ANNE
MANILA, SEPTEMBER 27, 2011
(STAR) By Kap Maceda Aguila (People
Asia) (CoverPhoto - Photography by Jun de Leon)
It's easy to see the Anne Curtis that is larger than life in a
world of glitter and glamour. While she can lay claim to that and more (even to
that curious title of "Princess of All Media"), Anne shines brightest because of
her appreciation of the opportunity that's been given her—and that she's not
really all that different from you or me.
We begin our story a few minutes after Showtime, the immensely popular
ABS-CBN noontime Pinoy talent showcase.
A light drizzle defies yet another obviously botched weather prediction and
slicks the landscape with a moist sheen—as usually happens nowadays. My escort
stops at a nondescript door inside the studio.
I am outside a dressing room, waiting with a group of eager fans toting a
point-and-shoot. The interviewee is within reach but is presently indisposed;
Showtime colleague and good friend, comedian Vice Ganda, is having a chat with
her.
When the door opens moments later, out goes the tall comedian, and Anne
Curtis peers out shortly thereafter. She spots me and apologizes for the delay,
then obliges for a couple of clicks with the aforementioned fans. "Anne! Anne!
Anne!" comes the excited chorus from the audience members who are surprised to
see her just a couple of meters from where they stand. Anne proffers a ready
smile and waves to them.
"Ang ganda ganda mo naman (you're so beautiful)!" gushes an elderly lady, who
then asks for a kiss. Anne goes to her for one. "Thank you po!" she says,
smiling. How does that cliché go? Just another day in the life of...
Born in Yarrawonga, a town in the Australian state of Victoria, Anne Ojales
Curtis-Smith could have been making a name for herself on the balance beam and
uneven bars.
"When I was five or seven years old, I wanted to be a gymnast because of
Nadia Comaneci (the great Romanian gymnast who made history by being the first
to register a perfect score)," shares Anne. "I adored her. My dad had a VHS tape
of her and every day after school, it was either that or E.T. that I wanted to
watch." Anne would put on a green swimsuit and imagine herself as Comaneci.
That early ambition eventually gave way to wanting to be a lawyer. "Just the
influence of my dad, I guess, and being exposed to his office and the people
around him. And then I always knew that I'd have a job right after working for
his firm."
But we all know how fate often scoffs at our design—before it promptly turns
it on its head.
The Curtis-Smiths had always made time to connect with Filipino relatives in
Pangasinan. They'd visit the Philippines every year. After Anne turned 12, dad
James thought of relocating the family here altogether. "My dad wanted to try
the school system here in the Philippines," says Anne. "But it was not a
permanent decision; it was more like testing the waters."
So the family moved to Mandaluyong, a place a heartbeat away from EDSA. It
was a new adventure for the Australian-born Anne. She had fun riding tricycles
and eating Pinoy fast food.
Indeed, after a family meal at the Jollibee branch on the corner of EDSA and
Boni Ave., they were approached by a lady who claimed to be a talent scout of
sorts. She made a pitch to Carmen, Anne's mother, to allow the young Anne to do
commercials.
James wasn't too thrilled. "My dad said, 'No, you never know who these people
are. It's a scam.' But my mom was a frustrated actress who wanted me to join
Little Miss Philippines. She was also (cast as) an extra in Pangasinan for Ang
Pinakamagandang Babae sa Balat ng Lupa."
So Anne's mom prevailed. Soon, Anne was appearing in commercials and ads for
everything from petroleum companies to Batman and Robin apparel. That same year,
a movie role was finally dangled. Carmen agreed—but only after Anne's classes.
"I remember it so clearly," Anne says of her audition for her first film
project, the 1997 fantasy flick Magic Kingdom. "When we got there, it was
starting to get dark. I was in the back of the line because we were late, so
they were choosing girls na lang to show to Direk Peque (Gallaga) and Direk Lore
(Reyes)—maybe because they were doing it all day already. So I was in my
(Colegio de Sta. Rosa) uniform and may gravy pa 'ko noon sa shirt ko (I had
gravy on my shirt). Then they selected me and then I went in. I was asked to act
like a princess."
"And then Direk Peque said, 'That's her, she's the princess.' So that's how I
first started—when I didn't speak a word of Tagalog. Hindi ko boses yong sa
movie (That's not my voice in the movie)," Anne reveals.
Of course, she had to learn the language. Anne says, "My mom was there to
help me. It became a rule not to speak in English. And that's how you learn.
Even if it sounds awful, you're still learning it. So you could see tumatabingi
pa din yung mouth ko sa movie (my mouth was contorted in the movie) because it
was awkward."
Anne Curtis remembers her Magic Kingdom stint so well not just because it was
her first celluloid project, but for other significant reasons. "It was a big
step for me because it was part of the Metro Manila Film Festival," she
explains. "I was nominated pa. Although at 12, you really don't think much of
it. It was so fun to be on the float! We actually found old video tapes that we
transferred onto DVD. You could see the coaster and mothers of the boys from
Magic Temple (another film). Magic Kingdom was after that, and you can hear them
in the background saying, 'Oo, makikilala din yung anak mo pagkatapos nito (Yes,
your kid will also become famous after this)'."
No truer words. In a way, Magic Kingdom was the golden ticket to the magic
kingdom.
A long showbiz career—piggybacked on 14 years with Viva Films—has succeeded
that auspicious debut for Anne. "We did Ikaw na Sana which was a Bobby
(Andrews)-Angelu (de Leon) teleserye. I was like the probinsyana (country girl)
na hindi bagay kasi naka-duster pero slang mag-Tagalog (but that didn't fit
because I wore a duster yet spoke Tagalog with a foreign accent)," she grins.
TGIS on GMA-7 would be the crucial vehicle to truly launch Anne Curtis into
stardom. "That's when my parents said, 'Okay, this is a regular thing for Anne
now.' So we moved here permanently, though my dad could not stop working, of
course. So he would travel every six weeks to visit. My mom and my sister were
based here with me."
Expectedly, as Anne's career flourished, her studies sputtered. "It took me
forever to finish high school because of my erratic schedule," Anne laments. "I
had to keep changing schools. Colegio de Sta. Rosa said they did not accept
actresses, though it helped us find the DECS home-school program."
It was well and good for a while, but Anne felt she was short-changing
herself because she was missing out on a life experience of being in school. "In
my third year, I enrolled at Angelicum. That's where I also got into
cheerleading," she says.
It took her six years, but finish high school Anne did. "From then on, I
lived in Manila. My mom and everyone else moved back (to Australia). So at a
very young age, I became independent," she maintains.
Chief News Editor: Sol
Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2011 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE
NEWS ONLINE
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PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS
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