Apart from her regular hosting gigs in It’s Showtime, Anne Curtis will finally star in a teleserye after a decade.
Curtis will lead the Philippine adaptation of the popular 2021 Korean drama It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, which originally starred Kim Soo Hyun, Seo Yea Ji, and Oh Jung Se. She portray the iconic Ko Moon Young, while Joshua Garcia and Carlo Aquino will portray Kim and Oh’s characters, respectively.
The three couldn’t hide their excitement about being a part of the highly-anticipated series, especially Curtis who is a big fan of the original series.
“When they offered this to me, it was an instant yes because I love the original. I couldn’t let it pass,” Curtis said during the series’ press conference.
“The moment I watched the series in 2021, I called my manager in Viva and asked her if I do a series again, I think I would like to do It’s Okay to Not Be Okay,” she added.
Curtis also revealed that she sees herself as the fictional character: “You see it in how she dresses and how she changes her hair, how she speaks, how she controls her emotions how she goes through the process, pati ‘yung mga outburst niya sabi ko ‘I can see myself,’ so I think it was a light bulb moment and she can be relatable to so many. And maybe I recognize and I acknowledge that in myself also.”
Meanwhile, Garcia and Aquino were honored to be cast alongside Curtis. “Of course, pagkatapos ng napakatagal na panahon babalik siya (Anne Curtis), tapos isa ako sa mga makakasama niya. Isang karangalan (After a very long time, she will make her television return, and I will be one of those who will be with her. It is an honor),” Garcia said. Aquino who previously worked with Curtis in the multi-award-winning romantic war film Baler, was excited to work with the renowned actress: “I’m sure kita niyo naman [na] very willing and capable naman ang isang Anne Curtis sa role (I’m sure you can see that Anne Curtis is very willing and capable in the role), so I am excited.” It’s Okay to Not Be Okay is Curtis’ first comeback role in television after ten years. Her last lead role was in Mars Ravelo’s Dyesebel. Although more details have yet to be announced, the upcoming adaptation will be directed by Mae Cruz-Alviar, and scenes will be taken in Negros province and Iloilo City. It will also be available on Netflix. Moreover, Filipino illustrators will also be involved in bringing the show’s illustrations to life. In the original series, this creative aspect was heavily showcased as Ko was a children’s book writer. It’s Okay to Not Be Okay was a popular K-drama that dominated Netflix during its release. The romantic drama tackled mental health, as Ko (Seo’s character) has an antisocial personality disorder while Moon Sang-tae (Oh’s character) has an autism spectrum disorder.
