While others consider it bad luck, Anne Curtis may think of "13" as lucky, especially for her career.
The Fil-Australian actress is celebrating her 13th anniversary in show business this year and, so far, projects continuously pour in for her. There's the daily talent program Showtime, her weekly hosting stint in ASAP, an upcoming teleserye titled Green Rose, the movie In Your Eyes that will premiere next week, and of course, several product endorsements.
Anne started her showbiz career when she was 12. She appeared as Princess Dahlia in the fantasy movie Magic Kingdom(1997). This was followed by more films including Ika-13 Kapitulo (2000), Lastikman (2003), and Filipinas (2003).
Although Anne has fortunately stayed in the business for more than a decade, she admitted that she didn't get this far without having to go through a lot of struggles.
"I've been in the business for 13 years and that's a lot of challenge and I think the whole country witnessed all the challenges I've been through," said Anne during the press launch of her latest Whisper Cottony Soft endorsement last week at Hotel Sofitel in Pasay City.
She enumerated these trials, "My past scandals, the tsismis, and of course, no work for a while, struggle to crossover from being a child actress to becoming an actress—there's really a lot of struggles."
Of all the hardships that Anne experienced, she considers the time when she hardly got a new project as the hardest.
The 25-year-old actress related, "Siguro nando'n din 'yong time na wala akong work. Iniisip ko, itutuloy ko pa ba 'to o uuwi na lang ako sa Australia to finish my studies there? Pero na-bless ako, lumipat ako sa ABS-CBN and after that, never na akong nawalan ng work."
ANNE'S TIME TO SHINE. Anne would like to believe that she made the right decision to stay and wait for her chance to get her share of showbiz fame.
"In-offer sa akin yung teleseryeng Hiram which was a big and major project of ABS-CBN kasi it was Kris Aquino, Dina Bonnevie, Heart Evangelista and Geoff Eigenmann. It was my first mature and kontrabida role. Tinanggap ko yun and from then on, binigyan na ako ng sariling teleserye. Nag-Kampanerang Kuba ako after that. Alam mo yun, I believe that blessings are given to those who wait patiently," she recalled.
True enough, Anne gained more popularity when she returned to TV. After her lead role in Kampanerang Kuba 2005, she became part of the hit primetime TV series Maging Sino Ka Man (2006)and Maging Sino Ka Man: Ang Pagbabalik (2007). Then she topbilled two other ABS-CBN teleseryes Dyosa (2008) and The Wedding (2009).
But what made Anne's 13 years of rough journey in local showbiz worth it was the first acting recognition she got for doing a good job in Baler at the 2008 Metro Manila Film Festival. (CLICK HERE to read related article.) By this time the former teen star had evolved into a serious actress.
"Actually, [Dad and I] were talking about this a few days ago. He said, 'I'm so proud of you, Anne.' It's so hard to make that transition of being a child star and still be in the business as a host or as an actress with more daring roles," related Anne.
"Through patience, perseverance, confidence, just staying positive to what I'm doing, I've been through for 13 years! So, I'm just happy."
Now Anne is ready to face more challenges in showbiz.
And so, she always keeps in mind this reminder: "You know, as my Dad always tells me, 'You just have two feet on the ground and a good head above your shoulders. All that doesn't matter.'"