Dyosa puts Anne to a real test

Playing immortal characters Dyosa Cielo, Dyosa Tierra and Dyosa Agua on ABS-CBN’s latest primetime fantaserye titled Dyosa, premiering tomorrow, Aug. 11, is a real test of acting talent, patience and determination for Anne Curtis.

Sure, she is used to long taping hours that start early in the morning and end in ungodly hours, to doing series of pictorials without getting enough sleep and always keeping a sunshiny face in public. But the fast pace of having to change from a mortal to a horse to a mermaid and to an eagle complete with costume and makeup is one arduous task.

“As direk Wenn (Deramas) says, we have to move fast so I have to slip into my costumes in no time. The toughest for me is the centaur (half-human, half-horse goddess of land) because it’s really painful for my back as I have scoliosis but it’s okay. I’m happy with the outcome,” Anne shares.

It is in portraying centaur, too, where reel and rumored real-life partner Sam Milby reportedly blew his top. He saw Anne in a scene galloping as a horse seemingly in her half-naked glory. Sam is really conservative, she says. The reaction has worried direk Wenn but Anne is quick to explain that prosthetics makeup covered her private parts.

Sam and Anne — after calling it quits a year ago — have not spoken publicly about the real score between them. They cut short their romance when Anne perceived it would be a distraction in her walk with God.

Sam started courting Anne for the second time last December.

“Now is the right time but there’s nothing official, no exact term yet. Yes, we’re dating and I’m happy with whatever we have now,” Anne says.

“Love is something that should not be rushed,” says Sam, who is Adonis on the fantaserye.

Sam, Anne reveals, teaches her many life’s lessons that help her deal better with others. She’s more patient now and doesn’t feel bad when her wings (as goddess of air) fail to flap in synchronized motion. She, too, is up to the challenge of perfecting how Dyosa Agua must swim. Determination eases the back-breaking fin swimming training that lasted for three weeks.

Direk Wenn is all praise for Anne. “Since Kampanerang Kuba, Anne is good at pretending she’s talking to someone when nobody is there but tin cans,” he explains.

Does she feel pressured when Dyosa is being compared to other fantasy series?

“It’s a good thing in the business. It’s healthy competition na walang maglalaitan. In terms of comparison, we can’t expect to meet everybody’s expectations but we can only try our best. And that’s what we did,” Anne replies.

Asked who among her leading men — Sam, Luis Manzano and Zanjoe Marudo — she feels most comfortable with, Anne says, “Wow, it’s really hard because I’ve known Manzano longer than I’ve known Sam. But lately, I get to spend more time with Sam. It’s really hard to choose because iba yung level how I’m comfortable with the both of them.”

Dyosa also stars Jaclyn Jose, Lloyd Samartino, Epi Quizon, Mickey Ferriols, Matthew Mendoza, Carlos Morales, Nikki Bacolod, Maricar de Mesa, Joseph Andre Garcia, Vice Ganda, Rubirubi, Jessy Mendiola, Micah Muñoz, Crispin Mendoza, Jojit Lorenzo and Carlo Guevarra.