From child star to mentor

Camille Pratts has come a long way from being a child actress and now, one of the country's bankable adult thespians.
At present, she plays the role of Jillian Ward's mother in GMA Network's teleserye "Luna Blanca."
Since the early part of the TV soap involves a lot of children (because the story starts with Luna and Blanca as kids), Pratts observed that her life as a child actress and that of the young ones now are the same.

"It's basically the same. Ganoon din ako noong maliit. I started their age so I can easily relate to them. I know how to put them in a good mood again," she told The News Today during last Saturday's promo tour of Luna Blanca in SM City Iloilo.
"To put Jillian in a good mood, we play with the iPod. If I have new apps, I show it to her because she likes to play with things. She's very curious and adventurous. Kailangan may bago siyang kinakalikot," Pratts said.
Mona Louise Rey, on the other hand is "timid, quiet, feminine and malambing."
Pratts added, "We are textmates everyday. She would ask me, 'Nay, nasaan ka na? Nay, may taping ka?' Ang lambing talaga."
"These kids love what they are doing. They want to be good actresses and they work hard for it. I was also like that. Hindi ako pinilit mag-artista," she added.
Pratts also commended the people working on the show in terms of taking good care of the children, thus, allaying fears of kids being exploited in the entertainment industry. "The people that we work with here in GMA are very cooperative. Whatever the kids need, they provide. If the children are required to work up to a certain time, they follow it. In our end in Luna Blanca, I can say that children are not exploited," she said.
Pratts revealed that she consistently tells her young co-actors to find time to study. "At the end of the day, pag nawala ang lahat ng ito, iba pa ring yong nakatapos," she said.
She added that children are also reminded to always follow their parents. "As a child actor, di mo alam ang papatunguhan mo. It's easy to be overwhelmed with fame. So, hindi dapat lumaki ang ulo mo. Kailangan pareho ang pakikitungo sa lahat."
Ward, who was seated beside Pratts said, "She started at four years old. Same with me, I started at four."
Pratts said, "Yes. She knows about this because I showed her my pictures when I was little."
When asked what kind of a mommy Pratts is in the soap, Ward said, "Pag acting, ayaw na nya sa akin. Sinisikreto nya na lang na mahal nya ako."
That's because in Luna Blanca, Pratt's role hates her daughter.
"Kasi sa show, galit ako sa kanya. So, she told me, 'Nay, magalit ka na sa akin." So, we rehearsed this," Pratts said.
ON LOSING WEIGHT
Pratts has lost weight since she was seen in the soap "Ang Munting Heredera" and she attributes this to a diet that's full of steamed dishes and more time to eat right and to workout.
"After Heredera, I had more time to workout and to eat right. If you're always tired and lack sleep, you're always hungry. So ngayon, medyo pumayat ng konti. Sana konti pa," she said.
Pratts said that when she started to feel desperate in losing weight, she ate only five pieces of steamed saba banana a day. Later on, I ate steamed chicken, steamed fish and steamed vegetables, too. Nagtaka lang ako na parang lumuluwag na ang mga damit ko. So, I requested them that after taping, 'yon na lang i-serve - ang steamed food. I got used to this kind of food, so when I eat something else, masyado nang malasa," she said.
She does not eat midnight snack, too.
LUNA BLANCA
Luna Blanca started airing on primetime TV last May 21. It's the network's first multigenerational drama which tells the story of twin sisters Luna and Blanca.
As the characters of Ward and Rey grow, they will be replaced by Bea Binene as Luna and Barbie Forteza as Blanca.
For the third generation, Bianca King plays Luna while Heart Evangelista plays Blanca.
Pratts plays the role of Rowena who is believed to be the last descendant of Luna, the woman with a mystical twin shadow named Celestina.
The other cast of Luna Blanca are: Raymart Santiago (Luis, Rowena's lover), Chynna Ortaleza (Divine, Luis' childhood friend), Dante Rivero (Lolo Igme who raised Rowena), Marissa Delgado (Dona Consuelo, Luis' arrogant mother), Karen de los Reyes (Tetchie, Divine's bestfriend), Mercedes Cabral (Marieta, Rowena's confidant), Buboy Villar (Jojo, Blanca's close friend) and Arkin Magalona (Toti, childhood friend of Luna and Blanca).*