Carla Guevara-Laforteza has been married for 25 years with her chef-hubby Godfrey Laforteza. They have three kids: Bailey, 26; Sophia, 25; and Oreo, 15.
MANILA — As “The Notebook, The Musical” enters its closing week, Carla Guevara-Laforteza is reflecting on a role that feels increasingly familiar: playing a mother.
Guevrra-Laforteza plays the mother of Allie, portrayed by Morrissette, in the stage musical, adding another maternal role to a career spanning three decades in film, television and theater. Rather than seeing it as typecasting, she considers playing different mothers an opportunity to discover new relationships with each of her onstage children.
“I don’t want to say I’m typecast to mother roles. I find that actually a privilege,” Guevara-Laforteza told ABS-CBN News. “I get to have different kinds of children.”
Her role in “The Notebook” fell on her lap. “I think they already saw the mom’s role in me,” she said. “I’ve been doing a lot of mother roles consecutively, even on TV."
“I have my three children who have different personalities. The actors who become my children onstage in these shows, have different personalities, too. So I get to learn from them. There are scenes that we do in the show that are situational and I experience at home when I get to talk to them.”
Guevara-Laforteza affectionately refers to Morrissette as her “daughter” offstage, partly because they share similar love stories.
Morrissette experienced getting into a misunderstanding with her parents after she tied the knot with Dave Lamar in 2021 against the wishes of her parents.
“My family also did not approve of my husband initially,” shared Guevarra-Laforteza. “But today, he’s the favorite. When we fight, my parents side with him.”
Guevara-Laforteza has been married for 25 years with her chef-hubby (Godfrey Laforteza). They have three kids: Bailey, 26; Sophia, 25; and Oreo, 15.
“Our marriage is constantly a work in progress,” she said. “Every day, we work on He was only 21 when we got together. He was 22 when we got married. I got pregnant at the peak of my career with a 21-year-old, my husband. But God is good. After 25 years, we are still together. He has surpassed all expectations from my family.
“My career did not go to waste. I wanted a family. I was really in love. I think I’ve already accomplished what I really wanted to accomplish at that time. So it was okay for me to fall in love so much more. My marriage is not all flowers and chocolates and lovey-dovey. I have to work on it every day.”
Carla Guevara-Laforteza
Guevara-Laforteza cannot be any prouder with her only daughter, her middle child Sophia, a member of the global girl group, Katseye. Although Sophia is on leave now from the six-member all-girl group based in Los Angeles.
Carla Guevara-Laforteza opens up about life of daughter, KATSEYE's Sophia, while on hiatus
“Sophia is resting and resetting her mind and her body,” the mom said. “She’s basically overworked. She needs to rest. She’s human. She has been touring, performing, rehearsing, She has been with Katseye for four years now. She’s a Capricorn.
“We are both born in December. I’m December 26, she’s December 31. We are both Capricorn. Pareho kami ng ugali. Her dad always stays in the middle. Two Capricorns always bicker. The dad mediates.”
When Guevara-Laforteza talks with Sophia at home, they don’t discuss work. “When I talk to her, she’s just Sophia,” the mom said. “I don’t talk to her like she is a superstar. When she’s with us, she cleans her own room. When she wants food, she goes downstairs and heats up the food. I treat her like a normal person.”
“I’m more protective of her when she’s at home. I make sure she’s not bothered. I don’t make her talk about work. I let her be Sophia. I let her talk about the food that she cooks. I let her talk about her friends.
She’s surrounded by people who were there with her even before she joined Katseye. Two of her best friends are based in the US and they constantly visit her. I think that’s most important. My sister is also in LA.
“I advise Sophia to keep herself surrounded with people who were there even before she became a star. Those are the people who really know her best and they will make sure she will be okay.”