What made Anne Curtis accept lead role in ‘It’s Okay to Not Be Okay’ remake
Anne Curtis will star as the Filipino counterpart of Ko Moon-young in the “It’s Okay To Not Be Okay” Filipino remake. Image: Instagram/@starcreativestv
The moment Anne Curtis watched “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” in 2021, she knew in her heart that she wanted to portray the role of Ko Moon-young which originally starred Seo Yea-ji.
Three years later, she will star as Emilia “Mia” Hernandez in the Philippine adaptation of the hit K-drama. She will be joined by Joshua Garcia and Carlo Aquino who will take on the local counterparts of Kim Soo-hyun and Oh Jung-se’s characters, respectively.
“When they offered this to me, it was an instant yes because I love the original. I couldn’t let it pass,” said Curtis at a press conference for the series. “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.’”
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The local adaptation marks Curtis’ first TV project in 10 years since “Mars Ravelo’s Dyesebel.” But what convinced the actress that the series was “worth it” was how it portrayed “different aspects” of mental health.
Article continues after this advertisement“My character has an antisocial personality disorder and you will see me portraying her with utmost care. I hope this series will break the stigma and raise awareness,” she said.
Article continues after this advertisementBesides Ko Moon-young (Seo), Oh’s character Moon Sang-tae has an autism spectrum disorder. Kim’s character Moon Kang-tae works as a caregiver at a psychiatric hospital.
READ: ‘It’s Okay to Not Be Okay’ is very OK
The actress also recognized how Moon-young’s character arc touched her heart despite her impulsive and violent nature, saying the latter’s growth is what she “recognized” within herself.
“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.
“It was really a lightbulb moment. She can be relatable to so many, and maybe I recognized and acknowledged that with myself also,” she continued.
Meanwhile, Garcia and Aquino didn’t hide how honored they were to be working with Curtis for the series.
“I’m excited because the last time we worked together, it was in ‘Baler’ so it’s been a long time since then,” Aquino said, referring to the 2008 film which also stars Jericho Rosales.
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Mae Cruz-Alviar is tapped to direct the upcoming adaptation. More details about the series are yet to be announced, but it is said to take place in Negros.
Filipino illustrators will also be sourced in bringing the show’s illustrations to life which played a huge part in the original series.
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