This is an excerpt from the June 2026 Special Issue. Subscribe to MEGA Digital All-Access to read the full story.
Caught between Australia and the Philippines, Jasmine Curtis-Smith spent much of her life searching for a sense of belonging. Yet in front of a camera—with a script committed to memory and a set that feels both foreign and familiar—she feels most at home.
RELATED: How Fate Brought Shaina Magdayao to the Actress That She Is
It was in 2012 when she earned her first Best Supporting Actress award at Cinemalaya for the critically acclaimed film Transit, which later competed at the 18th Busan International Film Festival. The experience became a defining moment in her career affirming her place in the industry as both an artist and storyteller.
“It gave me a sense of self-trust that I am in the right field and that I am doing what I’m supposed to be doing,” the actress reflects.
In an industry that demands vulnerability, Curtis-Smith embraces emotional immersion in every role she takes on. Between takes and quiet moments on set, she reflects on what separates performance from true artistry: heart.
“True artistry, I believe, connects to the human heart, regardless of whether the story was crafted based on someone else’s story or if it was really fictional,” she explains. “Performance alone focuses on technique and ensuring that it’s translated, but sometimes it misses the heart of the message.”
Both locally and internationally, women continue to reshape the film industry—from directors and cinematographers to leading ladies and supporting actresses reclaiming space onscreen. For Curtis-Smith, empowerment comes in the form of allowing every artist the room to exist fully and truthfully within their craft.
“Be it TV, film, theater, actors, or musicians, there should be space for every artist,” the actress emphasizes.
Today, more nuanced and unapologetic stories of women are finally being told onscreen, largely because more women are shaping narratives behind the scenes. “There’s more room for them to execute and show our stories as women, say it from the lens of a female perspective,” Curtis-Smith adds.
For Curtis-Smith, the responsibility of representation has followed her since the beginning of her career. Even beyond the screen, she continues to think about identity and the importance of seeing yourself reflected in the stories being told. “I feel like I’m always looking for where my Filipino side belongs,” she shares. “In that sense, I’m always looking for that identity placement. What more for the women finding themselves and ensuring that what they’ve built is the woman they want to become.”
These are the kinds of stories and representations she hopes to bring to audiences—stories that encourage people to move through life with more compassion for themselves and others. “When you see a representation of that, where you talk to yourself kinder, you walk out with a different lesson to impart to other people,” she says.
In many ways, Jasmine Curtis-Smith’s responsibility as an actress extends far beyond the screen. It lives in the stories she chooses to tell and the women she chooses to represent. Because at the end of the day, this career has become the life she continues to choose with intention.
Photographed by JERICK SANCHEZ. Creative Direction by PATRICK TY. Art Direction by CLARE MAGNO and BRIE VENTURA. Beauty Direction by AGOO AZCUNA-BENGZON assisted by MARA GO. Sittings Editor PEEWEE REYES-ISIDRO and TREISHA ROVERO. Produced by THESSMAR LECTURA. Image retouching by JONES PALTENG and TROY NONATO. Hair by JOBEN DINGLASAN. Makeup by GERY PENASO. Styled by STEVEN CORALDE, JIA TORRATO, and NIÑA CUYANA of QURATOR INC. Production Design by ARJ MADARANG of JAGGER STUDIOS. Photography Assistants KARL RIMANDO, BUDDY REYES, DAVE ORPILLA, and RYAN ALBANO
Frequently Asked Questions
Curtis-Smith won Best Supporting Actress at the 2012 Cinemalaya Film Festival for Transit, a critically acclaimed film that subsequently competed at the 18th Busan International Film Festival. She has described the recognition as a defining moment that confirmed her path as an actress and storyteller.
She argues that performance centers on technique and translation, while true artistry connects to the human heart — reaching audiences regardless of whether a story is based on real events or entirely fictional. For Curtis-Smith, it is the emotional truth beneath the craft that determines whether a role genuinely lands.
Growing up between Australia and the Philippines left Curtis-Smith with a lasting sense of searching for where her Filipino identity belongs. That personal experience has informed her investment in stories that reflect women finding and defining themselves — particularly Filipino women whose experiences remain underrepresented onscreen.
She sees the current period as one of meaningful progress — driven, she argues, by more women working behind the camera as directors and writers. With more female perspectives shaping narratives, Curtis-Smith believes stories about women are finally being told with greater honesty and specificity.
She hopes her work encourages greater self-compassion — that audiences leave with a kinder relationship to themselves and a different lesson to carry into their interactions with others. For Curtis-Smith, the responsibility of acting extends beyond the screen into how stories shape the way people move through life.
