Anne Curtis admits first-day jitters at launch of her teleserye comeback

Posted by ReyFort Media

MANILA — After nearly a year of filming, ABS-CBN’s much-anticipated Filipino adaptation of the hit Korean drama “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” headlined by Anne Curtis, Joshua Garcia, and Carlo Aquino is finally ready to premiere, 

The star-studded cast, which also includes Agot Isidro, Bobot Mortiz, Xyriel Manabat, Rio Locsin, Enchong Dee, and Francis Magundayao, gathered for the grand press launch where emotions ran high, especially for Curtis, who marks her teleserye comeback through this project.

“To be honest, it took me a while to say yes to this project. As much as we were so excited to do it, I was also so nervous,” Curtis admitted. “Ang tagal ko nang hindi umarte so there were a lot of jitters, especially sa first day. But I was supported by amazing actors and guided by our team captain, Direk Mae [Cruz-Alviar]. Even today, sa pagbati pa lang, kitang-kita na kinakabahan ako. But you know what? I really learned from the story that it’s okay to not be okay.”

Carlo Aquino, who takes on the role of Matmat, a high-functioning individual on the autism spectrum, received high praise for his performance. Aquino shared his preparation process, saying, “Pinag-3-day immersion nila ako sa special school sa may Banawe. Sinamahan ako ni Josh. Pina-observe sa akin mga high-functioning, ‘yung hindi masyado. Tapos after that, pinag-workshop ako kay Ms. Anna Fileo. Sa tulong ni Direk Mae, binuo namin paano gumalaw.”

Veteran actress Rio Locsin was moved by Aquino’s depth and commitment. “Pag mga eksena niya, pinapanood ko talaga, lalo na pag mabibigat. Rehearsal pa lang, bumibigay na siya. Ang husay kasi, hindi nga madali. Pero kayang ibigay paulit-ulit, parang saan nanggagaling yun?”

Joshua Garcia, who plays the male lead Patrick, described his reaction after watching the trailer: “Ako, nakangiti lang ako the whole time. Natutuwa ako kasi nakita na namin yung pinaghirapan namin.”

Curtis echoed the emotional rollercoaster of seeing the finished product. “The anticipation… we were filming for almost a year. So the moment I hit play, andun ‘yung kaba, ‘yung excitement. It was really a whirlwind of emotions. But when it ended, I was left with a smile.”

Aquino chimed in with his own excitement: “Mayabang! Siyempre proud! Gawa namin ‘yun eh, tapos ganoon kaganda!” he said, laughing. “Hindi basta-basta ‘yung napanood natin na trailer. Sobrang ganda. Pinakita ko agad sa misis ko napanood niya na pala! Nagulat ako nun kasi hindi ko alam magda-drop na pala ng full trailer.”

As a localized adaptation, “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” promises a fresh take while retaining the soul of the original Korean series. 

“We have added some new characters to make it our own,” Curtis revealed. “It’s a universal story a healing story. It’s a beautiful feeling of love. At the end of the day, every Filipino whether family or friends will be able to relate.”

Enchong Dee, also returning to teleserye after a hiatus, shared his gratitude for being part of the project. “I am very, very lucky to do this show… I always say this to a lot of people I’m so lucky ‘coz I got to see how professional and how brilliant Anne Curtis is. Direk Mae, it’s a reunion also for us, she’s the one who created Kaloy of ‘Magkaribal.’ And it’s always been a dream of mine to work with Joshua and Carlo.”

“It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” premieres July 18 on Netflix, July 19 on iWantTFC, and July 21 on Kapamilya Channel, Jeepney TV, and TV5 at 8:45 p.m. (G. Krishnan/abs-cbn)