Jaehwa Bernardo

Film and theater actor Victor 'Cocoy' Laurel. Photo from Laurel's Facebook page

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Veteran actor Cocoy Laurel passes away at 72

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:633px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1750064757530COCOY.jpg" style="width:633px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Film and theater actor Victor &#x27;Cocoy&#x27; Laurel. Photo from Laurel&#x27;s Facebook page"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Film and theater actor Victor &#x27;Cocoy&#x27; Laurel. <em>Photo from Laurel&#x27;s Facebook page</em></span></span></span></div><p>Veteran film and theater actor Victor &quot;Cocoy&quot; Laurel has passed away, his family announced Monday. He was 72.</p><p>His passing was announced by his niece, Nicole Laurel Asensio, in a Facebook post. The cause of death was not disclosed.</p><p>&quot;My dearest Ninong Cocoy. Losing you is one of the most difficult things ever,&quot; Nicole wrote in her post.</p><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fnicole.l.asensio%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0JSRs7JSKyj1JWLjPEwVjzG4t6jZeuT4oWfeijGrcSFYGb6DpPfCwbhxkMJTq33xpl&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="651" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>&quot;Thank you for sharing your many gifts and immense talent with us all. Thank you for teaching me how to sing, how to love song. If it weren’t for you I would have never embraced the blessing of music,&quot; she said.</p><p>Cocoy is the son of the late Vice President Salvador &quot;Doy&quot; Laurel and theater actress and singer <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/life/07/13/21/theater-icon-celia-diaz-laurel-passes-on-at-93"><strong>Celia Diaz Laurel.</strong></a></p><p>His last public appearance was in April when he <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/celebrities/2025/4/22/former-co-stars-friends-and-celebrities-gather-for-late-superstar-nora-aunor-s-final-wake-1006"><strong>attended the wake</strong></a> of the late National Artist Nora Aunor, who was his onsceen partner and close friend. The two appeared together in films such as &quot;Lollipops and Roses&quot; and &quot;Impossible Dream.&quot;</p><p>Cocoy has also starred in several theater productions of Repertory Philippines, including &quot;Les Miserables&quot; as Jean Valjean. He was also part of the original London cast of &quot;Miss Saigon&quot; with Lea Salonga, and eventually was cast as Engineer in numerous productions, including Sydney, Australia. </p>

<p>Veteran film and theater actor Victor 'Cocoy' Laurel has passed away, his family announced Monday. He was 72.</p>

Veteran film and theater actor Victor 'Cocoy' Laurel has passed away, his family announced Monday. He was 72.