There’s a new mestizo on the entertainment block that’s starting to cause some ripples.
Laurence Mossman left his quiet and comfortable life in New Zealand two years ago to pursue his dream of becoming a singer in the Philippines, where his mother is originally from.
Mossman’s mom is from Leyte, a province in the central Philippines who fell in love and married a Kiwi. Mossman has two older brothers who now live and work in Australia.
“We’re a close-knit family. The eldest brother is an actor and the other one works as a hotel manager. I grew up in Auckland and attended Dilworth School for nine years,” the 27-year-old Mossman volunteered.
While he was in school, Mossman discovered his passion for singing. “My parents encouraged me to nurture my passion. I took singing lessons and pursued classical singing for four years in Dunedin, a city in the cold southern part of New Zealand.”
Mossman studied hard and graduated with first-class honors in Music, something he is proud of. “Music was my life in school. I breathed and lived music. The recognition during graduation was a pat on the back, an affirmation that I made the right decision to study what I really loved.”
After school, Mossman briefly taught singing to high-school students while working as a bartender and a bar manager. To save up for his trip to the Philippines, he also worked in a premium wine shop in New Zealand.
Like many others before him who came to try their luck in the Philippines, Mossman had to go through major lifestyle changes. “Initially, I was a little culture shocked, mainly due to the differences in weather, traffic and the sheer number of people. You see, there are only about 1.5 million people in Auckland, where I’m from. Then I had very little knowledge of the local language. I’m glad English is widely spoken in the Philippines and I’m thankful for that.”
He added, “I adapt easily and I’m glad that Filipinos are a generally kind, hard-working and family-oriented people.”
Mossman is one of the brand endorsers of Psalmstre New Placenta soap for men. We were introduced by the brand’s Chief Executive Jaime Acosta, who continues to update us with the developments in Mossman’s upstart Philippine career. The new role came as a surprise to Mossman. “To be honest, I don’t consider myself a model. I have done a couple of modelling gigs here in Philippines but I’m first and foremost a singer. I have a regular gig at Resorts World Manila’s Bar360 as part of a vocal group. I’m just happy that Mr. Acosta saw my potential to be one of the brand’s ambassadors. I’m pretty sure the exposure will help me in the pursuit of my dreams.”
He added, “Our primary role as brand ambassadors is to promote this wonderful homegrown Filipino brand of soap through meet-and-greet activities in various malls and events, and through social media. As a brand ambassador, I use the soap every day and I want to share and promote the Psalmstre brand through my own experiences, meeting existing and future customers. It’s always fun and rewarding meeting new people through our events and activities.”
As a celebrity endorser, the 5’9″ tall Mossman is aware that he always has to look good. “I go to the gym regularly. I try and stay in shape by working out four to five times a week. I also try to get enough sleep daily. It is important that my body is well-rested, especially when the schedules get loaded. I also watch what I eat. Lots of sweet potato, chicken, ground beef, oats, hardly any rice. I usually have around seven to eight small meals a day.”
The ever-smiling Mossman revealed that he has a girlfriend in New Zealand, but did not give so much details about her, except telling us that she is very nice and supportive, and is his constant inspiration.
At the moment, Mossman is busy with rehearsals for Fun Home, his new musical with Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment Group. This production will be Mossman’s Manila theater debut and he is really excited about it.
“Initially, I had no idea what Fun Home was about. I briefly read the audition information and thought it was just a musical for kids. I auditioned for Atlantis’s Jersey Boys instead, but surprisingly received a callback for Fun Home. After doing some quick Internet research, and finding out it was a Tony Award-winning musical, it became apparent this was an important piece of musical theater for many reasons. Somehow we can all relate to the characters or family circumstances. It’s a very powerful thing. Eventually I got the call informing me that I got a role in Fun Home. I was very happy mainly because I knew that I would be performing with Lea Salonga, one of my idols.”
Prior to Fun Home, Mossman had the pleasure of acting for a TV series. “I had a short stint with Dolce Amore, playing opposite Liza Soberano. That was a good experience.”
After Fun Home, if time permits, Mossman would like to take some time off to visit some places in the Philippines. “I’ve been to Batangas, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Dumaguete, South Cotabato—but mostly for work. I had the chance to visit the beautiful Balesin Island, too. It’s an amazing place and I really hope I can return soon. I haven’t been to Boracay or Palawan yet, so those are on my priority list once I get some free time.”
In the meantime, Mossman vows to continue learning the Filipino language, a tool he says that can help him get more projects. “It’s quite a challenge so I have gotten myself a language tutor. And I think I’m improving a day at a time.”