor Cocoy Laurel passed away on Saturday, June 14, at the age of 72.
Born Victor Laurel, the actor appeared in many notable roles both on screen and on stage. He is not only remembered as a talented actor but also as a loving family man to the Laurel household.
One of the many Filipino talents recognized locally and abroad, Laurel leaves behind a legacy in Philippine cinema and theater.
Personal life
The son of former vice president Salvador Laurel and theater actress Celia Diaz-Laurel, Cocoy wasn’t always known as a confident and talented performer. He revealed in a 2002 interview that growing up, he was a subject of teasing and bullying from his upper batchmates as he was finishing his primary and secondary studies in La Salle Greenhills.
Despite his shy and timid demeanor, he had an affinity for the performing arts at a young age, joining the Philippines’ Romeo and Juliet search. He would go on to appear in multiple theater productions before continuing his studies in Madrid.
There, he enrolled at the Academia de Real de Bellas Artes to pursue his career as a portrait painter, according to a GMA News report. After he returned to the Philippines, he was cast as the leading man for the film Lollipops and Roses (1971) alongside Filipina actress and National Artist, the late Nora Aunor.
Dedicated to his craft as a musical artist, painter, and performer, Laurel wanted to further hone his passion for the arts when he chose to attend the Academy of Dramatic Arts and the Juilliard School of Music, according to a Philippine Star report.
Life in film
In a career that spanned decades, most notable of Laurel’s filmography were movies Lollipops and Roses and Impossible Dream (1973), starring alongside his friend Aunor.
Since then, Laurel became a certified heartthrob in Philippine cinema, starring opposite many other well-beloved actors and actresses such as Hilda Koronel in Till Death Do Us Part (1972) and Vilma Santos in Ophelia and Paris (1973).
The actor also took on supporting roles in films such as Pinay, American Style (1979) and Waikiki (1980).
The Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Science or FAMAS paid tribute to Laurel, hailing him as a “true gentleman of Philippine culture” in a Facebook post that honored his contributions to cinema.
Love for theater
But Laurel’s career began in live theater. According to a Philippine Star article, he performed the theme song of Franco Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet on Elvira Manahan’s show, Two for the Road, later starring in multiple Repertory Philippines productions, with Plaza Suite being his debut with the company.
He would go on to play countless iconic characters. According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, he portrayed Burmese scholar Lun Tha in The King and I (1956); The Engineer, a French-Vietnamese immigrant who runs the Dream nightclub in Miss Saigon; and prisoner Jean Valjean in the musical Les Misérables (1980).
His performances were a source of warmth and comfort to those close to him. His nephew, Franco Laurel, reminisced about Cocoy’s impact: “Your presence lit up every room, and your smile had the power to lift even the heaviest hearts…. Your love and light will always live in my heart…. I love you forever, Tito Cocoy.” – Mika Layda and Mikay Tormon/Rappler.com
Mika Layda and Mikay Tormon are Rappler interns studying at Ateneo de Manila University. Layda is taking up Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in English Literature, while Tormon is taking up Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a Minor in Sociology.
