Anne Curtis Is Unbreakable

It’s impossible to talk about the multitude of Preview’s memorable covers in over two decades without throwing Anne Curtis’ name in the mix.

Anne Curtis, the most followed Filipino celebrity on social media—with a face so inescapable from TV and the hordes of billboards around the city—is the same woman with the most number of Preview covers. Through the years we have witnessed her grow in front of us and with us, from a fresh-faced teen actress to becoming a multi-hyphenate superstar, each career milestone immortalized in the glossy pages of our magazine.

PHOTO: BJ Pascual and Louie Aguinaldo

Anne Curtis for Preview.ph June 2018

White top and blue wide-leg trousers; prices unavailable, both CHRIS DIAZ, cel. no. 0917 740 1097. Earrings, P1880, AC+632, Greenbelt 5.

Today, as Preview marches on to a new era, it is but fitting that Anne once again stars in our first digital-only cover. In the same fashion that she transcends audiences, reinventions, and platforms, Preview exists beyond paper and ink—from the revered days of print to the thriving online sphere, Preview lives on.

The Captivating Actress

Much has been said about Anne Curtis: actress, host, performer, It girl, multi-million-peso endorser, online influencer, entrepreneur, and whatever else she decides to add to the list. Still, no one felt the weight of all this when she peeked her head into the studio to cheerfully greet the team hello. Barefaced and clad in a ladylike LBD, Anne arrived with her handler, Warren Dimen, without the huge entourage typically seen accompanying stars of her stature.

Now one of the most recognizable household names in the country and beyond, Anne has managed to transform into a larger-than-life persona whose reputation positively precedes her. Twenty-one years spent toiling in the industry is no joke, after all; she’s put in the hard work. But with a string of movies plus a concert coming out this year, Anne makes show business seem so effortless.

Her new film with Dingdong Dantes, Sid & Aya: Not a Love Story, is now playing in theaters and has been well-received by fans and critics alike—just check out how people rave about it on Twitter for proof. Anne is also shooting a new film, Aurora; and then there’s Buy/Bust, the action flick co-starring Brandon “The Truth” Vera, which she calls her dream role. She talks about her projects enthusiastically, yet pauses in deep thought when asked whether she feels there’s anything she hasn’t done yet.

“Um…ano pa ba ‘yung hindi ko nagagawa?” Anne wonders aloud. “I’ll have to think about that one,” she resigns, but not before blurting out, “Working with a Korean actor!” Anne cackles at the thought.

She may have meant it as a joke, but at this point, nothing is impossible for Anne, whose presence onscreen continues to captivate fans. Since her acting debut in the children’s film Magic Kingdom when she was 12, Anne has done it all: teenybopper flicks, heavy dramas, comedies, fantasy, you name it. And with the Erik Matti-directed thriller Buy/Bust coming out soon, the actress can finally tick action off her list.

Anne has always defied expectations, yet manages to pull it off in a way only she can.

Since then, Anne has always defied expectations, yet manages to pull it off in a way only she can. Her playfully sweet image is something the public is familiar with, yet she turned heads when she played wealthy socialite-turned-mistress Kara Zalderiaga in the 2011 film No Other Woman, alongside Derek Ramsay and Cristine Reyes. With dialogue rendered unforgettable because of her delivery and an explosive performance that still made you emphathize with the seeming villain of the plot, the movie proved her mettle as a versatile actress.

PHOTO: BJ Pascual and Louie Aguinaldo

Leotard and top with hologram pvc trim, prices unavailable, both MARTIN BAUTISTA, cel. no. 0917 566 5662. Corda ankle-strap shoes, P9950, STELLA LUNA, Adora, Greenbelt 5. Earrings, P880, FIRMA, Greenbelt 3

A Star On- and Off-line

Despite practically growing up in show business, Anne remains unapologetically authentic—and that’s what makes her so special. It’s the same openness that has endeared her to an adoring public on noontime show It’s Showtime, which she’s headlined for eight years now. “I’m able to touch people’s lives,” Anne answers without a beat when asked what she the loves most about her hosting job. “Just on Showtime alone, the way you’re able to connect with people, I mean the whole tagline of Showtime is ‘to make people happy.’ So it’s [been her task] on a daily basis for eight years.”

Anne wears her heart on her sleeve, and people see it. That honesty has had its downside, though—after all, two decades in the industry does not come without its challenges, and Anne has had her fair share of headlines. Yet the star has managed to keep her head above water, and ultimately rise above them all. “A lot of lessons have been learned,” Anne says of her journey. “[I’ve] learned just to truly value everything.”

“I’ve never allowed anyone to tell me who I should be, that’s why I'm very grateful to be with a management team [that allows me] to be who I am and have no restrictions. It may not have been the smoothest of journeys throughout my career, but it’s molded me to be who I am today.”

Despite those road bumps, Anne has never felt pressured to conform to an image or change herself. “I’ve never allowed anyone to tell me who I should be,” Anne declares. “That’s why I'm very grateful to be with a management team [that allows me] to be who I am and have no restrictions. Because of the management team not being so strict, it may not have been the smoothest of journeys throughout my career, but it’s molded me to be who I am today.”

And Anne does have a huge heart. She ran the 42-kilometer London Marathon, her toughest marathon yet, to raise funds for UNICEF, of which she’s an advocate. “It was really the heat wave [that made it tough],” Anne recounts, who adds that her jam-packed schedule in Manila left her undertrained for the marathon. “You don’t run at noon here [in Manila]. So for example, now I know why all of the fun runs here start at 4 a.m., and if you do a 42K here, they start at midnight. So alam mo ‘yun, parang no one, I think, was trained to run that—everyone was collapsing, they put more showers, they added more water stations because it was really tough. But it helped that I was doing it for UNICEF so it really helped me finish those 42 kilometers.”

PHOTO: BJ Pascual and Louie Aguinaldo

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Then there’s Twitter and Instagram, where Anne remains the country's undisputed social media queen with 10.7 million and 9.1 million followers respectively. While online, she loves keeping her fans up to date simply by being herself. Even when switching between platforms, Anne remains true. “I think when you see my feed, or when you see me on IG stories, it’s really what you see is what you get. Although, I don’t [post] everything. Of course, if you look at Erwan and I, we’re very private, but we’ll share every now and then. But it’s really what you see is what you get.”

Anne is reserved on details about her life with husband Erwan Heussaff, yet the actress shares that not much has changed after tying the knot. Anne says, “Of course, you have to think about someone else now in every decision that you make, but it didn’t change a lot—if anything, we’re just extra happy.”

Despite being in the public eye and with regular updates online, Anne has done quite the balancing act keeping her personal life private, but it’s worked for her relationship over the years. “I respect Erwan’s decision [to keep things private], and those are the adjustments you have to make when you get married to someone who’s a very private person,” the star quips. “We’re definitely opposites! But we do have a lot of similarities, I think that’s why we complement each other.”

PHOTO: BJ Pascual and Louie Aguinaldo

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The Transcendent Preview Cover Girl

Amidst the film and TV projects, concerts and endorsements, we’d like to think that Preview enjoys a special relationship with Anne, cultivated throughout the years as regular cover girl and collaborator. “I love that when you get to do a Preview cover, there’s always room for creativity. They challenge all of their cover girls to bring out the best in you, and also to step out of your comfort zone,” Anne shares, as she sits on the makeup chair.

The symbolism of her as Preview’s first fully-digital cover girl is not lost on her as she reminisces her first cover in 2004. “Polaroids lang ‘yun. Super Polaroids pa ‘yung ginagamit, 'di pa siya digital camera! From Polaroids to now letting go of print and moving towards digital.” Back then, Anne was still a fledgling teen actress, working with siblings Vince Uy and Liz Uy, both relative newcomers themselves at the time. “I remember that was shot on location with Vince and Liz—it didn’t feel like work at all. Vince and Liz were both also just starting, Liz had just started styling.”

PHOTO: BJ Pascual and Louie Aguinaldo

 Chain-striped velvet dress, price unavailable, ROB ORTEGA, cel. no. 0917 675 5523

It’s clear that doing these covers has become second nature to her. And true enough, Anne has gamely braved every editorial challenge thrown at her: she’s dyed her hair red, balanced on gymnastic hoops in the air while wearing heels, and even hid her face to join the global #unselfie movement for the benefit of Typhoon Yolanda.

“With Anne, there’s something fearless about her, but not in a way that’s intimidating. She’s a chameleon, and she’s not afraid to change up her colors, which makes it a joy for creatives to work with her,” Preview Editor-in-Chief Isha Vallés shares. Just for this shoot alone, Anne is sporting a pixie cut. The last time her hair was cropped this short for a Preview shoot was over a decade ago in 2007 where she headlined the year's Best Dressed issue.

“How many celebrities can cover their faces and still be recognizable?” says Preview's Creative Director Vince Uy. That alone is testament to Anne Curtis’ immense star power.

“It’s like working with a model,” Vince, Preview’s creative director, says of Anne. “You transform her, she looks good and pulls it off. You can’t do that with everyone.” For Vince, who’s known Anne since her teens, it’s difficult to pinpoint a single favorite Anne Curtis cover. He manages to highlight three, though: the March 2008 pastel-colored swimsuit cover, the November 2009 Slim’s tribute cover, and the December 2013-January 2014 #Unselfie campaign. “When we did the [pastel cover] shoot, we were having a hard time deciding on the look we wanted to do. And when I suggested for us to try super big hair, which was for me, a little edgy and risky, Anne was game and she really looked amazing. For me, it cemented her being able to pull off anything,” he reminisces.

Vince maintains that for a celebrity to successfully transition to fashion, they need to be able to pull off tricky trends—which Anne has done many times with flying colors, like how she looked effortlessly elegant with her hair sculpted into a cone for the Slim’s cover. “Another favorite is the #Unselfie cover, because for me it says a lot about her being able to understand the concept of a shoot,” Vince adds. “How many celebrities would be willing to cover their faces for a magazine cover and at the same time still be recognizable?” That alone is testament to Anne Curtis’ immense star power.

PHOTO: BJ Pascual and Louie Aguinaldo

Houndstooth blazer, YONG DAVALOS, cel. no. 0917 308 7376

Much like Preview, she can be set on fire, shredded to pieces, and pummeled to the ground. Yet if two decades’ worth of hard work and ambition should prove anything, it’s that you can’t put a good one down. Anne Curtis truly is "Anne-breakable."

Produced by Marj Ramos

Photographed by BJ Pascual (Anne) and Louie Aguinaldo (print covers)

Creative Direction by Vince Uy and Mark Buenaobra

Co-produced by Nicole Arcano

Styled by Danae Dipon and Patrick Perez of StyLIZed Studio

Makeup by Robbie Piñera

Hair by Raymond Santiago

Nails by Posh Nails

Styling Assistant: Aia Tabuzo of StyLIZed Studio

Styling Assistants: Teresita Gabat and April Lozada

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