Reyma Deveza

"It's Okay To Not Be Okay" actor Carlo Aquino.  Instagram/Star Creatives

Article (news)

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751341173670Carlo.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"/><span class="fr-inner">&quot;It&#x27;s Okay To Not Be Okay&quot; actor Carlo Aquino. <em>Screen grab: YouTube/ABS-CBN Entertainment</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA -- Kapamilya actor Carlo Aquino admitted having second thoughts before accepting his challenging role in the upcoming series &quot;It&#x27;s Okay To Not Be Okay,&quot; the Philippine adaption of the hit South Korean drama. </p><p>In a media conference on Monday, June 30, for the upcoming drama, Aquino explained that he was actually afraid to take on the role of Matmat, a high-functioning individual on the autism spectrum.</p><p>&quot;Parang nagdadalawang isip ako na kunin &#x27;yung role, &#x27;yung character, kasi nga takot na takot ako. Nagdadalawang isip ako kasi takot akong gawin &#x27;yung character. So ang dami &#x27;yung what ifs, &#x27;yung doubts, &#x27;yung mga takot. Eh lumaki nang lumaki, lumobo nang lumobo &#x27;yon, so kailangan kong paputukin. Kailangan I had to see this through. Kailangan kung mag-fail ako at least ginawa ko, tinry ko,&quot; said Aquino.</p><p>Aquino said that he became more comfortable about the role after he was able to open up and talk to his co-stars Joshua Garcia and Anne Curtis.</p><p>&quot;Noong nagkita kami for the first time, &#x27;yung sit-down natin, nag-open ako kay Joshua nang pinagdaanan ko sa buhay. Tapos siya rin naging ganoon siya sa akin. So sabi ko, &#x27;okay na ito.&#x27; Medyo naging kampante ako. Tapos si Anne, naging kampante ako noong nakasama ko sila sa sit-down &#x27;okay mae-enjoy ko ito,&#x27;&quot; added Aquino, who underwent a three-day immersion to a special school to study and create his character.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/movies-series/2025/6/30/anne-curtis-admits-first-day-jitters-at-launch-of-her-teleserye-comeback-2003" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Anne Curtis admits first-day jitters at launch of her teleserye comeback</a></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751341226934Carlo2.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"/><span class="fr-inner">&quot;It&#x27;s Okay To Not Be Okay&quot; lead stars Joshua Garcia, Anne Curtis and Carlo Aquino. <em>Screen grab: YouTube/ABS-CBN Entertainment</em></span></span></span>In the media conference, the show&#x27;s creators and directors Raymond Ocampo and Mae Cruz-Alviar praisesd Aquino&#x27;s performance. </div><p>Alviar also stressed that Aquino didn&#x27;t get to watch the original version of the drama.</p><p>&quot;It was based on our own research and interpretation of the character. That&#x27;s why kudos talaga kay Caloy kasi noong pinasok niya &#x27;yon kinuha from real people na in-observe, kinasalamuha niya and talaga namang nabuo niya &#x27;yung character based on all that,&quot; Alviar said.</p><p>Curtis and Garcia also applauded Aquino&#x27;s &quot;amazing&quot; portrayal as Matmat.</p><p>&quot;Carlo&#x27;s performance, it&#x27;s always so raw. Like whenever I&#x27;m in a scene with him, I know that I don&#x27;t need to prepare on my own because I know in each scene I will get so much from him, that each performance is just so raw and beautiful. So you guys have to see Carlos&#x27; performance, it&#x27;s really amazing,&quot; Curtis said.</p><p>&quot;Ako lagi niyang ka-eksena at hindi narin ako nagpi-prepare, diretso na. ...Madadala ka  talaga kay kuya Carlo, ang galing niya,&quot; Garcia said.</p><p>ABS-CBN&#x27;s &quot;It&#x27;s Okay To Not Be Okay&quot; will be available on Netflix beginning July 18, on iWantTFC starting July 19 and on ABS-CBN platforms, TV5, A2Z, Jeepney TV starting July 21.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS:</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5NYn2Czrn90?autoplay=1&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kFAGn0OWA_4?autoplay=1&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_5gqB9Xf6as?autoplay=1&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>In a media conference on Monday for the upcoming drama, CarloAquino explained that he was actually afraid to take on the role of Matmat, a high-functioning individual on the autism spectrum.</p>

In a media conference on Monday for the upcoming drama, CarloAquino explained that he was actually afraid to take on the role of Matmat, a high-functioning individual on the autism spectrum.

Carlo Aquino had second thoughts before accepting 'It's Okay To Not Be Okay'

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Carlo Aquino had second thoughts before accepting 'It's Okay To Not Be Okay'

Reyma Deveza,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 01, 2025 12:21 PM PHT

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