Miles Ocampo on living childhood dream, battling insecurity due to weight gain

Actress Miles Ocampo said her only dream as a child was for people to see her “inside the box,” which meant that she wanted to be a TV personality.

“I started acting at 5 or 6 years old. I really wanted to get into that box, so I pestered my parents into making this happen. That was my only goal in life—to be seen on TV. I never expected that acting would be my career even up to now that I’m close to turning 30,” said the 27-year-old actress.

Miles said her goals did change through the years, but they were never unrelated to show business.

“There came a point when I wanted to play lead. You will realize that the spotlight won’t be shining on you all the time. You won’t always find roles suited for you—I’ve experienced that, too. I believe that no matter how small a role is, if the director and producer chose you for it, then it means you will be able to do justice to it, and that you are still capable of offering something different to your audience,” she pointed out.

Miles plays the titular role in TV5’s family-oriented series “Padyak Princess.” For her, it’s a “big deal” and it puts so much pressure on her shoulders.

“But because I know that the people around me are supporting me, this calms me. I just hope the audience will continue to watch the show,” she said of the program that began airing on the Kapatid network on June 10.

Miles’ sudden weight gain—after being diagnosed with papillary thyroid carcinoma and undergoing thyroidectomy in March 2023—left her struggling with insecurity.

“It came to a point when I really felt depressed. I didn’t have anything to wear that could hide how big I’ve become. No camera angle was good. I thought I needed to hide my body, especially after my radiation session because I really gained so much weight. Eventually, I learned to accept that I would gain or lose weight as a side effect of the medicines I’m taking. I eventually learned to embrace it,” said Miles. “Right now, what’s important to me is to take care of myself well. I make sure to complete my daily eight-hour sleep. Also, when I’m not feeling so good, I really tell the production team.”

Words of encouragement

Asked to share words of encouragement to those who might be going through the same physical and mental struggles, Miles said: “Don’t be afraid to seek help. I admit that when I was younger, I chose to ignore it whenever I felt pain or discomfort because I was too scared to go to the hospital. But at the end of the day, we will never find out the reason for whatever we are feeling if we don’t have our body checked.”

As for future goals, Miles said that after “Padyak Princess,” she will be working on movie projects that she is not allowed to talk about just yet.

Meanwhile, Miles is pleased that the Eddie Garcia Law (Republic Act 11996), which protects and ensures the welfare of industry workers, is now being implemented in all film and TV production units. Its creation was prompted by the death of legendary actor Eddie Garcia while taping on set.

“This is not just for us actors, but also for the crew. They are the first and the last to leave the set,” she pointed out. “Actors still have time to sit down while getting dressed or made up, or to relax during breaks. But the crew would start working on the next set-up the moment they hear the director say, ‘Cut!’

“Sometimes, I would feel it when people on the set are already too tired. They would be dragging their feet or are already breathing heavily. Of course, the implementation of the law is important for everyone. We all get tired on the set, so we need to respect everyone’s cut-off time. This is for the safety of everyone.”