Yasmien Kurdi: Perfect Timing
If there’s anything that Yasmien Kurdi learned
in her more than 10 years in the business,
it is that all good things take time.
Text by Aedrianne Acar
Photos by GMA Artist Center and Michael Paunlagui
On the night of February 1, 2004, Yasmien Kurdi stood in front of thousands of screaming fans inside the Araneta Coliseum.
She was on the verge of winning the first season of the groundbreaking reality-based artista search of GMA-7, StarStruck.
After all, Yasmien, then 14, was a strong contender.
With her stunning looks, thanks to her Lebanese and Filipino genes, and a voice that could captivate many, Yasmien was the total package deserving of the Ultimate Female Survivor title.
But that night, destiny had other plans for the young Yasmien. It was her co-finalist Jennylyn Mercado who walked away with the coveted title.
She lost that day. But she didn’t lose her spirit.
That painful loss only fueled her determination to carve her own path in the entertainment industry.
Yasmien, in a sense, lived out StarStruck’s very own tagline. She dreamed, believed, and survived.
Fast-forward to 2019, some 15 years after her StarStruck stint, we get the opportunity to sit down with Yasmien Kurdi in between takes of the plug shoot for her newest GMA Telebabad series Beautiful Justice.
Coming out of the holding area, she greets our team with a big smile. From the way she carries herself, one would know that the insecure little girl is no longer there. Here stands before us is a confident woman whose life has been shaped by her countless experiences, good and otherwise.
As she looks back at her journey in showbiz, Yas, as she is fondly called by her friends, family, and fans, feels a wave of nostalgia.
She suddenly remembers the times that she had to endure the barrage of negative things people said about her when she was just starting out.
Smiling coyly, she replies, “Sa sobrang dami hindi ko na nabilang kung ano sila, pero madaming-madami.”
But instead of feeling crushed by the harsh talk directed at her, the actress-singer chose to turn the other cheek, and tried to look at the positive side of things.
“Ang bashers naman wala naman sila pinipili, basta lahat ng puwede nilang makita nila sa iyo pupunahin nila.”
She continues, “Kahit ano'ng sasabihin mo pupunahin nila. Ganun ang bashers like talagang hate ka lang nila, ’yun lang ’yun hindi ka nila bet.”
She admits feeling hurt by all the brickbats. “Dati noong teenager pa ako like nahe-hurt pa ako minsan sa mga bashing, pero now I’m 30 you know what, ’yung bashing I turn it into a positive.”
But how can she handle all the bashing when she’s being attacked for every little thing, like the shape of her nose or being called talentless?
The Kapuso drama actress explains that in this age of social media, where celebrities are always put on the receiving end of hate comments, she'd rather look at the bright side.
Yasmien explains, “Kasi mas lumalakas, mas dumadami ang interaction sa social media account mo. So I guess you have to treasure your bashers."
She’s learned through the years that being a public figure comes with a price and that stars should grow a tough skin if they want to last in the business.
"It’s part of life, public figure ka so ’yung opinions nila dapat hindi ka ganun kaapektado.”
Right Timing
Yasmien Kurdi has built a name for herself as one of the most respected drama actresses of her generation.
From her youth-oriented show Click in 2004 where she portrayed Leilani, she also had the opportunity to be part of GMA-7's popular telefantasya series Encantadia a year later, where she played Mira. It was this very character that further elevated Yasmien's popularity.
Yasmien also ventured into the world of cinema. She appeared in such notable movies as So Happy Together (2004), Aishite Imasu (2004), Shake Rattle and Roll 2k5 (2005), Love Struck (2005), Loving You (2008), and Sa Ngalan ng Ama, Ina at Mga Anak (2014).
It was doing soap operas that became Yasmien’s strength.
From 2014 to 2019, Yasmien showcased her acting prowess in the afternoon slot doing several successful soaps like Yagit (2014), Sa Piling ni Nanay (2016), Hindi Ko Kayang Iwan Ka (2018), and Hiram na Anak (2019).
Viewers also got the chance to witness her shine in primetime with her series Anna Karenina (2013) and Rhodora X (2014).
With her brilliant performance in these soaps and iron grit to constantly improve her craft, Yasmien should be collecting awards left and right.
There was a point in her life that she became hungry for recognition. But when the “recognition” that she was longing for didn’t happen, Yasmien learned an important lesson that she would carry with her for a long time.
“May times talaga na naghahangad ako somehow pero hindi siya dumating,” she shares.
“Nasa tamang timing, if it’s for you, it’s for you. You just have to do your best in everything you do. Sa lahat ng roles na gagampanan mo lagi mong iisipin na it’s your last performance.
“Huwag mo muna isipin ’yung awards darating din ’yun.”
And when the "recognition" came, it tasted much, much sweeter.
In 2018, Yasmien received the Best Drama Actress award at the 32nd Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC) Star Awards for Television. The award-giving body was impressed with her awe-inspiring portrayal of Thea Balagtas, a mother living with HIV, in the GMA advocacy series, Hindi Ko Kayang Iwan Ka.
It was a sweet victory for the Kapuso star.
She recounts that special moment with fondness, “Nung ibinigay sa akin ’yung role (Thea) na ’yun, na-pressure ako, pero nung nakuha ko ’yung award parang na-feel mo somehow sana nabigyan mo na rin ng justice ’yung role na ipinagkatiwala sa iyo ng network.
“Alam mo ’yun parang na-relieve ka na, okey nakuha ko.”
Unfinished Business
Despite being a prized talent in her home network, Yasmien had a difficult time dealing with one insecurity: her education.
Like some teen stars who were suddenly thrust into the showbiz limelight, the actress had to put her education on hold to focus on her career.
“’Yun talaga ang ultimate insecurity ko sa sarili ko, ’yun ’yung weakness ko,” Yasmien laments.
“Kasi ’yung mga tao talaga like akala nila kapag artista ka it means ’yun lang ’yung kaya mo gawin. Hindi nila alam ’yung ibang artista hindi pa nakakapagtapos ng pag-aaral kasi nag-iipon ng pera para pang-aral nila sa sarili nila.
“Hindi naman lahat mapalad and hindi naman lahat mayaman or may magulang na kaya silang pag-aralin.”
She decided to save up for her education. She set aside a portion of her talent fee as an artista and figured out a way to finish her schooling amid all her showbiz commitments.
Looking back, Yasmien says that she's mighty proud of herself for making that big decision.
“Ang magulang ko hindi lang nila kaya akong pag-aralin. So ginawan ko ng paraan, high school pa lang alam ko na hanggang dito lang ako, kung hindi ako magta-trabaho hindi ako makakatapos ng high school.
“Nung natapos ko ’yung high school dumating ’yung college, so kailangan ko magtrabaho uli para matapos ’yung kolehiyo.”
In 2019, she reaped the fruits of her labor when she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the Arellano University. What’s more, she graduated magna cum laude!
Yasmien says that it didn’t matter how long it took her to get a degree. What mattered was that she decided to do something to achieve her life-long goal.
"Hindi naman importante kung ten or twenty years ka natapos mag-aral. Hindi naman siya race para matapos kaagad. What’s important, you are doing something about it na para matapos ka at dumating ka sa finish line.
“Darating ka rin naman sa finish line. Darating ka rin naman sa hangganan. You just have to do something about it... Basta importante na hindi ka lang tumunganga.”
Yasmien has sound advice for young people who are juggling their work and studies.
“I think it all boils down to time management and you have to set your priorities. You have to prioritize, set aside ’yung mga least important things in your life.
“For example pagba-barkada or you have to sacrifice something else or prioritize important things in your life, like for me I prioritized my family, my work, and my education during that time. Pero some other things i-set aside na kasi kailangan ko mas ma-reach ’yung goal ko.”
Out of Her Comfort Zone
Yasmien Kurdi is now embarking on a challenging project that will push her to her limits.
She will be reunited with her former Encantadia director Mark Reyes in the drama-action series Beautiful Justice, where she plays Alice Vida, a mom and law undergrad seeking justice for the death of her PDEA agent-husband Ronnie, who was killed in a drug operation.
Alice will then team up with Sabrina "Brie" Cuevas (Gabbi Garcia) and Kitkat Bernardo (Bea Binene), who are also on a mission to uncover the truth behind the untimely death of their loved ones that were also killed in the same drug operation.
Joining Yasmien in this action-packed soap are the equally talented and beautiful entrepreneur/actress Bea Binene and global endorser and fashion darling Gabbi Garcia.
They’re also sharing screen time with multi-talented Kapuso leading man Derrick Monasterio and international model-turned-actor Gil Cuerva.
Yasmien tells GMANetwork.com how crucial her role is in the drama series.
“Si Alice Vida ang laging nasa gitna, siya ’yung mas ate nilang dalawa, siya ’yung nagsasabi na tama na ganito desisyon natin.
mong iisipin na it’s your last performance.”
“Siya lagi ’yung nagde-decide kasi si Brie ’yung character ni Gabbi Garcia at si Kitkat ’yung character ni Bea Binene lagi silang nag-o-oppose with each other. So lagi sila nagdedebate.
“Importante talaga ’yung role niya to balance Kitkat and Brie. Sobrang iba kasi personality nila, isang jologs at isang sosyalera, so sobrang magkaiba sila ng pananaw sa buhay. Pero ang ganda ng characters, ang ganda din ng balance.”
The new show also marks the return of Yasmien in the primetime slot. The last primetime show that she appeared in was Rhodora X back in 2014.
Seeing how big this soap is, Yasmien admits feeling scared about the whole project.
Still, she knows that this is a golden opportunity that she can't afford to miss, because it gives her the chance to grow as an actress and go out of her comfort zone.
“Scary at first! Siyempre sanay ka na sa hapon, kung puwede ganon na lang. Pero para mag-grow ka as an actor you can’t put yourself in a box lang na doon ka lang. Wala kang gagawin para mag-progress ’yung career mo.”
She adds “Walang mangyayari sa ’yo kung doon ka lang paikot-ikot ka lang sa mommy roles sa hapon tapos ’yun ka lang, drama-drama.
“You have to explore din different things in life para maging interesting lang para hindi ka rin magsawa.”
Family Matters
The former StarStruck princess is lucky to have a great showbiz career and a happy family life. After her low-key wedding with her pilot husband Rey Soldevilla Jr. in 2012, they received a wonderful blessing in the form of a beautiful daughter named Ayesaha Zara, who was born in November of the same year.
Asked if she will let her daughter follow in her footsteps in showbiz, Yasmien’s reply was quick and was definite.
“Ako during that time wala ako opportunity para makapag-aral. Si Ayesha, may mom and dad na gusto siya magtapos ng pag-aaral niya. Pag natapos na siya ng pag-aaral niya, kung gusto pa rin niya mag-showbiz then nasa kanya na ’yun.”
She even suggested that Ayesha could be a vlogger for the meantime, so she could still experience a normal life.
“Kung gusto niya talaga nasa limelight and all, puwede siya mag-vlog,” she says, laughing.
“Puwede siya mag-vlog, hindi masisira ang pag-aaral niya. Normal schooling pa rin siya, mafe-feel pa rin niya ’yung like a normal student, may friends, may mga prom.”
Yasmien thinks that showbiz is an environment that is too harsh for an innocent kid like her daughter.
“Medyo harsh siya especially for a kid or for a teenager na when it comes to criticism, ’yung discrimination, body-shaming, lahat na ’yun you have to go all through those things sa pagiging isang artista.
“Hindi siya healthy sa minds ng kids, kasi work siya hindi naman siya for fun.”
After more than a decade in showbiz, Yasmien has learned to appreciate the beauty of waiting for the right moment. From her acting award to finishing her school, the Kapuso drama star has realized that time is on her side and that there's no need to rush things.
While she waited, she didn’t rest on her laurels. Instead, she strived harder to polish and improve her craft, transforming herself into a good actress worthy of being seen on screen.
As we wrap up our interview with Yasmien, we pose one last question.
“If you could go back in 2004, at the time you were fresh out of StarStruck, what advice would you give your younger self?”
Yasmien pauses for a moment, thinking carefully about her answer.
With a smile that’s both sweet and intriguing, Yasmien finally replies, “Huwag ka masyado ma-stress, huwag kang pressured. Just enjoy your life.”
