Si Nicole Laurel Asensio ay anak ng dating singer na si Iwi laurel.
Si Iwi ay sumikat nong 1980’s at umawit ng hit song na "Special Memory" na kadalasang pinatutugtog sa mga graduation ceremonies dahil sa nakakaantig na lyrics nito.
Great-granddaughter siya ng dating presidente ng Pilipinas na si Jose P. Laurel. Pinsan ni Nicole sina Denise Laurel at Rajo Laurel. Tiyo niya si Cocoy Laurel. Grandparents niya sina Fides Cuyugan-Asensio, Celia Diaz Laurel, at VP Salvador “Doy” Laurel.
Kumusta maging anak ni Iwi?
Saad ni Nicole, “You know, my mom is the most down-to-earth na tao, sobrang kalog, sobrang sarap kasama.
"And we’re so close kasi nag-iisa po akong anak and she raised me as a single mom. So, para kaming magkapatid, in many ways, she also had me very young.
“For me, I couldn’t have asked God for a better mom kasi best friend ko din siya. At grabe din yung pinagdaanan niya to raise me."
Patuloy niya, “Well, contrary to popular belief, akala ng tao na silver spoon [sobrang mayaman] you know, walang inano, but that’s not entirely true.
"My mom is a very independent woman. She took three jobs, nagturo po siya sa school, nagbenta ng real estate, para lang palakihin ako.
“And one thing I learn from her is, kahit hindi nag-work out yung marriage niya with my father, on my father’s deathbed, yung nanay ko pa rin po yung nandun making sure everything was taken care of.
“And that for me is unconditional love.”
Ayon kay Nicole, maraming kumplikasyon sa naging sanhi ng pagpanaw ng kanyang ama, “But what is written in his medical certificate is cardiac arrest.”
Pitong taon lamang si Nicole nang maghiwalay si Iwi at ang non-showbiz husband nito.
Nagpakaama naman daw kay Nicole ang tatay niya, “There were times that we were apart kasi siyempre he cannot live with us.
"Pero I always considered him my father, my dad, and I loved him up until his dying day.”
SINGING CAREER
Dahil nasa dugo niya ang maging performer, pag-awit din ang landas na tinahak ni Nicole. Naging miyembro siya ng bandang General Luna sampung taon na ang nakalilipas.
Pero, “We disbanded in 2013. And then nagsolo career po ako.”
Sumusulat din si Nicole ng sarili niyang mga kanta, "My favorite thing to do is to write, iyon talaga yung first love ko.”
Ang una niyang album na Schizoprano ay ni-release noong 2015.
“Schizo na soprano!” ang tumatawang paliwanag ni Nicole sa titulo ng first album niya.
May anim na kanta na siyang naisusulat at nare-release ngayon, ang “Silong,” “See Through” (na collaboration nila ng music producer ni Justin Bieber na si Blue Hamilton), at “Love Me Or Don’t, See You This Christmas,” at "Christmas Without You."
Nag-collaborate din ang mag-ina sa remake ng “Special Memory,” na para kay Nicole ay Mother’s Day gift niya kay Iwi.
FIRST MOVIE, FIRST ACTING NOMINATION
Samantala, naka-17 nominasyon ang KATIPS sa 70th FAMAS Awards na gaganapin ngayong Sabado ng gabi, July 30, sa Metropolitan Theater.
Una itong pelikula ni Nicole at nominado agad siya sa FAMAS Awards bilang Best Actress.
Ang mga makakatunggali ni Nicole sa pagka-Best Actress ay sina Maja Salvador (Arisaka), Charo Santos-Concio (Kun Maupay Man It Panahon), Janine Gutierrez (Dito At Doon), Sharon Cuneta (Revirginized), at Rita Daniela (Huling Ulan Sa Tag-Araw).
Ano ang nararamdaman ni Nicole na ang mga nabanggit ang katunggali niya bilang pinakamahusay na aktres?
“I don’t know what to feel, I’m absolutely shocked!” tumatawang bulalas ni Nicole.
"First the shock, kasi akala ko po joke."
Noong una raw may tumawag kay Nicole para ipaalam na nominado siya, nagkataong birthday pa niya mismo kay inakala raw niyang biro lamang ito.
Nang na-realize niyang totoo nga ang ibinalita sa kanya ay hindi na raw nawala sa labi niya ang ngiti sa mga sumunod na araw.
Kuwento niya, “Na-shock din po ang family ko, ‘coz they never know I wanted to act, I didn’t even know I wanted to act!
"And for it to be a first for my family, a first for me, a first for the production, it’s really, ano na yun, miracle na yun.”
Kung mananalo siyang Best Actress, “To be honest, I’m not expecting anything. I know my chances are very slim. Kung tutuusin, ako yung underdog dun, e.
“Very, very much so, in terms of career, in terms of experience, in terms of following, I’m the smallest piece of the pie.
“But if, if, if that’s what God wants, I think I would just… I wouldn’t be able to contain myself."
At tumawa si Nicole, “Ngayon pa lang medyo naaano na ako, e!
“But I would just be grateful, and I would pray that, maybe, this is the start of something.
"Where we are is where we’re meant to be, e. Nilagay tayo ni God kung saan man tayo because we’re supposed to learn something.
“If that’s what God wants for me then maybe it’s about time I learn that’s there a whole, another world out there that I haven’t explored.”
At kung hindi siya manalo, “Ay, I’m not expecting to win, so okay lang! I’m not, I’m not, I mean, come on.
"It’s Sharon Cuneta, it’s Charo Santos, even Janine Gutierrez and Rita Daniela are both fabulous so… I don’t want…
"Ganun akong tao siguro, I don’t like expecting. I would be grateful if I do.
"But if I don’t, just to be nominated with that line-up of actresses, that’s already an honor itself, okay na ako dun!”
Gumaganap si Nicole sa KATIPS bilang si Lara, na leading lady ni Jerome Ponce bilang si Greg; nominado rin si Jerome sa pagka-Best Actor sa FAMAS.
Direktor at male lead ng KATIPS si Vince Tañada na nominado rin sa FAMAS sa Best Actor at Best Director categories.
Nominado namang Best Supporting Actor ang KATIPS male star na si Johnrey Rivas na gumaganap sa pelikula bilang si Art.
Ito ang 17 nominations ng KATIPS na produced rin ni Vince ng Philstagers Films: Best Picture; Best Screenplay (Vince Tañada); Best Supporting Actor (Mon Confiado); Best Supporting Actress (Adelle Ibarrientos); Best Cinematography (Manuel Abanto); Best Original Song (Manhid/music by Pipo Cifra, lyrics by Vince Tañada at Sa Gitna Ng Gulo/music by Pipo Cifra and lyrics by Vince Tañada); Best Musical Score (Pipo Cifra); Best Sound (Outpost Visual Frontier/Don Don Mendoza); Best Visual Effects (Outpost Visual Frontier/John Joseph Tan); Best Editing (Mark Jason Sucgang), at Best Production Design (Roland Rubenecia).
Ipapalabas sa mga sinehan ang KATIPS sa August 3.