VEGAS&STYLE

Elijah Canlas aspires for filmography like Eddie Garcia’s

by AllAn PolicArPio Inquirer.net

WHILE some actors see romance as a distraction, the opposite is true for Elijah Canlas, who believes that his relationship with Miles Ocampo has only made them better actors.

“We may have our own dreams and goals, but we’re in the same industry and we both love what we do. So we just support each other. She helps me study my script, take down notes and memorize my lines. And I do the same for her. We inspire each other,” he told the Inquirer at a recent press conference launching him as the newest contract talent of Cornerstone Entertainment.

Elijah couldn’t be happier for Miles, whose performances in the drama series “Batang Quiapo” often go viral. “I call her ‘veterans.’ She knows the industry better than I do,” he said of his girlfriend, who started out in show biz as a child star.

“And I feel so proud whenever I see her trending because I have seen how hard she works or how stressed she is. And to see her gain success is amazing.”

Explore Does he mind Miles getting paired with other leading men?

Not at all, said Elijah. In fact, he was the one who actually encouraged Miles to do kissing scenes—something the latter used to be wary of. “Ako pa nga nag-push sa kanya. Before we started dating, we had a chance to work on television (in the TV5 soap ‘Paano ang Pangako’). We were supposed to do a kissing scene, but she didn’t want to do it,” he recalled.

“But now that we’re together, I’m able to tell her that maybe this is a side [of acting] she can finally explore,” the 22-yearold actor said. “I help her get over some of her insecurities … But I can see that the more recognition she gets, the more confidence she gains.”

Asked what attracted her to him at first, Elijah said it was

Elijah Canlas Inquirer.net photo

Miles’ talent and her being an old soul. “I noticed how good she was at acting. Then, I found out that she’s an old soul and loves music and writing letters, like me. It was music that broke the ice for us. I gifted her with a Walkman and cassette tapes,” he related. “Later on, I realized that she’s one of the kindest, most passionate people I have met.”

Numerous awards

Elijah got his first break in 2019, after starring in the acclaimed Jun Lana film “Kalel 15.” His performance as an HIV-positive teenager won him numerous awards, both here and abroad, including best actor trophies at the Asian Film Festival, the Gawad Urian and Famas Awards in 2020. He then rose to prominence amid the height of the pandemic through the hit YouTube boys’ love series, “Gameboys.”

This year, Elijah starred in “About Us But Not About Us”—also by Lana—which is an entry to the first ever summer edition of the Metro Manila Film Festival in April. He’s also part of the upcoming historical film, “GomBurZa.”

Now that he’s with Cornerstone, Elijah said his goal is to penetrate the mainstream and do bigger projects. “It will be a different kind of challenge to be in a big-scale project with a bigger cast … something that takes more shooting days. As an actor, I think it will be exciting to