Jasmine Curtis-Smith comes into her own

After living with big sister Anne for the past couple of years, TV5 actor Jasmine Curtis-Smith said she was ready and excited to live on her own.

Curtis is set to move into her new condominium unit anytime soon. “Ito na siguro ang pinakamalaking gastos ko ever sa buhay ko!” she quipped, giggling.

Turning serious, the 20-year-old talent said she wanted to invest in something while she was young and it was heartening to see the fruit of all her hard work starting to materialize.

“It feels good knowing that soon, every time I go home, I can relax, knowing that I’ve earned this and deserve everything in here,” the Filipino-Australian celebrity told reporters at a recent press conference for her new, self-titled television series, “JasMINE.”

“I’ve already transferred my belongings to my new home. Ako na lang ang lilipat,” Curtis said.

Hectic schedule

Though she was looking forward to being independent, Curtis admitted that she was starting to miss Anne. “I’m starting to feel anxious, especially since my mom returned recently to Australia. I’ll have to adjust. But since Anne is usually out of the house because of her hectic schedule, I’ve had a little practice,” she said.

JASMINE Curtis-Smith refuses to take sides when loved ones figure in a controversy.

Asked what she was going to miss most once she moved out of Anne’s place, Curtis said: “It’s the comfort of knowing that my ate is always just there. We usually eat breakfast together and, when I have nothing to do, I can talk to her. But that’s about to change.”

What about her rumored boyfriend Sam Concepcion? Will he be allowed to visit her in her new home? “He can but there has to be a chaperone … May visiting hours,” Curtis quipped, as she assured everyone that her relationship with the singer-dancer remained strong despite recent intrigues.

Earlier this year, there were reports that a drunk Anne confronted and humiliated Concepcion during Vice Ganda’s birthday party in a posh bar.

“We’re OK and we always make it a point to make time for each other,” Curtis said. She added that all was well between Anne and Concepcion.

“Communication was key,” she said. “I immediately talked to both of them to clarify the issue. I made sure to hear both sides; I didn’t want to side with anyone because they’re both important to me.”

The Kapatid star, however, declined to go into details about the conflict, saying it was a very “private matter.” “There’s no need to discuss it further,” she said.

Curtis said she was fortunate and blessed to have a show named after her—something many newbies do not get to experience.

Directed by Mark Meily, “JasMINE” is a collaboration between TV5, commercial and film production outfit Unitel Entertainment, and advertising agency Ace Saatchi and Saatchi.

Rivals, stalkers

Curtis plays a fictional version of herself in the series, which tackles the dark side of show biz—like conniving people who sabotage rivals and fanatical stalkers.

Curtis said she was lucky that she had not encountered those people in her three years in the biz. “So far, all the actors I’ve worked with were very real … Walang plastikan,” she said.

She added that she was similar to her character, who preferred doing indie films instead of mainstream projects. “There has to be a balance,” pointed out Curtis, who won best supporting actress for “Transit” at the Cinemalaya film festival in 2013. She also got a best supporting actress nomination from the critics’ group Urian for the same film.

“There are things you can learn in mainstream that you can apply in indie movies and there are things in the indie scene you won’t get to experience when making mainstream films,” she said.

Curtis is one of the main stars in Perci Intalan’s indie suspense-drama “Dementia” and will also be in a mainstream film under Regal.

“Filmmaking isn’t all about art— there’s also a business side to it. There are lots of great scripts in mainstream, too,” she said.

“JasMINE” airs on Sundays, 9:15 p.m.

(E-mail [email protected].)