YASMIEN KURDI was only 14 years old when joined starstruck in 2003 and won as first runner up to Jennylyn Mercado.
She has yet to attain the kind of success Jen got in her career (doing hit films and winning film acting awards), but her consolation is she is happily married to a pilot, Rey Soldevilla, and a doting mom to their 8-year old daughter, Aquisha.
As far as her career is concerned, GMA has not neglected her through the years. She just taped the true story of former singer-turned-TV producer Elaine Carriedo in the "Rebeldeng Anak, Ulirang Ina" episode of “Magpakailanman” to be aired this Saturday.
And now, she stars as one of the title rolers in the new GMA Aternoon Prime series, “Las Hermanas”, the whole show of which they’ve completed shooting in two lock-in tapings with only a short interval in between.
This is the follow up to her hit action-drama, “Beautiful Justice”, on primetime. So how was it?
“I’ve done lock in taping before sa ‘The Promise’ ng ‘I Can See You’, but sandali lang yun,” she says. “Unlike itong ‘Las Hermanas’ na inabot ng halos one month each ang taping namin sa out of town, so na-miss ko talaga ang family ko.”
She’s just thankful that in the midst of the pandemic, we have modern technology to help us out.
“I really missed my husband and our daughter. Buti na lang nga talaga we have cellphones to help us do face time, allowing us to always get in touch with each other.
"Pero kapag busy ka na sa taping, you forget na rin somehow yung lungkot na pagkakalayo mo sa family mo. Parang nagbabakasyon ka lang.”
So what’s the story of “Las Hermanas” or “The Sisters”?
“Tatlo kaming magkakapatid dito,” she says. “Ako yung eldest as Dorothy Manansala, then si Thea Tolentino as Minerva Manansala and Faith Da Silva as Scarlet Manansala.
"We’re still kids when our dad, played by Leandro Baldemor, died and our mother, played by Rita Avila, got jailed naman due to estafa cases.”
The tragedy made them tough as they try to solve the problems that come their way all by themselves.
They are grieving over the loss their dad but they also have to find some income to help earn bail money to get their mother out of prison.
They live with their Lola Josefa (Madeleine Nicolas) who’s very strict with them.
The huge powerhouse cast includes Albert Martinez as Lorenzo Ilustre, a rich mysterious businessman, and Jason Abalos as Gabriel Lucero who’s in love with Dorothy.
Aside from their leading men, the supporting cast is ed by the comebacking Jennica Garcia in her first teleserye after her separation from Alwyn Uytingco. She plays Brenda, ex-girlfriend of Jason who's contravida to Yasmien.
Also supporting them are Melissa Mendez as Divine Sarmiento who helps Yasmien and Jason, Coleen Paz, Rubi Rubi, Robert Ortega, Christian Vasquez and Lucho Ayala, under the direction of Monti Parungao who just did the successful “The Lost Recipe” on GTV.
“Las Hermanas” will air starting October 25 on GMA Afternoon Prime to replace “Nagbabagang Luha” that ends this week. It will be shown right after “Eat Bulaga” at 2:30 PM.
