IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Miles Ocampo’s moment has come
Image: Instagram/@milesocampo
From child star to teeny bopper to a young actress who has successfully pulled through a mature role, it seemed that Miles Ocampo’s moment has indeed come.
Often she would be seen playing around doing comedies here and there, but it was her recent portrayal as Marites Dimaguiba, a rape victim facing an unwanted pregnancy in “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo,” that shone a spotlight on her acting prowess. The host-comedienne’s naturally sweet demeanor contributed to her wholesome image, thereby making it easy for some to take for granted her potential to carry a more mature role. But in case one is living under a rock lately, Ocampo actually was able to flip that image and show that she is still capable of taking on a wider range of roles.
Once the camera started rolling, she was no longer the girl in baggy shorts and unkempt hair trying to make us laugh on “Eat Bulaga”; she is now that actress who has long waited for this break to come, hungry for an opportunity to show her versatility in acting. And Ocampo did not disappoint in that pilot episode of “Batang Quiapo”; her acting was well applauded, that one would say her years in the industry have honed her into a fine actress much deserving of cheers.
But wait. There’s still a lot more we do not know about this 25-year-old actress.
She’s a “Goin’ Bulilit” alum
Ocampo had been a mainstay of the now-defunct kiddie comedy show “Goin’ Bulilit” from 2005 to 2009, alongside her batchmates and fellow actresses Kathryn Bernardo, Julia Montes, Jane Oineza and Trina Legaspi, among others. Then eight-year-old Ocampo was paired up with Igi Boy Flores with whom she mostly played couple roles in skits.
Article continues after this advertisementOcampo regarded “Goin’ Bulilit” as a big factor of her childhood and her showbiz career. Ocampo was among the sixth batch of graduates who bid farewell to the show in October 2009.
She pursues a Creative Writing degree at University of the Philippines – Diliman
Ocampo’s dream to write a script for a film inspired her to take up a Creative Writing course at UP Diliman. The actress initially took up Theater Arts and was already in her third year in college when she shifted courses in 2018.
She also revealed lining up and getting accepted to a scriptwriting workshop by veteran scriptwriter and National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricky Lee in 2017, an experience which further influenced her to pursue Creative Writing.
Ocampo noted that her decision to change courses made her very happy as she got to learn and enjoy the process of making scripts, as per a 2019 interview.
Image: Instagram/@milesocampo
She’s in a relationship with ‘Gameboys’ actor Elijah Canlas
Ocampo and Canlas’ relationship was confirmed to the public by the latter in an interview with comedian Ogie Diaz last year. The “Gameboys” actor revealed that they started dating in 2021 but they opted to keep their relationship private.
Image: Instagram/@milesocampo
Image: Instagram/@milesocampo
Ocampo and Canlas worked together in the TV5 drama series “Paano Ang Pangako?” in 2020, then appeared in the music video of Over October’s “Sandali Lang” in 2021. The couple first sparked dating speculations after they released photos taken from Ocampo’s birthday celebration, with Canlas calling the actress his “favorite person.”
Canlas was the first celebrity Ocampo went into a public relationship with. In a 2017 interview in the morning talk show “Magandang Buhay,” the actress revealed that she was “NBSB” (no boyfriend since birth) at the time because she was at a phase where she was enjoying having her “me time.”
Image: Instagram/@milesocampo
She starred in over 20 films, TV shows
Ocampo has grown into a promising young actress whose acting career spanned from supporting to lead roles across different genres. She was just seven years old when she starred in her first ever television series, “Mangarap Ka” (2004), alongside veteran actor Piolo Pascual. The following year, Ocampo was given a lead role in the drama series “Mga Anghel na Walang Langit.”
As a “Goin’ Bulilit” alum, Ocampo is also known for her projects at the comedy department including the youth-oriented show “Luv U” and the sitcom “Home Sweetie Home.”
Through the years, she delved more into heavy acting, delivering notable performances in TV series “And I Love You So” (2015), “Sana Dalawa Ang Puso Ko” (2018) and in her frequent guestings in the drama anthology “Maalaala Mo Kaya.” She was also part of the hit romantic-comedy film trilogy “A Very Special Love,” “You Changed My Life,” and “It Takes a Man and a Woman” where she played the character of Rose Magtalas, the younger sister of Sarah Geronimo’s Laida Magtalas.
In 2019, Ocampo topbilled the romantic-comedy film “Write About Love” which bagged six awards in the Metro Manila Film Festival.
Most recently, Ocampo portrayed a special role in “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo” which she considered an opportunity for her to “grow and explore” as an actress. She said that she was looking forward to taking on roles that are far from her usual comedic characters — a milestone she was able to realize in the TV series.
She’s managed by Maja Salvador’s talent agency
Ocampo had been with Star Magic for 18 years before she transferred to Salvador’s talent agency, Crown Artist Management, in 2022. She described this big move as a “new chapter” in her life, adding that she can now finally speak for herself and express her emotions freely.
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A few months after, Ocampo then appeared in GMA’s long-running noontime variety show “Eat Bulaga” where she had her first ever birthday production in her 19 years in show business.
She and Salvador then became one of the hosts of the show, but Ocampo was later removed from it after apparently losing in the segment “Bida Ex.” “Bida Ex” was a spinoff of the show’s “Bida Next” segment wherein instead of contestants, hosts are competing for their stint in the program.
During an “Eat Bulaga” episode last August, an apparently emotional Ocampo asked the mainstay hosts to give her another chance to return to the show. The actress, who even applied to be part of the technical support staff, was eventually welcomed back to the “EB” stage and has since been hosting the variety show. EDV
