On Monday, May 30, actress Jenny Miller recalled an incident wherein she forced herself to work after discovering that her apartment was robbed.
Miller was just starting in the entertainment industry, having landed a main role in the 2001 Kapamilya sitcom Whattamen. While taping for the show, a call from her landlady caused her distress—her apartment was ransacked.
“Mayroong nangyari sa buhay ko, when I was just starting sa showbiz, nag-taping ako for a gag show, so kailangan masaya ka ‘di ba?
“Then during lunch break, tinawagan ako ng landlady ko, I was renting pa sa apartment kasi nagsisimula palang ako. So sabi niya, ‘Puwedeng umuwi ka?’ Kasi [daw] unusual; nakabukas ang gate nang kaunti, nakabukas ang lights.
‘Alam kong lagi kang wala dahil busy ka with tapings and all,'” shared the actress during the virtual media conference of The Fake Life.
Upon reaching the place where she was staying, Miller discovered that all her things were gone.
“So umuwi ako. Then ayun, limas lahat ng laman ng apartment ko. Lahat nang pinupundar ko pa lang sa buhay ko noon, nakuha. Na-akyat bahay ako in short.”
At the same time, the actress needed to return to the set.
“But kailangan kong bumalik sa taping. Kailangan kong maging professional. Umiiyak ako na ano eh, wala… lahat nawala. As in wala akong gamit sa bahay, kailangan ko ulit mamili ganiyan.
“But kailangan kong mag-taping, kailangan kong magpatawa, kahit umiiyak ako inside.”
Miller recalled how her co-stars like Ai-Ai delas Alas expressed concern upon knowing her situation. But as an actress, she ‘manned up’ and decided to continue still working.
“Ang hirap-hirap na i-condition ko ulit ang sarili. But then doon nag-sink in sa’kin na artista ka, may pino-portray ka na role. Kalimutan mo [muna] ang personal life, heto ka, humarap ka, eto ‘yung gawin mo, be professional.”
She also realized that artists sometimes need to rely on the phrase “fake it until you make it.”
“So doon pumasok sa akin na kailangan mo talaga kapag artista ka, i-fake mo kahit na ang bigat-bigat ng dinadala mo sa buhay. Pero kailangan mong maging masaya dahil doon sa character mo. You need to fake it. Ilabas mo ang personal emotions mo sa trabaho.”
Meanwhile, in The Fake Life, she will be part of the supporting cast, including Tetchie Agbayani, Regina Reyes, Bryan Benedict, Carlos Dala, Faye Lorenzo, and Savior Ramos Shanelle Agustin, and Will Ashley. The series is directed by Adolf Felix Jr and stars Beauty Gonzalez, Sid Lucero, and Ariel Rivera.
The Fake Life will be coming soon on GMA Afternoon Prime.
