Spotlight
Beauty Gonzalez: The Beauty in Simplicity
Beauty Gonzalez is the epitome of contentment as she enjoys the simple things in life — a loving and supportive husband, an adorable and clever daughter, and a home full of art and love.
Beauty Gonzalez holds a kind of sophistication that stops everyone in a room. With a naturally graceful demeanor, she walked around her home barefoot and fresh from a shower. Having attended the GMA Gala Night the night before, she mentioned how the highlight was right after the event — when she and her husband, art curator and collector Norman Crisologo, stopped by a fast-food restaurant for a midnight snack.
One look at their home and you’ll immediately feel like you’re inside a museum. Walls are painted in dark hues and lined with eccentric paintings and sculptures that leave you wondering about the story behind each piece. “I like stuff that attracts me but also kind of scares me,” Norman shares. He admitted that he prefers art and antiques that are difficult or a bit challenging to appreciate. “That way, you don’t forget about it fast. It’s not the kind you buy and hang, and the next day it disappears into the wall. It has to be the kind that when you look at it every day, you see something that you didn’t see before.”
Despite the big age gap that Beauty and Norman are open about, their relationship is endearing. They playfully bantered, laughed at each other’s jokes, and had a sparkle in their eyes that spoke volumes of their fondness for one another. And with their daughter Olivia running around the bungalow, it’s quite a contrast to the unconventional art displayed — because in the smiles and laughter shared, you could feel so much love and light.
When the Timing is Right
In fact, Beauty Gonzalez attributes that she’s able to balance being a wife, mother, and actress because of her husband. “He makes things easier for me and doesn’t make me worry about anything. Whenever I go to work, he makes sure that everything is okay at home. And of course, our help in the house — they help us as well. So I’m able to do everything because of their support.”
Norman adds that it was all about good timing. “At my age, I’m kind of semi-retired. I don’t go to an office. I could do work through my phone. So I’m quite free to do a lot of stuff. And I don’t mind taking care of Olivia. With the maids, we’re able to manage. Our house is small so it’s easy to organize everything.”
Moreover, the couple works like a tag team. They balance each other instead of competing with one another. They don’t stick to the traditional norms of a husband and wife either. Hence, one of the reasons why they overcome any challenge thrown their way. “Every time we’re asked what challenges we go through, wala kaming masyadong challenge,” Norman says with a laugh.
The couple joked about their family dynamics, too. “She’s a lola,” Norman points to his wife while chuckling. “She tells us when we’re too noisy, stops us from going out because it’s late, and wants us to sleep early. Meanwhile, she wakes up at 4 in the morning.”
In the middle of teasing each other, Beauty pauses and says on a serious note that her husband truly holds the fort. “He just tries to make life happy and interesting all the time. He’s the pillar of the house.”
The Secrets of the Universe
Even raising their daughter Olivia proves to be a breeze. “Olivia is very easy,” Beauty articulates. “She’s like an adult. Maybe because ever since she was a baby, we’d travel everywhere with her. She got used to being independent.”
When it comes to values, Beauty and Norman hope to teach her kindness and empathy. “Because if you’re kind to everyone, good things happen to you,” Beauty explains.
They hope to empower her as well. “She can’t wait to learn about the universe. She always asks her dad, ‘When are you going to tell me about the secrets of the universe?'”
And though Norman has three sons from a previous relationship, he declares that he was built to be a father to a girl. “I’ve always wanted a girl. Because ang dami kong kalokohan before. And I can really teach her a lot of stuff. I give her a few important lessons in life. Like number one — sex is not love. That’s the number one weapon that guys use against women. And don’t watch Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White — none of that stuff. Watch the modern ones. We want her to grow up traditionally with heritage and old world values. But we don’t want her to be a stupid girl. We really emphasize that you have to use your brain and be street smart.”
Beauty watched in awe as Norman talked about Olivia. “I’m really lucky to have my husband,” she says.
“Except I don’t have abs,” Norman quips.
“I don’t need that. I need ‘labs’,” Beauty responds with a laugh.
Beauty Gonzalez on the Art of Deadma
Being in an industry that constantly puts her under the limelight, Beauty Gonzalez shares her secret to staying graceful under pressure. “Wala. Deadma. Just deadma. I try to do the best I can in everything I do.”
She also says that she rose to fame as an older actress. “When I became a mom, that’s when I got my break and people started to notice me. And I guess they really respect me. I don’t do anything that will make them think something is bad or wrong. And nakakatuwa since I’ve had several love teams. They support it. They support my career everywhere I go, and they support my family — which they know that Norman is there.”
Keeping the Spark Alive
Apart from alone time, traveling is Beauty and Norman’s form of self-care in order to be the best partner and parent. In fact, Beauty loves documenting their trips on her Instagram. In keeping the spark alive, the couple advises other parents to always remember why you were attracted to each other in the first place.
“Look at the good things because it’s so easy to get distracted with the bad things. Go back to the basics. Anong ginusto mo before and how can you see that person in the same way as much as possible. Everything else is just noise. Focus on the important things. And everything else is dust. Just shrug it off. Whatever experiences that happened to us as young people, we learned to appreciate them now. Little bits of experience. It’s cliche and baduy, but ganun talaga.”
Text GRETCHEN GATAN FRAGADA
Photography EXCEL PANLAQUE
Art Direction MARC YELLOW and DENIELLE CARAG
Makeup JAPETH MIKE PUROG
Hairstyling JA FELICIANO using LYNELLE HAIR
Styling ROSHNI MIRPURI and SIYA DARYANI for THE CLOSET CULTURE
Shoot Coordination MJ ALMERO
Food and Beverage FELIZ DISH AND DETAILS
Special thanks to BECKY AGUILA
Read more Spotlight stories on Modern Parenting:
Isko Moreno: Life as a Regular Citizen and Being a Grandfather
Regine Velasquez Alcasid: Using Her Voice to Empower Others
Ian Veneracion: On Being a Relaxed Father and Celebrating His Career
