Cindy Miranda on Willie Revillame: He was the first to believe in me

Cindy Miranda —VIVA FILMS

Now that she’s enjoying a stable career on film and TV, Cindy Miranda can’t help but look back 12 years ago when she was discovered by Willie Revillame, and became cohost of the variety show, “Wil Time Big Time.”

“I was with an ex-boyfriend at a restaurant. Willie saw me and asked me if I was interested in being a host. I didn’t believe it. I had just graduated from college,” Cindy said at a press conference for the romantic drama movie, “40” (Viva Films), which is now showing in cinemas.

“I didn’t have a name yet. I was no one. I was like, ‘Niloloko ba ako nito (Is he kidding me)?’” she recalled.

Willie was not. The chance meeting happened on a Thursday evening. On Monday, she was on the set, in front of the cameras on live television. “You never really know what destiny has in store for you,” she said. “I’m happy with my work.”

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After that yearlong hosting stint, she went on to compete at the 2013 Miss Tourism Queen International pageant, where she finished in the Top 10.

She landed minor roles in various soap operas. It was in the 2020s, however, that she started getting big breaks headlining such films as “Nerisa,” “Reroute” and “Kuman Thong.”

Now, she has found her way back to Willie as cohost for the new TV5 variety show “Wil to Win.” “He was the first one to believe in me,” said Cindy, who also belied rumors that the show was getting axed after only a month on air.

It’s for this very reason that Cindy became protective of her career. It took her a decade to get to where she is now, and she’s determined to not let any opportunity go to waste—even if it means putting her love life in the back seat.

“I meet a lot of new people, but it’s hard to fall in love because of work. My last relationship didn’t work out because he was ready to settle down and I wasn’t. I still have a lot of dreams I want to fulfill. My family and friends supported me through the years. I don’t want to waste their efforts and let them down,” she said.

Cindy thus sees herself in Megan, the character she portrays in the movie, “40.” Megan is a popular content creator who finds herself contemplating suicide after a controversy robs her of everything she’s worked hard for. Luckily, she finds comfort in Archie (Kiko Estrada), a computer shop owner who helps her through the dark times.

Failure

“Failure is a part of this industry. Sometimes, you think everything is in your hands, everything’s going well. But one day, you wake up and find out that it’s all gone,” she said. “That’s why I seize every moment … I give my best in every opportunity that comes my way. There’s always uncertainty in show biz.”

Love can wait, she stressed. “Don’t rush or force it. I have learned to be happy with myself. I have been single for two years now and I’m happy. I’m busy with work. I have a lot of friends. At least, I have self-love and self-acceptance. But should the right person come along, I won’t close my doors,” she said. INQ