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Why We Think Anne Curtis Is the Perfect Actress for the Lead Role in 'It's Okay to Not Be Okay' PH

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<div><strong></strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1752942997497511451514_18516204082035165_3947110175514548757_n (1).jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo from @starcreativestv</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>The Philippine adaptation of the hit Korean series <strong><em>It&#x27;s Okay to Not Be Okay</em> <em></em></strong>(<em>IOTNBO</em>) <em></em><strong><em></em></strong>is finally here. Our initial thoughts? How nice it is to relive the scenes of one of the K-dramas that kept us company during the pandemic, but with a welcome Filipino twist. </p><p>Directed by <strong>Mae Cruz Alviar </strong>and s<strong></strong>tarring <strong>Anne Curtis</strong>, <strong>Joshua Garcia</strong>, and<strong> Carlo Aquino</strong>, <em>It&#x27;s Okay to Not Be Okay </em>PH retells the story of a children&#x27;s book author (Anne as Mia) and a caregiver (Joshua as Patrick), both navigating life, trying to heal from their painful pasts. As described by the show&#x27;s creative director, <strong>Henry King Quitain</strong>, &quot;The story is about two brothers, PatPat<em> </em>and<em></em><em></em> MatMat, played by Joshua and Carlo, who have a painful past, and a woman entering their lives, Mia, played by Anne, who has emotional baggage of her own. Together, they will face old wounds, old scars, mental health struggles, and the real meaning of love, and slowly learning that healing comes or begins when you&#x27;re no longer alone.&quot;<em></em><em></em></p><p>Now, with two episodes on <strong>Netflix</strong>, we&#x27;re seeing more and more what makes Anne, Joshua, and Carlo a perfect fit for their roles. </p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1752943521073515140527_18521127580001674_4173282940048095337_n.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Carlo Aquino, Anne Curtis, and Joshua Garcia | Photo from @annecurtissmith</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Here, we zoomed in on Anne and listed down the reasons why we think Anne&#x27;s casting in <em>IOTNBO PH </em>makes a lot of sense. <em></em></strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>She&#x27;s a versatile actress.</strong></div><p>Anne is one of the actresses in local showbiz who can seamlessly transition from drama to rom-com and even play <em>kontrabida</em>—that&#x27;s a strength she maximizes with her unique character (originally portrayed by Seo Ye Ji) in the series. While <em>It&#x27;s Okay to Not Be Okay </em>is generally a psychological drama that highlights a healing narrative, it was also well-loved for its rom-com treatment. And, as Anne&#x27;s dossier proves, she can deliver a character&#x27;s strength, vulnerability, and even outrageousness, all while charming viewers with her commanding screen presence. </p><p>From the balcony scene in episode 1, which first showed Anne as the sad and lonely Mia, to the scene where she playfully teases Joshua&#x27;s Patrick, to the part where she sheds tears remembering a traumatic experience from her childhood, Anne is giving this complex character the portrayal it deserves.</p><div> <em></em><em></em><em></em><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1752977902741anne iotnbo 1.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Photos by @_kennethtangonan via @annecurtissmith</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong></strong><strong>She&#x27;s a fashionista on- and off-cam.</strong></div><p>Seo Ye Ji&#x27;s Ko Mun Young is not only memorable for her story and personality but also for her standout fashion and beauty statements—the stilettos, the fascinators, the outfits&#x27; cinched-waist detailing, the hairstyles, and more. She served many style inspo. The same can be said of Anne, who is a favorite muse and a style icon to many. Because she&#x27;s known for her passion for fashion, it&#x27;s delightful to watch her bring her fashionista character to life. Anne carries the clothes so well, even going as far as styling herself, to stay true to the beloved character they&#x27;re recreating. </p><p>Part of what makes <em>It&#x27;s Okay to Not Be Okay </em>enjoyable to watch is how the female lead character turns every scene&#x27;s venue into a runway with her looks, and we think Mia will be a style star, thanks in part to Anne leading her in that direction. <em></em><em></em></p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1752977947101D-Day is here 🦋 we had a very special screening last night and it felt like sharing a piece of  (1).jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo by @_kennethtangonan via @annecurtissmith</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>A K-drama fan, she has a deeper dedication to and appreciation for the remake. </strong></div><p>We think it&#x27;s one thing to work on a project and do it well, but it&#x27;s a whole different story when you&#x27;re handed a role you know so well—there&#x27;s palpable excitement and eagerness to nail the portrayal. Because Anne watched the series before, she knows the intricacies of Ko Mun Young and understands how to translate those for Mia. </p><p>&quot;I had my own journey of anxiety,&quot; admitted Anne during the series&#x27; media conference, knowing the mental health struggle of her character and sharing how she was nervous about taking on this project. &quot;But you know what, I learned from this story that it really is okay to not be okay.&quot;</p><p>While <em>It&#x27;s Okay to Not Be Okay</em> PH is an adaptation, as with other remakes, there&#x27;s a bit of creative freedom to make the story more appealing to a local audience, and Anne is hands-on with that. As <em>Direk </em>Mae revealed, &quot;It helps <em>na &#x27;yung mga artista ay</em> dedicated. I&#x27;m so blessed with the cast I have for this show<em> kasi talagang makikita mo &#x27;yung</em> dedication, the passion. <em>Talagang pagtungtong sa</em> set... <em>Si</em> Anne <em>nga</em>,<em> kahit hating-gabi</em>,<em> &#x27;pag meron siyang maisip tungkol du&#x27;n sa</em> character <em>niya</em>, &#x27;<em>Direk</em>, <em>ganyan</em>, <em>ganyan</em>...&#x27; <em>Kahit nasaang lupalop siya</em>, all over the world, <em>ka</em>-text <em>ko siya</em>. <em>Kahit ano&#x27;ng oras</em>, <em>magte</em>-text <em>siya sa&#x27;kin</em> about everything.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><em></em></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1752977973078D-Day is here 🦋 we had a very special screening last night and it felt like sharing a piece of  (2).jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo from @annecurtissmith</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><p>From Imang in <em>Kampanerang Kuba </em>(2005) and Celine in <em>Maging Sino Ka Man </em>(2006) to Josephine in <em>Dyosa </em>(2008) and Beatriz in <em>Mars Ravelo&#x27;s Dyesebel </em>(2014)<em></em>, we are now introduced to an evolved Anne as Mia in <em>It&#x27;s Okay to Not Be Okay</em>—better, more mature, and more dedicated to her craft. After all the hype and anticipation, we can say we&#x27;re more than okay to see Anne have fun and do what she does best with this &quot;crazy&quot; role. <em></em></p><div><br/></div><div><em></em><em><strong>It&#x27;s Okay to Not Be Okay </strong></em><strong><em>is now streaming on Netflix and iWant. The journey starts on July 21 for Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, Jeepney TV, A2Z, and TV5.</em></strong></div><div><br/></div><p><strong></strong><strong><em></em></strong>Lead photo by <strong>@_kennethtangonan</strong> via <strong>@annecurtissmith</strong></p>

<p><i>Here, we list down the reasons why we think Anne Curtis' casting in </i><i>"It's Okay to Not Be Okay" PH </i><i>makes a lot of sense.</i></p>

Here, we list down the reasons why we think Anne Curtis' casting in "It's Okay to Not Be Okay" PH makes a lot of sense.

Why We Think Anne Curtis Is Perfect for Her Role in 'It's Okay to Not Be Okay' PH

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Why We Think Anne Curtis Is Perfect for Her Role in 'It's Okay to Not Be Okay' PH

Grace Libero

Published July 20, 2025 08:30 AM PHT

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Updated July 20, 2025 11:16 AM PHT

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