Yasmien Kurdi is lucky to fulfill her dream as K-drama fan
MANILA, Philippines — Yasmien Kurdi is one of GMA 7’s homegrown talents who remains visible and reliable this new normal. Although trained to be versatile, she has found her niche in drama. Her previous project, the Afternoon Prime series Las Hermanas, saw the actress as Dorothy, the loving eldest among three daughters and the family’s anchor, especially when things seemed to fall apart.
In the now-airing local adaptation of the 2020 Korean series, Start-Up PH, essentially a family drama, Yasmien plays Katrina, the passionate CEO and older sister of Bea Alonzo’s Dani. The Kapuso primetime drama series simply fits her acting leaning and forte. Besides, her being a self-confessed K-drama addict or fan comes in handy as well.
“Before the Start-Up PH project was given to me, mahilig na ako sa K-dramas (I love K-dramas and I’ve been watching them),” said Yasmien in a virtual interview with The STAR. “I watched it (Start-Up) during the time it was being aired in Korea. I followed it per episode. It was (in the early parts of) the pandemic, so, yun yung masasarap abang-abangan. Start-Up was one of the Korean shows I watched when we were in lockdown.”
Yasmien added that starring in a Philippine adaptation of a Korean drama did cross her mind and, it’s safe to say that the mere thought of it thrilled her.
“Actually, if you’re a K-drama fan, to be included in a Korean drama adaptation is part of your bucket list,” shared she. “When I got in, it was my daughter who reacted and said, ‘Ma, bucket list mo, nasama ka na sa adaptation (Mom, you’ve just ticked off an item in your bucket list and you’re now part of an adaptation).”
Yasmien recalled that Ayesha Zara saw how she religiously followed Start-Up during the lockdown period. That’s why when the adaptation project was pitched and offered to her, she accepted it right away and was tapped to play Katrina, described as Dani’s estranged and fierce sister. Perhaps to refresh her memory, she watched the Korean series again. The dream project landed in her lap at the time when she had already finished a previous work commitment.
Every time there would be an adaptation of a K-drama, the fan in Yasmien said, “I don’t want it to be changed, ayokong binabago yung character… That’s why when I portrayed her (Katrina), as much as possible, I would stick to the original version.”
That means Yasmien has to blend some nuances, like the smirk, which she got from the original actress but with the Filipino flavor, performance-wise. She is up for the challenge of staying true to the Korean character and still presenting newness, with Filipino audiences in mind.
“I would stick to (the original character) na mahinahon lang siyang magsalita, hindi siya pala sigaw (who is calm and collected when speaking, and doesn’t raise her voice). She’s not bossy. Nanduon lang talaga ako, hindi ako lalabas (I played the character within those bounds).” If there are points in the narrative that are Filipino in essence, Yasmien handles them by asking herself what the Korean character’s course of action or manner of speaking will be.
In playing her character, Yasmien finds that they are both “competitive and driven.” She also remembered her StarStruck days when competition, as one may put it, was stiff. This is similar to her character, Katrina, who has entered the Sandbox PH as one of the 40 CEOs. Katrina will be pitted against Dani in the succeeding episodes.
During the interview, Yasmien also gave this paper an update on her family life.
“He’s very busy when it comes to his work,” said the actress of her pilot husband Rey Soldevilla, “ang daming flights, balik na kasi sa normal, halos lahat ng schedules. He’s always tired. Ayesha is back to face-to-face classes, though (her school is) now still in hybrid learning, (you know) three days for face-to-face (sessions) and two days online. I think hybrid is good in preparation for the full-blast face-to-face classes.” The young mother added that her daughter is enrolled in piano, gymnastics and journalism classes.
Keeping a journal also helps Yasmien fulfill her responsibilities at home and manage her time.
“I think sobrang importante yung time schedule, kung paano mo i-ba-balance lahat ng mga time mo for everything in your life (It’s very important to schedule activities and allot time for them and how to strike a balance in everything in your life),” said she.
“Siyempre, hindi ka pwedeng nakatutok ka lang lahat sa work mo. Kailangan nandyan din yung time mo for your family (Of course, you’re not just focused on your work, you also need to have time for your family). I make sure I always have my journal. I always write down my schedule every day para wala akong ma-mi-miss out, especially because there are many responsibilities that I need to attend to.”
Although the Start-Up PH story and its interesting details have just been unfolded and revealed, Yasmien is also excited about her next show after and looking forward to it. For this recent project, she is happy to have worked with established directors Dominic Zapata and Jerry Sineneng and co-stars Alden Richards, Bea Alonzo, Jeric Gonzales, Gina Alajar, Jackielou Blanco, Ayen Munji-Laurel, and Gabby Eigenmann. The actress has fun and fond memories with them.
Given her humble beginnings in show business as a reality-based talent search hopeful before becoming an actress, Yasmien had these pieces of advice to those who want to enter the entertainment-creative industry and find a profession in it: “Never stop learning and continue learning when it comes to your craft. Try to research when you’re doing a role. Come prepared on set. Then, magpakatotoo ka (be real) and be kind to everyone.”
(Start-Up PH airs weeknights after Maria Clara at Ibarra.)
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