It’s Okay to Not Be Okay director Mae Cruz-Alviar took to social media to share some of her conversations with actress-host Anne Curtis as she prepared for her role in the Filipino adaptation of the hit Korean drama.
On Instagram, Direk Mae revealed how hands-on Anne was in portraying Mia Hernandez, from styling to researching the complexities of her character.
“THE PASSION OF ANNE CURTIS,” Direk Mae began. “When we were prepping for the show, we tapped several talented and distinguished stylists that could help us in the styling of Mia Hernandez. But @annecurtissmith was so passionate about the project that she wanted to be hands on and work closely with the production stylist @rubrinas.”
In screenshots shared by the blockbuster director, Anne suggested wardrobe inspirations that she felt suited Mia. She even researched the shoes worn by Seo Ye Ji, who played the original character in the Korean version.
“She presented the styles, details to me and even personally reached out to our top Filipino designers for some of the costumes. She personally searched and purchased her outfits from all over,” Direk Mae added.
Despite her hectic schedule with Buy Bust, It’s Showtime, multiple endorsements, international travels, running a business, and balancing life as a wife and mother, Anne still devoted her time to shaping her role.
“All this while she was filming Buy Bust, doing Showtime live, doing work for her many endorsements… even while she was traveling all over the world for work! And remember she’s also running her business AND she’s a momma and wife on top of EVERYTHING,” Direk Mae expressed.
Beyond styling, Anne also focused on representing a character with anti social personality disorder as authentically as possible, according to Direk Mae.
“But Anne wasn’t just focused on the styling. More than Mia’s fashion sense, she was also reviewing her character and researching on her many facets being a person with Anti Social Personality Disorder. She even helped out in securing a location for an iconic scene. Whew!” she added.
Direk Mae ended her post with praising Anne on giving her all for the series.
“Gotta give it to Anne for being 100% and truly dedicating her heart and soul to our version of It’s Okay to Not Be Okay! 🦋.”
Fans and viewers also commended Anne in the comment section.
“Grabe and dedication ni Mia, Direk @maecruzalviar! thank you for sharing these private chats that gave us a glimpse of how passionate the one and only @annecurtissmith 🦋,” a netizen commented.
Another one expressed, “oh, Anne is so passionate and gives justice to the character. grabe ka Mia🥺💅🍷.”
In a previous media conference for the series, Direk Mae also described Anne as highly collaborative, even sharing ideas at odd hours despite being in different time zones.
“Si Anne kahit hatinggabi kapag mayroon siya ma-isip sa character niya kahit saang lupalop siya all over the world, magtetext siya sa akin (ng ideas niya),” Direk Mae shared.
She added that while Anne often referenced the original Korean storyline, she reminded the actress that their version would stand on its own while staying true to the heart of the show.
The Filipino adaptation of It’s Okay to Not Be Okay airs weeknights at 8:45 p.m. on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, A2Z, and TV5. Advance streaming is also available on Netflix and iWant.