Here's Why Anne Curtis Was Low-Key Scared To Take On Her Role In 'It's Okay to Not Be Okay'

She's killing it anyway!

Published on Jul 22, 2025

Anne Curtis in "It's Okay To Not Be Okay"

PHOTO: Instagram/_kennethtangonan via Instagram/annecurtissmith

There's a special kind of excitement that comes with discovering a K-drama that perfectly matches your taste. Before you know it, you're hooked—hyperfixated on the story, following the cast, and talking about it nonstop. That was exactly the case for Anne Curtis—until the unexpected happened: she was offered the role of Mia Hernandez, the Filipino counterpart of the It's Okay to Not be Okay's female protagonist, Ko Mun Yeong.

She's been a huge fan of the K-drama which was led by Seo Ye Ji and Kim Soo Hyun. As an actress, watching the original made her want to do a project that's similar. It would've been a quick yes from Anne.

But even though it was a series she loved, Anne was initially hesitant when the project was first pitched to her—but not to the point of saying no to it.

"Ever since I watched the original, alam kong gusto ko siyang gawin. Sobrang, sobrang gusto ko siyang gawin," she says in a roundtable interview. "So, finally, nung sinabi or tinanong ako kung gusto kong gawin, ang tagal ko pinag-isipan," Anne noted with a slight laugh.

She further explained, "Kasi parang, ha? Sobrang gusto ko siyang gawin. Pero natatakot ako at the same time because I know how well-loved it is."

Truly, the K-drama was one of the most popular shows in 2020, and even got nominated for international award shows like the Emmys. But Anne made sure to look beyond the show's popularity, finding a deeper purpose for herself in the series.

"I decided to look at the bigger purpose of it and of the issue it's tackling. And I feel na it's the first time in the Philippines na meron tayong ganitong series that will educate you and bring you through the journey and better understand the different conditions and how you can handle it and how you can reach out to people. So, dun ko siya tinignan," Anne declared.

ICYDK, the story of the series is not just about the romance between Anne's character, Mia, and Joshua Garcia's character, Patrick Gonzales. The story also explores the mental health conditions experienced by various patients in the psychiatric hospital where Patrick works.

Click to Enlarge

Photo: Screengrabbed from YouTube/ABS-CBN Entertainment

Anne Curtis on tackling mental health in a TV series

It's safe to say that Filipino teleseryes rarely tackle the issues of mental health in their stories. There's the occasional instance, but it's not as explicit and as intricately told as it is on It's Okay to Not be Okay. So, yes, there's clamor to normalize mental health conversations in Philippine television.

Anne and Joshua agree on the importance of bringing mental health topics into television. "Well, importante siya sa atin, lalo na sa ating mga Pilipino, kasi hindi natin siya pinag-uusapan. Siguro dapat i-normalize natin na pinag-usapan yung mental health, especially sa mga kabataan, mga kalalakihan, kasi sila yung mga kimkimin," Joshua told the press.

Anne also touched on the topic, pointing out her hopes of more Filipinos being able to fully grasp mental health matters through their show. "It's such a niche market pa in the Philippines... Dahil nga tagalized ito, sana mas marami pang makakaintindi," she says. "[Sana] they look at it with different eyes. They understand yung bawat kondisyon. And it's told in a way in our series na relatable siya sa bawat Pilipinong pamilya. Kasi yun yung journey ng bawat characters—kasi we tackle different conditions in different episodes."

She concluded, "I think it's about time na we're able to reach out to broaden the audience who will be educated about it."

It's Okay to Not be Okay is currently streaming on Netflix. The first four episodes are up since their release on July 19.

All The Times Anne Curtis Went Twinning With Ko Moon Young From 'It's Okay To Not Be Okay'

They're undeniably two of the most fashionable leading ladies to ever grace our screens!

Kate runs on caffeine and K-drama cliffhangers. She also thrives on plot twists—on screen, on the page, and, of course, in the group chat.