YASMIEN KURDI does not play the typical oppressed heroine she’s identified with in her latest drama series, “Beautiful Justice” which will replace “Sahaya” starting September 9. “For once, hindi ako yung usual na inaapi rito like in the past soaps I’ve done,” she says, “Ibang Yasmien ang makikita ng viewers kasi maga-action ako rito. I play Alice Vida, isang babaeng fierce at palaban, nakikipagbarilan at handang makipagpatayan in her quest for justice.”
Her husband, played by Gabby Eigenmann in a guest role, is an agent of the PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement agency). He is tragically killed right in front of her by some bad elements after being implicated in a buy bust operation that went wrong. Yasmien now wants revenge and also to clear her husband’s name to prove that he’s not really working in collusion with a drug syndicate.
“Very challenging yung role ko kasi bubuo ako rito ng grupo ng mga babaeng nawalan din ng mahal sa buhay so we can join forces and seek justice together,” she adds. “Si Gabbi Garcia rito, nawalan ng boyfriend at si Bea Binene naman, nawalan ng kapatid, at naghahanap din sila ng katarungang gaya ko.
"We all underwent special training for our action roles. We learned how to fire a gun and we also had martial arts training to prepare us for the fight scenes. We coordinated with the members of the PDEA and I really admire them for risking their lives just to combat the drug syndicates.”
Also in the cast of “Beautiful Justice” are Derrick Monasterio, Gil Cuerva, Victor Neri, Valeen Montenegro, Elizabeth Oropesa and Bing Loyzaga, directed by Mark Reyes. It’s common knowledge that Yasmien’s marriage to pilot Rey Soldevilla is one of the most stable in showbiz. How did they meet?
“Ilang beses na kami actually nag-meet sa plane, but he was still a flight attendant then,” she recalls. “Mga three times akong naging pasahero sa plane niya. Titingin-tingin pa lang siya noon. Noong third time na, noon pa lang kami nagkausap. Delayed yung flight ko from Cotabato that time and may taping pa akong hinahabol sa Manila.
"May dala akong baul na regalo sa’kin nung governor. May nagsabing ahas ang laman so I explained na food ang laman at hindi snakes on a plane. So tinulungan niya ako with the baul, then he asked me for a coffee date. Yung loob ng coffee mug, nilagyan niya ng note saying ‘I love you’, so yun, dun nagsimula. And now may daughter na kami, si Ayesha.”
