Kapuso star Yasmien Kurdi recalled getting mistaken for Bea Alonzo at the media conference for Start-Up with the press, including LionhearTV, on September 17, 2022.
Kurdi narrated her experience getting lost on a set where Alonzo was filming a project when she was in ABS-CBN.
“Lagi nilang sinasabi kasi na magkamukha daw kami ni Bea. Even before pa noong nasa ABS-CBN siya. Marami pa nga akong stories eh. Like kunyari, di ba kinwento ko ‘yun sayo. Pumunta ako one time sa–there was this shooting sa Baseco, tapos mayroon silang set doon ng, parang soap nila ni John Lloyd.
“And then nagsho-shoot din kami doon ng Bakekang, tapos akala ko GMA lang ‘yung nag te-taping doon sa show. Tapos pumasok na ako sa loob ng tent, nag-set up na ako lahat-lahat, natulog na ko, ganon. Tapos nilapitan ako ng PA, ‘Ah Miss Yas, hindi po kayo dito’ ‘Ha bakit, may taping kami?’ ‘Set po ito nila Bea Alonzo.'”
She then recounted how Donita Rose mistook her for Alonzo during one of their chance meetings.
“Mayroon din time na si Donita Rose, like sabi niya sa akin, ‘Hoy I watched your movie.’ Sabi ko, ‘Anong movie? Wala naman akong movie.’ Akala niya si Bea, until noong time na ‘yun talaga hanggang ngayon sobrang, sabi niya, ‘Sorry talaga, akala ko ikaw si Bea,’ dahil nga ‘yung resemblance namin.
“Pero hindi ko naisip na one day makakatrabaho kami, dahil nga we’re from two different worlds, doon siya sa kabila, and nandito ako, ito, ito na ‘yung time na hinihingi ng mga fans na sana maging magkapatid kami in a show.”
As for working with Alonzo, she expressed joy in finally getting to work with the new Kapuso actress.
“Siyempre masaya po ako. Kasi, noong inoffer sa akin itong Start Up, noong sinabi nga na I would be playing Won In-Jae, na si Ina Diaz sa Philippine version, talagang tinanggap ko agad. Kasi noong una, pressure talaga, sabi ko ‘Kaya ko ba?’ Tapos pinanood ko ulit, sabi ko, ‘Parang kaya naman, sige game go.’ So sobrang saya ako na naibigay sa akin ito.
“Happy din ako dahil nakatrabaho ko ngayon at first si Bea, dito sa GMA Network, certified Kapuso na dahil first Kapuso show mo na ito, congratulations.”
Kurdi stars in the Philippine adaptation of the hit Netflix Korean series from 2020, Start-Up.
The main cast of the series also includes Alden Richards, Bea Alonzo, and Jeric Gonzales.
The supporting Kapuso casts include Gabby Eigenmann, Jackie Lou Blanco, Ayen Munji-Laurel, Boy 2 Quizon, Royce Cabrera, Nino Muhlach, Lovely Rivero, Kim Domingo, and Ms. Gina Alajar.
Watch Start-Up, Alden Richards, and Bea Alonzo’s first-ever drama series together, premiering on September 26, 2022, at 8: 50 p.m., via GMA Telebabad.
