Comic unmasked—behind the happy facade of Vic Sotto

Vic Sotto and Pauleen Luna

They say that comedians can be some of the most serious people. Vic Sotto, at least in the eyes of an outsider, appears to be a textbook example.

On “Eat Bulaga!,” the longest-running local noontime variety show, Vic is a wisecracking host, teasing his colleagues and poking fun at guests and contestants with one-liners and silly retorts. On the silver screen, he is best known for playing simpleton Enteng Kabisote, whose adventures are peppered with wacky, slapstick humor.

In person, however, Vic is reserved, a man of few words. To some people, the 62-year-old star comes off as aloof or even suplado. His wife, Pauleen Luna, was among those who thought he was unapproachable.

“That was my initial impression,” she admitted in an interview with the Inquirer. “But the truth is that Vic is really just a shy and quiet person. Talking to other people can be tough for him, because of his shyness.”

While Vic is not comfortable expressing his feelings in public, Pauleen said her husband is a completely different person among loved ones.

“He is physical and vocal in showing his love. He loves to hug and kiss his children, especially his grandkids,” said Pauleen, who tied the knot with Vic at the St. James the Great Parish in Muntinlupa City in January.

And when there were just the two of them, Pauleen swore that Vic became more animated. “He is makulit when he is with me, more than what people see on “Eat Bulaga!,” she said. “I guess it is because there are no more walls between us; he knows he can be at ease. He loves making me laugh.”

In June, the show biz couple moved into their new home in Laguna, where Vic spends most of his free time. Despite his stature, the seasoned actor and television host appreciates life’s simplest things, according to Pauleen.

“We call him masipag na tamad,” she said, laughing. “He is very hardworking when it comes to his job. But when he’s at home, he just lounges around, watching television all day. And as his wife, I really take care of him.”

On Sunday, his only free day, Vic likes to wake up early to play golf with friends. “But every so often, we go on road trips; we both love traveling. For him, it is a way of escaping from all the noise of show biz,” said the 27-year-old bride. “But if we do not have a planned vacation, we prefer staying in, simply enjoying each other’s company.”

As a father, Vic, Pauleen observed, is a wonderful provider. “You can see that all his kids grew up to be good people,” she said. Vic has four children from previous relationships: Danica and Oyo Boy (with actress Dina Bonnevie), Vico (with actress Coney Reyes) and Paulina (with former commercial model Angela Luz).

Vic and Pauleen’s relationship was difficult and controversial, primarily because of their 34-year age gap. Pauleen is roughly the same age as Vic’s children and some of them had misgivings about the May-December romance. But Vic made the effort to get their blessing.

“He always makes time for his children. He invites them to dinner almost every week—and everyone has to be there. Vic wants to see [the family] complete,” Pauleen said. “These gatherings are always fun… They talk about everything under the sun, but mostly about Vic’s apos (grandchildren) and sports, like basketball.”

Vic and Pauleen share an intimate moment.

Pauleen first met Vic in 1995, as a hopeful in the “Little Miss Philippines” pageant of “Eat Bulaga!” In 2005, she joined the show as a co-host. In 2013, they admitted they had been dating for quite some time. Two years later, they got engaged. Throughout those times, it was clear to Pauleen that Vic was a “good person.” But it wasn’t until after their marriage that she found out just how much.

“We are virtually inseparable. We go to work and go home together. If there’s one thing that I want people to know about Vic, it’s the fact that he is a kind person, a genuinely kind man… We do not fight. If there is a misunderstanding, he makes sure we talk it over in a calm manner,” Pauleen said, adding that, as a husband, Vic is very thoughtful.

He never ends phone conversations with his wife without saying, “I love you.” When he wakes Pauleen up, he does it “very sweetly,” because he knows she tends to have topak (bad mood) in the morning. There were times, she said, when she caught him just staring at her.

“I see the happiness in his eyes,” she said. “I am grateful.”