The former child star is set to conquer a new chapter in her life–all while changing her perspectives, and possibly changing hair colors.
The child star turned seasoned actress ushers in a new life chapter, and this time she’s making sure to write it on her own terms.
Miles Ocampo has spent more of her life in the limelight than outside of it. At 25, she already has 18 years of acting experience. We’ll let you take a pause and let that sink in first.
To reiterate, that’s almost two decades in the entertainment industry and counting. In fact, that 18 years is just the beginning—a prologue.
EMBRACING THE NEW
Most of the viewing public may instantly recognize her as a Goin’ Bulilit alumna, but she has also proven her acting skills in numerous drama series for ABS-CBN. Taking on bigger roles, Miles developed the yearning to improve her own craft.
This yearning has led her to be more open to new beginnings in her career. The most notable one, so far, was her recent transfer from ABS-CBN’s talent management arm Star Magic to Crown Artist Management, the new talent agency co-owned by actress-host Maja Salvador, whom Miles treats like an older sister.
In her interview with MEGA magazine, she talks more about the big move, which she announced in March 2022. She says, “It feels so liberating, that moment after I ended my call with my boss doon sa previous management ko.”
She adds, “I’ve been with them [Star Magic] for 18 years, ’tapos ’yong feeling parang new chapter, na-excite uli ako. Para siyang start ulit for me.” It’s only been a few months since she transferred, but Miles reveals, “I’ve never been this happy sa buong career ko.”
One of the main reasons for this euphoria, she admits, is that more than representing her, Crown has also given her the opportunity to write this part of her life on her own terms. “Sobrang saya and grateful ko with Crown. I feel like nagkaroon ako ng boses after 18 years, mayroon ako karapatan to say and express ’yong nararamdaman ko,” she says. “Sometimes, ’yon lang naman talaga gusto natin. ’Yong ma-feel na may nakikinig sa atin.”
Essentially, Miles considers her new management agency as a reliable support system, adding that feels happy “to be surrounded with people na naniniwala sa ’yo. ’Yong nakikitaan ka [ng potential] and pinu-push ka to do your best at the same time.”
Although she’s focused on all the opportunities presented in front of her, Miles immediately goes on to say that she has not turned her back on the past. In fact, she will always have traces of her previous works, most notably as a Goin’ Bulilit mainstay, in her DNA. Case in point, she finds her comedic edge helpful now that she is one of the hosts of the longest-running noontime variety show in the country, Eat Bulaga! This was despite receiving a strict directive from her now boss, Maja, to drop her “bungisngis” image during the photoshoot for Crown.
“Trivia lang, noong ilo-launch ako ni Ate Maj, gusto ni Ate, no’ng pictorial ko, ‘O, woman ka na. Bawal bungisngis. Lahat ng pose mo fierce,’” Miles recalls, laughing. “Cut to: Sa Eat Bulaga! po ako ngayon, puro knock-knock jokes po ’yong pinapagawa sa akin. So parang sabi ko, “‘Alam mo Ate Maj, hindi siya talaga mawawala na sa akin,’ kasi feeling ko, it’s part of my personality.”
Apart from being honest about who she is, being consistent is probably one of the most powerful weapons Miles has in her arsenal. Consistency helped her power through moments of doubt. Being a child star, she can’t deny that there were moments when she felt left behind by her peers.
In our interview, she is candid in recounting a “phase na parang mas nabibigyan ng lead roles ’yong mga ka-age ko.” It even came to a point where would ask herself, “‘Anong ’di ko kayang gawin?’ ‘Anong wala sa akin?’”
But then, she slowly came to realize that consistency and giving her best in all the projects she had been blessed with were more important than anything else. “’Pag bata ka, ang goal mo naman talaga no’ng pumasok ka sa showbiz, ’yong sumikat ka, bida. Habang tumatagal, hindi na siya ’yong kung sino ang bida, mas longevity na talaga ’yong habol ko.”
She is also not inclined to morph herself into someone she is not just to get projects. Miles is one firm believer in trusting the process: “Naniniwala kasi ako, kung mayroong project for me, talagang para sakin.” There is no need to follow a template, she says: “I just allowed myself to be myself kasi the more na pinipilit mo, makikita na ‘Ay parang trying hard ’yong dating.’”
Instead, Miles just keeps this one thing in mind: “Kung ano ’yong ilatag, just do your best and from there…magkakaroon domino effect.”
HER OWN STYLE
Miles is starting to feel more in tune with herself, not just career-wise but also when it comes to her own sense of style. She admits that she felt crippling insecurity about her physique one too many times in the past, that she dreaded having to dress up: “Nagkaroon ako ng struggle talaga na to the point na depressing talaga paano ka bibihis.”
Yes, even a longtime celebrity like Miles is no stranger to the feeling of being insecure. If anything, her celebrity status even aggravated it. When we ask when she started feeling freer to express her own style, she answers, quite sheepishly, “Lately lang po talaga. Insecure ako talaga with my own body, ang dami ko laging kailangang itago, especially before when I started, naman hindi talaga uso ’yong mga stylist, wala pang glam team talaga.”
She adds that confidence isn’t easily gained, especially now with the advent of social media, where people tend to be unapologetic when passing judgment on others. But Miles admits she got tired of constantly feeling the need to hide her perfectly normal, human body. Now, she has found a way to enjoy dressing up.
“No more pressure kung ano ’yong uso,” she says, sounding proud. “My style is I go for comfort. Doon ako lagi sa komportable ako kaysa doon sa a-awra ako, hindi ko naman mairarampa nang maayos.” She says her go-tos are jeans styled with a white polo shirt. She adds that a simple look can easily be elevated when paired with the right accessories, which for Miles includes a red lipstick.
It’s no surprise then that she picked Hollywood actress Dakota Johnson as her biggest style inspiration these days, saying, “Kaya niya kasi to dress up super comfy, pero, at the same time, ang lakas ng dating.”
But aside from comfort, when choosing pieces for her wardrobe, the actress reveals one requirement that should be ticked off: “Ang weird, but nagbibihis ako na papasok sa feed ko sa Instagram, so makikita niyo lahat ng outfits ko more on ganitong color lang, nude, light colors.”
This is why many were surprised when she posted her photos rocking orange hair and rich purple coordinates. In our interview, Miles reveals that the hair color was actually done for a new project.
She says, “First time ko ginawa for a role. Noong una, hiyang hiya ako lumabas kasi feeling ko nagpapapansin ’yong hair ko kasi kahit wala akong gawin, nagsusumigaw siya, but I enjoyed it.” She enjoyed it so much that she’s already thinking of making it a tradition to have her hair colored whenever she lands a new role. “Sana lang kaya ng buhok ko,” she says, laughing.
As for her colorful outfits, she says she’s been more open to wearing clothes with pops of color here and there, thanks to her hosting duties for Eat Bulaga!, which makes her want to be more festive. “Akala ko kasi dati pag nagmakulay ka para kang walking clown, but ang saya pala to play with colors also.”
CO-WRITER OF HER NEW LIFE
Aside from honing her skills in acting, Miles is also looking forward to pursuing her passion for writing. In case you didn’t know, the actress is a budding writer, and she previously took up some courses on creative writing before shifting to Philippine studies in college.
Although she has yet to earn a degree, she is keen on pursuing her other passion. “Right now, I’m really inspired to write,” she says, revealing that she plans to write a film. Until then, the actress is finding fulfillment as one of the brainstormers for the sitcom Happy ToGetHer, where she is also a cast member, along with actor John Lloyd Cruz.
Being in a new work environment, having newfound confidence in her own style, and getting motivation to write, it’s more than safe to say that Miles is at a great stage in her life. She even considers the project where she had to don the orange mane as her favorite thus far.
Miles may be unfolding a new chapter, but it’s not even close to being the last one, especially in her career. The plot is just starting to thicken. And Miles is willing to wait for her new dreams and goals to come true. After all, she says, life is not a race: “Hindi naman ’yan kung sino nauna o napag-iwanan. Basta nandoon ’yong drive and faith sa sarili mo na you can achieve it, basta nandoon ’yong fire sa gusto mong gawin, at naniniwala ka sa sarili mo na darating ka sa gusto mong marating.”
