Actress-host Anne Curtis has been officially announced as the lead star in the Filipino adaptation of the popular Korean series It’s Okay to Not Be Okay.
The It’s Showtime host was thrilled to be back on the small screen as Emilia “Mia” Hernandez – the Filipino counterpart of Seo Yea-ji’s character Ko Moon-young – a decade after her last television project.
When tapped to become one of its cast members, Anne recalled that she had been eyeing the character since she watched the Korean series in 2021 and even called her manager to express her desire to portray Ko Moon-young.
“When they offered this to me, it was an instant yes because I love the original. I couldn’t let it pass. The moment I watched the series in 2021, I called my manager in Viva and asked her if I’ll do a series again, I think I would like to do It’s Okay to Not Be Okay,” explained Anne.
She even described her teleserye comeback as “definitely worth it”.
“I wouldn’t accept a project if I didn’t feel it was worth leaving my family for a little bit to shoot,” she added.
Anne will be portraying the role of a children’s book author with an antisocial personality disorder. She will be joined by Joshua Garcia and Carlo Aquino who will play as siblings Patrick “Patpat” Gonzales and Matthew “Matmat” Gonzales, respectively, who were originally played by Kim Soo-hyun (Moon Gang-tae) and Oh Jung Se (Moon Sang-tae).
The series became a hit during the pandemic in 2021 after focusing on mental health issues. Anne then admitted that as she witnessed Moon-young’s character development, she could somehow see herself in her.
“I love her journey of growth. You see it from the beginning of the episode until the end. You see how she dresses, how she changes her hair, how she speaks and controls her emotions, and how she goes through the process, even her outbursts. I can see myself,” she said.
Given that mental health is the primary focus of the series, the cast is said to be undergoing immersion to fully understand how they can portray their roles.
Anne and Joshua, on the other hand, promised to give their best in giving justice to her role.
“You will see me portraying her [character] with utmost care. I hope this series will break the stigma and raise awareness,” said Anne.
“I think the importance of being emotionally prepared is more important because the story that we will tackle is quite sensitive,” added Joshua.
It’s Okay to Not Be Okay will be helmed by box-office director Mae Cruz-Alviar and will be soon available on Netflix.
