Who Is Carla Guevara Laforteza? All About the Veteran Theater Actress

Carla Guevara Laforteza has long been a familiar face on the Philippine stage, her career stretching across decades, countless productions, and even international tours. She first rose to prominence with Repertory Philippines before leaping to London’s West End in Miss Saigon, later balancing her time between theater, TV, and film. Now, she returns once again to the spotlight as Granny and The Giant in Theatre Group Asia’s Into the Woods—a fresh addition to her already varied career.

Ahead, get to know the actress with these five facts.

Carla’s roots in local theater go back to the early ’90s, when she joined Repertory Philippines. She became known for memorizing not only her own lines but also the parts of other actors. According to The Philippine Star, the late Rep founder Zeneida Amador even nicknamed her “Piranha” because she was always ready to step in if someone left a production. That hunger and preparedness made her an indispensable performer in plays like Camelot, Annie, Romeo and Juliet, and South Pacific.

In 1995, Carla joined the London production of Miss Saigon as part of the ensemble, playing Yvette while understudying the iconic roles of Kim and Gigi. She eventually performed as Kim multiple times, thanks to her readiness and quick reflexes when emergencies happened onstage. “I liked being an understudy because that meant I could play many roles,” she recalled in her Philippine Star profile. The experience gave her not only training but also resilience as a young performer abroad.

While theater has always been her first love, Carla has also explored television and film. She won Best New Artist for Television at the PMPC Star Awards in 2000 and later appeared in popular shows like Be Careful With My Heart and Flower of Evil. In an interview with the Inquirer, she expressed her admiration for screen actors who can deliver heavy emotions out of sequence, saying TV offers her “a good challenge” different from the natural emotional buildup of stage performances.

Offstage, Carla plays another important role: mother to Sophia Laforteza, a member of the global girl group KATSEYE. In an interview with the Inquirer during the group’s Manila visit in 2024, Carla admitted she felt emotional seeing her daughter represent the Philippines on the international stage. She and other “KATSEYE mamas” even formed a WhatsApp group to support their daughters wherever they go. “I have so much pride for my daughter. She’s representing the Philippines and Southeast Asia,” she shared.

Carla hasn’t slowed down despite decades in the industry. Beyond performing in musicals like Joseph the Dreamer, Rak of Aegis, and now Into the Woods, she has also ventured into talent management. According to ABS-CBN News, she helped guide performers like David Ezra and Giob Rodriguez toward opportunities abroad, including shows in Hong Kong Disneyland. In addition, she used livestreaming platforms during the pandemic to keep connecting with audiences as a singer and performer.