Interview by Tinna Bonifacio
Tagged as one of the most beautiful faces of her generation, Anne Curtis has impressed TV audiences with her portrayals in some of primetime’s most dramatically-demanding soaps, like Hiram, Kampanerang Kuba and Maging Sino Ka Man. Of the three, it was the latter—in which she starred as Celine Magsaysay—that marked Anne’s coming-of-age as an actress, even earning her a nomination as Best Drama Actress from the Philippine Movie Press Club’s Star Awards for Television.
This month, Anne is set to take on the lead role in Dyosa, one of the most ambitious and expensive fantaseryes to be mounted by ABS-CBN. In Dyosa, Anne plays a young woman who traces her parentage to two mythological creatures, thus blessing her with power over land, sea and sky. It is a dream come true for Anne, who has progressively gotten better with each show that she’s done.
Today, Anne shares the secrets of her rise to fame with JobsDB readers.
You’ve really come a long way from where you’ve started. What was the sign that told you you’d arrived, and that this—acting—was what you were meant to do?
I think it was when I was 12 years old and I was nominated in the Best Actress category of the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) against the likes of Maricel Soriano. For someone my age, that was a really big deal.
How did you get your start in the business?
We were eating in a fastfood restaurant in Mandaluyong, when someone came up to us and asked if I wanted to join showbiz. I was then in Grade 7 at the Colegio de Santa Rosa. I was made to audition for a role in Magic Kingdom, directed by Peque Gallaga. I went to the audition straight from school, still dressed in my uniform, with gravy on my necktie. But I made it. That was the start of my career. Nagtuloy-tuloy na from there.
Who has been the single biggest influence on your career?
My mom. She’s the one who really pushed me. Actually, it was my mom’s dream to be an artista. Nag-extra pa nga siya sa isang movie. Kaya nung nag-artista ako, feel na feel niya ‘yon. Even when I was a child, kung saan-saan niya ako sinasali. Sinasagala niya ako sa [community namin] sa Hulo, Mandaluyong. I remember, nag-muse pa nga ako sa basketball team. Best Muse pa nga ako that time. It was really my mom who was responsible for all that. She believed I could do it, and she pushed me. Looking back, I’m glad she did. My dad took longer to warm up to the idea of me being in showbiz, but he’s also been very supportive.
What would you say has been the highlight of your career so far?
In terms of being an actress, it would have to be Maging Sino Ka Man. It was one of the most enjoyable and the most challenging roles I’ve ever done. It was a super-emotional roller coaster! Ang mga linya ni Celine, ang sarap i-dialogue! At saka feel na feel kong magbihis dun. I loved the fact that Celine was not the typical maldita.
I really grew with that character. And I think people loved her because people could relate to her. Celine tackled so many problems. She even had cancer, which was hard for me, because I’ve never been with someone with cancer. I had to ask my director for pointers on how to attack the role. When Celine finally died, that was really painful for me. Ang sakit because I fell in love with the character. During the taping of her death scene, practice pa lang, naiiyak na ako.
You’re about to start a new show this month, Dyosa. There’s a lot of pressure involved, because of comparisons between your character here, which is a mermaid, and that of Marian Rivera, who’s also playing a mermaid in Dyesebel. How do you handle the pressure and any negative comments that might arise?
I just try not to think of any negativity. That’s how I approach each project that I do. Plus, I just always give my best. That’s how I always am, and so far, so good.
Are you intimidated by competition?
Not really. This is such a small business. I always tell myself, “Competition is to be expected, but you shouldn’t be affected”. It’s inevitable in this business. I just try not to let it get to me. What’s most important to me is to do my best with every project that comes my way. Dyosa is no different.
Speaking of Dyosa, it’s also challenging like Maging Sino Ka Man, but in a different way, right?
Definitely! It’s harder in a physical sense. Hindi biro ang mga costumes na isusuot ko dito. Some of them are so heavy. The costume of my centaur character is made of molded fiberglass. For my mermaid character, I even had to study fin swimming. It’s really challenging, and I’m so looking forward to it. I just hope I can prove equal to the challenge.
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