- Mommy Camille
Sharing the Same Passion
Since the day I have come to know of my existence, I somewhat already knew that I am going to be on TV. My mom said that as soon as I started uttering words, all I ever say was "Mommy, I want to be on TV, I want to be like Aiza Seguerra."
Fast forward to today, I didn't think or it never really dawned on me that I would be sharing the same passion with my son Nathan.
Growing up under the limelight was never really easy. I am blessed to grow up in a network who took care of me and put my well being as their top priority before the job itself. My mom made sure my school came first before anything else, that was a non-negotiable. Cut-offs were mandated and at a young age, I knew how my parents fought hard to protect me and my brother John from the chaotic, political and somewhat abusive world of the industry.
One incident that is still very vivid to me until now was when my Mom had a yelling fest with a known, veteran director who was making my brother do a certain stunt he wasn't equipped to do. The yelling fest ended with the director replacing him and cutting his scenes to shorter ones or even close to none because of that incident.
I witnessed how hard it was for my parents to allow us to continue being in the industry when the exposure and surroundings opened doors to peer pressure and influences that could possibly do more harm than good during our formative years. With close guidance and deep infusing of moral values, I guess John and I turned out quite alright. Kudos to our hands-on "stage parents" for that!
When Nathan told me he wanted to try showbiz, I felt like cold, freezing water got dumped over my head and trickled all over my existence. I clearly was not ready to hear that. I consulted my Kuya who is also my co-parent when it comes to raising Nathan and I asked him his thoughts about it. I also spoke to VJ and my parents. (Yes, I am blessed to have a strong support system). They told me to be supportive of what Nathan wants and as long as we are there to guide him, everything will be okay.
I believe that the moment we are born, God already planned out who we are going to be and what field we are going to be great at. He gave us wonderful gifts and talents to be used all for His glory. He gifted us with people who will help us fulfill His purpose in our lives. I am forever grateful to my wonderful Mom and Dad for believing in me since I was 4 years old, for never giving up on me when often times I wouldn't get accepted for certain roles. Believe me when I say that we've gone to a lot of auditions with long waiting hours. We had it rough back then, and I thank God that they patiently brought me to all of those go-sees because at that age, I certainly won't be able to do it without them. Because of that, I am able to do what I have always loved to do since the age of 4. Without them, I wouldn't be where I am now doing what I believe God has called me to do.
By His amazing grace, He is allowing me to do the same for Nathan. Planting the right values and raising him to be a man after God's own heart. With that, I am confident that Nathan will turn out just fine. I don't know for how long and how far the showbiz industry will embrace his presence. But as his mom, I will make sure his feet will remain planted on the ground. If there is one thing I've learned about this industry for more than 20 years of being a part of it, talent can only get you started, but humility takes you far and lets you stay in the game for a long time.
Mommy Camille
