Anne Curtis is indeed the reigning “it” girl these days. You see her ubiquitous face on billboards along EDSA, on television shows, soaps, and numerous commercials, on films, and even on the news. Many Filipino girls adore and emulate the 28-year-old actress. She is the most followed Filipino celebrity on social networking site Twitter, with more than four million followers, who hang on to every tweet that she say.

One may wonder what the secret of her soaring fame and successful career is. In a recent exclusive interview with the Students and Campuses, we were pleasantly surprised to find out that Anne is certainly much more than the gorgeous, sexy, and talented woman that we all know.    

“I guess it’s all about not letting fame get to your head. (It’s) being surrounded by people who make you feel that you’re the same person you were before,” says Anne while flashing her  signature smile.

The difference between Anne and other female celebrities is her likeable factor. Apart from her beauty and talent, it is this undeniable charm that makes her appeal to all classes in Philippine society. This, coupled with her humility, certainly sets her apart from the rest.

RISE TO STARDOM

The Australian-born actress was discovered in a restaurant when she was 12. She and her family were visiting the country when a talent scout spotted her and offered her a modeling job. She took the chance and got her first commercial. This led to her first film “Magic Kingdom” and guest appearances in GMA 7 shows such as the youth-oriented series, “T.G.I.S.”

Anne says her rise to the top wasn’t easy. She had to sacrifice her studies, and was only able to finish Grade 7 in the Philippines. It wasn’t an overnight success for her, as she started from the bottom like most big stars today. She even had to audition, like other aspiring models and actresses, just to get that part in a TV or modelling job.

“It was not an easy climb for me. You can’t expect it to happen overnight because it won’t. Patience is a big factor,” she says.

It was when she transferred to ABS-CBN that her star started to shine brighter. She appeared in more serious roles and eventually got the lead character in her first TV series “Kampanerang Kuba.” From then on, people started to notice.

That big break led to more major projects such as “Maging Sino Ka Man” and “Dyosa.” Her film career also blossomed. In 2011, she starred in the blockbuster hit “No Other Woman,” which became the second highest grossing Filipino film of all time. She currently appears in the daily noontime show “It’s Showtime,” and primetime soap “Kung Kailangan Ko’y Ikaw.”

Aside from acting, Anne has also delved into recording. Although she admits that she is not the best singer, it has always been her dream to become one. Thanks to her legions of fans, her album called “Annebisyosa” has already reached platinum. She has also performed to a jampacked crowd at her first major concert.

But her achievements don’t stop there. Anne is also one of the country’s top product endorsers with brands ranging from shoes to real estate. She recently launched her “No Other Tuna” campaign with Century Tuna.

“It’s better that you work hard to where you are because you’ll appreciate it more. You’ll take care of it more. Just have that kind of patience and continue to pursue your dreams,” Anne advises.

TWITTER QUEEN

In Twittersphere, Anne is more real, and speaks her mind about anything that interests her. This trait endears her more to her followers.

“I just tweet. Whatever comes to my mind, I’ll tweet it. That is why it’s a mix of everything. There will be something formal. There will be retweets. There will be sharing of my new campaigns or random funny stuff. There’s no planning what I’m going to tweet,” she says.

Anne adds that she doesn’t censor herself on Twitter because she’s not the kind of person who writes offensive tweets. She knows very well the responsibility that comes with such a huge following.

“I tweet away but I’m never the type that would tweet anything displeasing or rude. I’m not that kind of person anyway. I have no reason to tweet like that,” she says.

LEADING A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

Like most stars whose ticket to fame is their looks, Anne tries her best to lead a healthy lifestyle despite her hectic schedule and sometimes, sleepless tapings.

“I’m lucky that Showtime starts at a later time so I do my workouts in the morning. Breakfast would consist of maybe tuna omelet. For lunch and dinner, I will just have a salad. But I would eat snacks in between like nuts and fruits,” she says.

However, she believes that her strict diet, especially during summer, is not a reason to deprive herself of her favorite junk food which are chocolates and chips.

“I believe that yes, you should be strict when it comes to dieting but don’t deprive yourself of the joys of chocolate and chips. Saturday and Sunday are the days to pig out. It’s very, very easy to control it once your appetite is not as big as it used to. You get used to it but when you get really stressed, you have to give in or you’ll go crazy,” she says.

FUTURE BUSINESSWOMAN OR TEACHER?

Anne may be having the time of her life now, but there is still one thing that she is looking forward to doing soon — that is to go back to school. Last year, she enrolled in an open university in Australia to finish her studies but her tight schedule has prevented her from continuing it. She reveals that not finishing school has always been an insecurity.

“I would love to go back to school but maybe not now. I enrolled in an open university in Australia. (But) it was really hard because (of) the time, tapings, it’s hard to do everything,” she says.

Thanks to the encouragement of her dad, she knows that school will always be there for her. Right now she has yet to decide what degree to get, but she is mulling over Business Management or Early Education.

“I really want Business Management so if ever I would put up a business I would know the ins and outs of it. But I think Early Education is one of my choices. I think that would be a big calling for me because I love children. Being someone who is working already, I think it is important to take something you love to do,” Anne says.