 Anne Curtis: “You have to have the will and the patience”
Interview by Tinna S. Bonifacio
She reminds people of her idol, Hollywood icon Audrey Hepburn. But the gamine-faced Anne Curtis is no longer just an Audrey Hepburn clone. Since starting in the business as a child star in Magic Kingdom in 1997, Anne has gone on to establish a brilliant career as an actress, which was highlighted by her Best Actress win at last year’s Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) for her role in the historical film Baler.
Anne owes her career success to a lot of people, including her Viva Entertainment family and her father, who never tires of reminding her of the power of a smile. “Smile at people. It means so much to them,” he tells her.
Here is Anne on that and her other career secrets:
What do you enjoy the most about having a career in show business?
There’s a lot that they say about showbiz, that when you’re in showbiz, you lose your sense of privacy and that it doesn’t give you a normal life. On the positive side, it helps me mature a lot faster. And it’s a different kind of education. It’s great when you can do something you love doing, and are able to combine work and pleasure into one. At saka siyempre, the perks that come with it.
Is there any star whose career you want to emulate?
Audrey Hepburn. Because with her career, she was still able to keep things private. She’s such a good role model, with her humanitarian work (Hepburn, who died in 1993 at the age of 63, was a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador) and she was such a timeless actress.
What about locally?
Gloria Romero siguro. She’s been in this business for more than 50 years, and she’s still active. I also like that she’s a classic beauty. Ang ganda niya talaga!
What is the best career advice you’ve ever received?
That you should only keep working until you love what you’re doing. When you don’t enjoy it anymore, what’s the point in sticking around? My dad gives really good advice. He always tells me that I should be patient, and smile all the time, even when I don’t feel like it. If someone comes up to me, I should look them in the eye and smile because that simple act means so much to them.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Winning my first Best Actress award for Baler in the Metro Manila Film Festival. As an actress, that’s something everybody wants. It’s nice, because after [you’ve been in the business] for 10, 11 years, you feel that there’s growth. It’s such an achievement for yourself. Iba ang awardee. (Laughs).
Now that you’re a Best Actress awardee, do you feel any pressure to do better?
I don’t think that should give you a reason to feel pressured. It’s true, there’s a certain standard that you have to stick to in terms of your acting, pero hindi naman ibig sabihin na after that, lagi kang bida sa mga next movies mo, or that your asking price will suddenly go up. As an actress, all I want is to just do what I’ve been doing the past 11 years. I won’t live my life by the pressure of other people. I’ve always believed that what you do, it has to be to your contentment first. If it makes me happy, then other people will be happy too.
What is next for you, career-wise?
I don’t know yet. I’m so free-spirited. There are so many roles I want to do. I want to experiment. There’s so much more out there, different genres, and different directors to try.
What advice would you give to those who want to follow in your footsteps?
They have to have the will and the patience. Lalo na patience. I took the long road to get to where I am today. When I started out in show biz, I didn’t even have any speaking lines in my projects. I played the sister of Kim delos Santos and the cousin of Angelu de Leon. Mga small roles lang before all of this happened. So don’t worry if you have to start at the bottom. Just sit it out, wait it out and enjoy the ride. |
