Catriona Gray and Sam Milby. Image: Instagram/@catriona_gray
Sam Milby, who finally popped the question to longtime girlfriend Catriona Gray recently, said their eight-year age gap never became an issue when they were still dating.
“To be honest, it’s like I’m more childish when we’re together, and this was never an issue with her. Cat (Catriona’s nickname) is very mature for her age. She just turned 29, but she’s an amazing woman. She is obviously very ambitious, intelligent and family-oriented,” said Sam, 38, on what he admires about Catriona the most.
The couple announced their engagement on Feb. 16 via an Instagram photo of them sharing a sweet moment, with the 2018 Miss Universe wearing a diamond ring. Both of them are also holding coffee cups—Sam’s is labeled “Mr. Milby,” while Catriona’s has “Future Mrs. Milby.” Catriona later posted more photos, with them by the beach and with the caption: “Our best chapter yet.”
The good news came shortly after they both denied the rumor that they had already married recently, while Catriona was at the 75th Miss Universe pageant as a backstage host. “We both thought it was very funny. While we do talk about getting married, this was merely people’s assumption. You all just have to wait for that announcement,” Sam told Inquirer Entertainment less than two weeks before the engagement photo was published.
Sam also pointed out that while he and Catriona have a lot of differences in opinion and interests, they get along really well. “We never had a huge fight since we started our relationship,” said Sam, who publicly admitted to be dating Catriona also via Instagram in May 2020.
‘My best friend’
“We’re able to stay on each other’s side. We’re very supportive of each other’s personal lives and careers. I keep hearing people say, ‘You should marry your best friend.’ Well, Cat is my best friend,” he declared.
When asked to react to his earlier announcement that he would most likely settle down at the age of 35, Sam said: “You always have life plans, but they don’t always happen at the time you expected. Life never goes as planned. Now, almost all of my friends are married and have kids. I refuse to feel pressured because the right love is worth the wait.”
Milby (right) with Judy Ann Santos (center) and “The Diary of Mrs. Winters” director Rahyan Carlos
Sam is set to fly to Toronto, Canada, this month to work on Rahyan Carlos’ horror film, “The Diary of Mrs. Winters,” alongside leading lady Judy Ann Santos. He is also currently taping for a new series, which he is not allowed to talk about just yet.
Sam, who said that singing was his first love, admitted that with all the acting projects he has agreed to do this year, “I kind of let my music take a backseat.”
He added: “I realized something about my voice three years ago. I was busy doing a show when an opportunity to perform onstage came up, but I couldn’t sing. I felt that I lost my voice or my confidence in my voice. I haven’t been singing nor have I tried to build up my vocal chords. Yes, I kind of let it take a backseat. It’s something I do miss because it’s my first love. It’s something that I want to get back into, especially because Cat is also musically gifted. She even took music theory at Berklee [College of Music]. She received a certificate after finishing her online classes.
Sam Milby (left) and Catriona Gray
“Cat has an amazing voice. I’d also love to make music with her. We’ve already done a few projects together for charity, but, yes, I would love for Cat and I to do a concert with Praty (John Prats, his best friend) as the director,” Sam declared.
‘Yes’ to horror
Meanwhile, “The Diary of Mrs. Winters,” which is set for commercial release later this year, is a coproduction of Happy Karga Films and AMP Studios Canada.
Sam plays Victor, an old flame of Judy Ann’s character, Charity, who is a Filipino bio-forensic trauma cleaner. “Victor moved with his mom to Canada when he was young. He is not very ambitious and isn’t serious about life until he met Charity,” explained Sam. “I said ‘yes’ to this project because I’ve never had any offer to do horror before. I’m also happy to be working with Direk Rahyan, (who is also an acting teacher). I appreciated his effort to make me attend a workshop to help me get into the role.”
Sam said he already committed to doing the film even before reading its script. “This was after I learned that it was written by Sir Ricky [Lee, national artist for film] and that Juday would be my leading lady. When I eventually read it, I realized how beautiful and different the story is. Of course, as an actor, you want to do new roles and experience new things,” he said.
The opportunity to work again with Judy Ann, who was his leading lady in the drama series “Huwag Ka Lang Mawawala” in 2013, also proved irresistible to Sam. “She is such a kind and helpful actress. I remember a particular scene in the series where I really struggled with my lines, and Juday, already an accomplished actress, was very patient with me. She had to cry for that scene, and she was very supportive,” he recalled. INQ