MANILA — Bianca de Vera visibly lit up and expressed excitement when she was likened to a “little Anne Curtis” for her looks—but she quickly and humbly downplayed the comparison.

“Kinikilig ako pag sinasabihan ako niyan. As in sobra, feel ko nabubuhay kaluluwa ko. But there can only be one Anne Curtis. And nobody can compare to her,” she told the press during the media conference of “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay,” held in Quezon City, Friday.

De Vera plays the role of Bella in the adaptation top billed by Curtis and Joshua Garcia.

According to the former PBB Collab Edition housemate, the emotional weight of her role led her to lean on co-star Louise Abuel for support.

“Role ko dito sobrang bigat. Kasi halos lahat iyakan. Lagi niya ako sinasalo. He always reminds me,” she explained.

“It is such a pleasure to work with Louise. I remember the first scene we worked on together— after natulala ako. Totoo ba nakapag batuhan ako linya sa kanya. He is really good. Up until now grateful ako sa natutunan ko sa kanya. Even after during breaks, ang dami ko natutunan from his experience,” she added.

Abuel likewise praised de Vera for her acting chops.

Bianca De Vera as Little Anne Curtis? Here's What She Said | PhilNews

“Working with Bianca sobrang pressured ako. Recently never ako naka experience love team. Never ko pa na try. Di ako marunong magpakilig. Pero natutulungan niya ako. Mas mahirap magpakilig kaysa magpaiyak,” he said.

Though some time has passed since de Vera’s PBB stint, she continues to carry the lessons from that experience into every project, and remains deeply grateful for it. She believes it helped prepare her to become an even better actress moving forward.

“Lunakas sikmura ko. It was hard and tough inside, when I got evicted and returned, it was harder and it was tough. I did not realize how toxic the industry can be until PBB. If hindi ko mapagdaanan PBB, obstacles, and lessons inside, I would not be prepared for the responsibilities in store for me,” she said.

The Filipino adaptation of the well-loved Korean drama can be seen on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, A2Z, Jeepney TV, and TV5.