Pia Miller, born on 2nd of November 1983, is an Australian fashion model, TV presenter and actress. She is the daughter of Angelica Blanco, a former fashion designer. When she was just four years, she left for Australia with her brother, sister and mother. The family was also joined by the grandmother shortly after they arrived in Australia.
She was enrolled in modelling school just after turning seven by her mom. From a young age, she learnt how to walk the catwalk and improve her posture before pursuing a full-time career in modelling.
Through her modelling and acting career, she continued to pay attention to her academic courses and finished year 12 by correspondence.
Claim to fame – celebrity endorsements and modelling events
Pia has a raft of celebrity endorsements and modelling gigs under her belt, including:
- Born in Chile, she became famous after winning a modelling competition run by the popular teen magazine Dolly. She was just 14 when she won this contest. After winning the Dolly modelling competition, Chadwick Models gave her a contract.
- When she was 16, she was already travelling around the globe walking the runway for several modelling shows. She also competed in the series Search for a Supermodel in 2001.
- She has been the face of several advertising campaigns for major brands across Australia like Crown Casinos, Myer, Australian Unity and Midas, apart from endorsing brands like Cadbury and Samsung.
- Pia has also co-hosted the Qantas in-flight entertainment programs back in 2010 as the replacement for Deborah Hutton.
- She was the celebrity tourism ambassador of Australia for Chile in 2014.
- In 2010, Pia was also the ambassador for the Australian Grand Prix.
- In January 2015, Pia was named the brand ambassador for the Mazda CX-5 and started in a Maybelline mascara and eyeliner video later that same year.
- She was also the first female ambassador for Volvo.
- In 2017, she was the first ambassador from Australia for Gillette Venus.
- In 2012/2013, she modelled for Megan Gale’s swimwear line.
- She is also the Caltrate Australia brand ambassador.
- Pia was also the first Australian ambassador for the new Pantene Pro-V Micellar series.
Career in acting and television
From 2009 onwards, Pia took an interest in acting and began lessons, along with presentation and voice classes at NIDA – the National Institute of Dramatic Art. Some of her acting and television gigs include:
- In 2010, she became a presenter for the travel show Postcards Victoria hosted on the Nine Network. She stopped anchoring the show in 2012.
- She has also appeared in the talk show, The Circle, which used to be aired on Network Ten.
- In 2011, Pia got a role in the romantic comedy Big Mamma’s Boy. She also appeared in the crime drama East West 101.
- She has guest starred in Neighbours and Wonderland
- In 2014, Pia joined the soap Home and Away as a series regular where she played Katarina Chapman, the new policewoman in Summer Bay. She even received a nomination for the show at the 2016 Logie Awards. In 2017, it was announced that Pia would be leaving the show.
- In 2018, she played a part in the crime thriller Bite Club, which aired on the Nine Network. In the same year, she also joined the live action film cast of Dora the Explorer where she plays Mami, Dora’s aunty and Diego’s mom.
Since leaving her role in Home and Away, she has been making waves in the Hollywood scene. She has had several acting gigs and continues to pursue her acting career. Pia also has a Sydney-based acting agent and has been trying to get more acting roles across the country and abroad.
Personal life
Pia gave birth to her son Isaiah in 2002 at the age of 19. She became an Australian citizen in 2010.
Pia and Brad Miller
In 2005, Pia met AFL footballer Brad Miller at a bar in Richmond and started a relationship with him. A friend set them up on the night and they hit it off instantly, chatting for hours in a corner. According to Pia, David Neitz – Brad’s skipper at the time – was also out that night and told him to marry her.
Their son, Lennox, was born in October 2006. He was named after Lennox Head in NSW, which was Brad’s favourite spot for surfing. In 2007, Pia and Brad got married in Dandenongs. In October 2015, they announced that they would be splitting.
Pia cited the pressures of work and hectic schedules as the main reasons for the breakdown of her marriage to Brad. But despite the end of their decade-long marriage, the two continue to be friends for the sake of the kids, and share the responsibility of looking after them.
Brad even relocated to Sydney from his Melbourne home so that he and Pia could look after the boys together.
Pia considers herself a tough mom and enjoys the support of her family in bringing up her boys.
Pia Miller and Tyson Mullane
Pia got engaged to Tyson Mullane, a film producer in November 2017 after beginning to date each other in 2015 shortly after her separation from Brad Miller.
They were dating for 18 months before he proposed during her birthday celebrations. While their story seemed quite perfect, they reportedly ended their 18-month engagement in 2019.
In April 2019, after split rumours, Pia was spotted without an engagement ring around Bondi Beach.
Search for estranged father
Pia spent a long time looking for her father who she had not seen since she left Chile at the age of four with her mother, sister and brother.
Pia started reaching out to people in search of her father and was finally able to get in touch with him over the phone, which she described as overwhelming.
After re-connecting with her father over the phone, she even travelled to Chile, in 2011, to visit him in person but this didn’t go according to plan and she left the country disappointed.
Since then, she is no longer in contact with her father, and has claimed to have a newfound appreciation for her mother, Angelica Blanco who brought her and her siblings up after bringing them to Australia when they were young.
Fitness and eating regime
Pia worked with a professional trainer and was taking high-intensity training classes to maintain her model-like figure. Now, she runs around and plays footy with her sons. She also spends a lot of time swimming at the beach and does yoga when she can. The more active she is, the more energised she feels – but follows a routine that fits into her life.
She is usually up by 7am or earlier when she has to go to work and starts off with a coffee. For breakfast, she usually eats a bowl of porridge and berries in winter or toast and avocado. On days where she is shooting, she fills up with a green smoothie.
Pia’s lunch usually consists a healthy protein like poached chicken and a pressed juice. She loves eating Mexi bowls with brown rice, corn, chilli beans, beef or chicken, guacamole and pico de gallo. She’s also a fan of homemade soup with bread served on the side.
Cooking is part of her culture and enjoys cooking for her family whenever she can and isn’t busy at a shoot.
Other lifestyle habits and dressing sense
According to Pia, she gets her hair cut every 8 weeks or so and gets highlights put through it so she gets a nourishing mask once in 10 days to keep it looking beautiful and sleek. She considers her hair naturally wavy.
Over the years, she has been a regular feature at many fashion and social events across Sydney and Melbourne, including the famous Melbourne Cup, Vogue Fashion’s Night Out, David Jones Collections Launches and the Marie Claire Awards.
Away from the cameras, Pia is well known for her stylish appearance and chic fashion sense. Comfortable in almost anything – from suits to skirts to gowns to pants, Pia can carry off any ensemble with style and elegance. This approach to fashion is what won her several ambassador roles with fashion and beauty brands like Maybelline, Myer and Megan Gale’s swimwear.
Pia has constantly faced criticism for her body appearance. Several body shamers have taken to social media to criticise her appearance on multiple occasions. But never shy to reply, Pia has hit back at her critics and call out all the negativity for simple posts.
Pia is not only considered gorgeous, but also regarded as having a lot of depth as a model, actress and mother – bringing together a beautiful combination of style and substance.