What’s your full name?  

Well, I was born in the Philippines. Tradition dictated that as the first male born grandchild both in my mother’s and father’s side of the family, my grandparents from both sides had a say in naming me. Not to mention what my father and mother wanted to name me as well – So, to satisfy everyone, they allowed both my grandparents to give me a name aside from what my parents wanted to give me.

My full birth name is “Domico Dominique Froilan Carmelo Mangahas-Betancor.” My mother, bless her heart, had the foresight to amend my name in the registry as Domico M. Betancor. 

Were you named after anyone?  

Domico was a shortened form of my father’s name (Dominico). Dominique was what my mother’s parents named me. Froilan came from “Fraulein” (my parents thought they were going to have a baby girl and had their hearts set out to naming her Fraulein. To their surprise, a baby boy popped out and hence it was changed to Froilan.) Carmelo was my favorite aunt’s name for me.

 What’s your average day like?  

My average day (depending if it’s a work day or theatre day) consists of getting up early. Head to either work or theatre. If it’s a work day I typically am at the office by 7 am to prep for the day and work til about 5:30 pm. If I am at the theatre, I am normally there around 9 am and don’t leave til about 7 pm if I have rehearsals. 

How far away do you live from where you were born? 

About 7,000 miles away.

What do you consider to be your “home”?

Los Angeles is home for me. This is where I “grew up” so to speak.

What’s your ideal way to spend the holidays? 

Ideally, I love to spend it in a cabin up in Big Sur and hike or hang out at the beach.

 What items do you always take with you when you leave the house? 

 Besides the mobile phone – I have a bag with a notebook. Pen. A play or book to read. Toothbrush and toothpaste. A fresh shirt and pair of underwear.

 When you look in the mirror, what do you notice first? 

My face.

If you could change something about your appearance, what would it be?

 Height. I could use an inch or two more in height. 

What do you first notice in strangers?

 Face. I always look at their faces not whether they’re beautiful or handsome but the expressions and the way it either lights up or darkens. 

What do think people say about you? 

Hah! Most people say that their first impression of me is that I am friendly but that I have an air of snobbery about me. 

What would you hope they would say? 

That I’m just friendly and stop there. Lol!

What is your proudest moment? Biggest victory? 

My proudest moment was making my father proud of me when I was a young student back in the Philippines. My biggest victory is my acceptance of who I am as a homosexual man. 

What is your biggest regret? Biggest failure?  

My biggest regret is not being able to embrace myself as a gay man when I was younger. My biggest failure was letting people’s negative opinion of me matter to me. 

If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be? 

Procrastination. I procrastinate way too much that I end up stressing myself out.

What makes life worth living? 

The little things in life. The collection of little things that makes us happy. 

What is the one rule you try to live by? Do you feel successful at following it?

 Always be thankful for the little things because it contributes to the big things. I would like to say I am successful so far. But being human, I more often than not submit to foibles.