It’s been almost two years since her daughter Sophia Laforteza was launched as the leader of popular girl group Katseye in the US and Carla Guevara admits she could not be any prouder of her daughter making it big internationally. In an exclusive interview with PUSH ABS-CBN during the Bagets the Musical presscon earlier this month, the former MIss Saigon star shared what she misses most about her daughter.
“Well, before she became a superstar, we would go to the salon together. So we would shop together, ganun. Sing together. Ngayon wala kaming bonding time kasi she’s away, she’s abroad. We like singing ‘For Good’ together, that’s her favorite song to sing together from Wicked,” she said.
Before getting married to her husband Godfrey Laforteza III in the US in 2002, Carla was best known for playing the roles of Kim and Gigi in the West End production of Miss Saigon in London for three years in the mid-90s. This year, she gears up to star in the upcoming Bagets the musical which is the stage adaptation of the 1984 iconic coming-of-age film that starred Aga Muhlach and Herbert Bautista, among others. Throughout her theater career that has already spanned more than four decades, Carla shared her approach to every new role she is given.
“Pag hindi mommy role, it depends on the character that I play eh. Kasi I’ve played a child, I’ve played Olive Ostrovsky in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, I had to play a 12 year old. So with that, I had to find my inner child. I had to research on how a child would act. So same thing with the other roles that I do. I just have to research and see what are the similarities of that character that I have para maka-relate din ako so it’s easier for me to build the character. And to have my own take on the character,” she explained.
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Contrary to what some might assume, Carla shared why she will never be a stage mom. “Not at all. Because growing up, I didn’t really want my mom to either to be a stage mom. That’s what I told my daughter din naman. Sabi ko, ‘You know what, do what makes you happy. As long as you’re happy and you’re safe, and you’re doing what you love, mommy is always here if you need advice, if you need anything.’ She’s the one who comes to me. I don’t make her pakialam,“ she shared with PUSH ABS-CBN in this exclusive interview.
The actress also said that her newest role onstage as a mom is not far from her real life persona. “No distance whatsoever. Because the stress of a mom, Kasi I’m a working mom so sobrang nakaka-relate ako. My kids are no angels (laughs). They’re also very pilyo but they’re having the time of their lives so it worries me as a mom. So it’s the same thing here,” she added.
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Earlier this year, Carla joined the cast of Into The Woods, which Sophia was able to watch when she was in the country last September. “Yeah it’s weird but it’s really Sophia who would really watch me even when she was young. Kasi my two boys, they’re very like into airplanes and cars so very boys things. But they’re very sweet kasi when I ask them naman, ‘Boys, watch me naman’ and then nandun naman sila,” she shared.