Franco Laurel shares the newest ‘joy’ that fills his family home


At a glance

  • With the internet getting faster and better for Filipinos, Franco’s aspirations to make theater contents more accessible online may be a step closer than he thinks.


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Theater icons Franco and Ayen Laurel with daughters (L-R) Angia, Lucia, Sofia and Mariella

Actor Franco Laurel’s home visibly reflects their family’s passion for the arts. Flourishing with artworks of renowned artists such as Malang and Betsy Westerndorp, music sheets and instruments, their home echoes their love for their craft.

A theater, film and TV actor, Franco has played lead roles in musicals such as Joseph The Dreamer, Sweeney Todd, and Rama at Sita; and appeared in television dramas FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano, The Broken Marriage Vow and 2 Good 2 Be True. He is currently taping the Filipino adaptation of the Korean series What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim, which will premiere on Viu on March 18. Franco plays the father of Paulo Avelino (opposite Kim Chiu).

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A multi-talented and award-winning actor, Franco Laurel loves taking on different characters both on-screen and on-stage. 

“As an actor I enjoy playing different characters and tackling meaty roles. I’m so blessed that I still get to do what I love doing.”

He also just finished the concert Mr. Streisand with The Dawn’s Jett Pangan, acting royalty, Michael De Mesa and theater veterans Michael WIlliams and Audie Gemora among the stellar cast.

Franco comes from the prominent Laurel clan of politicians and actors. The former Vice President Salvador Laurel is his grand-uncle, and his wife, actor and painter Celia Diaz Laurel, is his grand-aunt; and their son Cocoy Laurel is his uncle.  His grandfather was former Ambassador to Japan, Jose S. Laurel III.  

Prior to starting a TV career as a host on the dance show Eezy Dancing in 1996, Franco lived in Japan for five and a half years where he learned the language as a History student at KEIO University. He was also part of the Philippine National Swimming Team in the ‘80s.  

“I found my true calling in theater when I played the role of Bharata, in the production Rama at Sita in 1999,” Franco says. Soon after the recognition for his acting came: two Best Actor in a Musical Awards for his work in the musicals Honk, The Ugly Duckling and Isang Panaginip na Fili.

Musical director, arranger and composer Rony Fortich says of Franco, “For as long as I’ve known him, he’s had this driving passion to live life’s most wonderful moments to the fullest and to share this excitement so that other’s may feel the same way. He is as generous a friend as he is an artist, whom I can always count on to be there when I need him.”

Just as Franco loves performing, he also loves just being a viewer and enjoys doing this with his wife Ayen. “We love watching series or movies – whatever that catches our interest. Lately I’ve been watching Can’t Buy Me Love on Netflix and our show What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim on Viu. During my downtime, I just watch random things online.” 

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A multi-talented and award-winning actor, Franco Laurel loves taking on different characters both on-screen and on-stage. 

The kids, however, get to watch their shows on YouTube Kids only after their homework. On weekends, they spend their time at home doing arts and crafts, and journaling too.  

“We still monitor their streaming content. That’s one thing that Ayen and I are adamant about. Nowadays anything and everything is online, so we do manage the kids’ online activities. We want to make sure that we incorporate discipline into their viewing habits and strike a balance between watching and doing creative things.”  

Connecting meaningfully 

When his wife Ayen and their three younger daughters — Angia, Sofia and Lucia (Mariella, 33, now lives on her own) — are home and doing their own things, the family communicates through messaging apps. “We use Viber, Whatsapp or Messenger.”

Communication is one of the most important uses of the Laurel home network’s new PLDT Home Gigabit Fiber Plan. Just as Franco was one of the first in their village to have a fiber plan when PLDT first began installing their fiber optic network starting in November 2011, he is also one of the first to shift to the faster gigabit fiber.

“It’s funny because back then, around 2012, my cousin who lived nearby told me about the new fiber service of PLDT Home. I remember that day very clearly because I happened to see them installing the fiber cables in our village. Our house was the first in the area to get PLDT Home Fiber,” Franco says.

Prior to gigabit fiber, Franco already had the fastest home network at 800Mbps; now he has 1 Gbps internet or 1,000 megabits per second speed. For Franco, this speed is nothing short of amazing.

Crisp video and audio

“We’re filled with joy!” Franco says happily of his gigabit fiber internet. “Let’s face it, nowadays we cannot survive without the internet. “It’s just so fast! PLDT Home has never failed me and my family. We’re here to stay for the long haul. Kung may forever, ito na yon.”

As an actor and singer, Franco says he uploads and downloads high-resolution videos and photos, and music recordings. He is often on video conferences — his children are, too, because they’re is still on a hybrid setup in school. In fact, for this interview via Zoom, Franco’s video video was in high definition that we could see the textures on the paintings hanging on the walls and even the veins on the snake plant beside his desk.  

“Having gigabit fiber has made our lives so much easier and convenient. In a snap, a heavy file that I’m working on already finished downloading.”

Since he sends audition videos to the networks and casting directors here and abroad, an ultrafast internet is a must for Franco. “Audition videos have to be in high-resolution. Hazy videos from years and years ago are no longer acceptable. Now it has to be super clear and I’m so OC about this. Even for my other work, like sending to clients for social media, minsan pabalik balik yan until they approve it, you really need high-quality videos and photos.”

His 21-year-old daughter Angia, a music artist like her parents, also loves that it is now quicker for her to send and receive recordings online. “She’s an artist and also in college so a lot of her work requires fast internet. She’s going to be launched as a talent by ABS CBN Music this year, so she’s also working on her music.”

Smart home 

Franco jokes that since he belongs to Gen X, he still does flicks the lights on manually and likes watching on a huge TV instead of a laptop. His daughter Angia, however, has a “smart room” equipped with virtual assistant technology. “I sometimes hear her saying, ‘Alexa, turn on the lights’ or ‘turn on the TV’ though she mostly watches on her laptop.”

Their smart home is built with a home security system connected to their network equipped with a mesh system that distributes the ultra-fast gigabit WiFi across four levels.      

“Gamit na gamit ang gigabit internet sa bahay,” he chuckles. “It’s integral to our daily lives. It helps us do our work; it helps the kids with their schooling, they get creative ideas for their arts and crafts online.” 

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Ayen and Franco Laurel headlined the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ CCP Out-of-the-Box: Isang Gabi ng Sarswela in 2023

His dreams for the future? He’d like to try his hand at directing. And how amazing would it be if local, live theater productions and concerts were to be filmed and shown on streaming platforms to reach wider audiences?

“I would love for musicals to be on streaming platforms. I think they did it for Ang Huling El Bimbo but for a very limited time and because so many people watched it online, they became interested to watch it live. So when they brought it back to the theater, it was a full house every night.”

With the internet getting faster and better for Filipinos, Franco’s aspirations to make theater contents more accessible online may be a step closer than he thinks.