One of the reasons "It’s Okay To Not Be Okay" resonates so strongly is the way its characters are written and portrayed. They're flawed, layered, and deeply human, almost as if you’re watching real people bare their hearts on screen, which makes you want to root for them (or sometimes even call them out). 

And if viewers can feel that strongly, imagine how much more personal it gets for the actors themselves. Bianca De Vera, who plays Bella, admits there are parts of her character she loves but there are also sides she wishes could have been better. 

In the  story, Bella is a young woman confined in the psychiatric facility OK Hospital where she's being treated for depression and PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)  caused by a recent toxic relationship. Her interactions with the nurses, patients and other staff, such as that time she spoke about fairytales teaching readers that love conquers all, show how big her heart is, which is exactly one thing Bianca admires about her. “I love how she loves wholeheartedly and unconditionally,” she said. Add to that, Bella's resilience, “I feel like as much as she’s not okay, she tries to be okay." 

But as much as Bianca celebrates Bella’s big heart, she also acknowledges the downside of it, “I hate how her heart is both her strength and her weakness."  

And if she could send a message to Bella, she would tell her, “Girl, kaya mo ’yan!”  With sisterly encouragement, she reminds her that it's okay to take baby steps toward healing. "Alam ko na medyo mahina ang puso from time to time but take it easy on yourself."  

In a recent episode of Kapamilya Chat, Bianca shared that this is her first assignment leaning heavily into drama, a huge switch-up compared to her previous ‘kikay’ roles that were almost patterned after her own personality. This time, she really had to step out of her comfort zone. And while the constant crying was challenging, she found it therapeutic in its own way as the emotional scenes also became an outlet for her own feelings. 

Bianca stars with Joshua Garcia, Anne Curtis, and Carlo Aquino in “It’s Okay To Not Be Okay,” airing weeknights at 8:45 PM on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), A2Z, and TV5. Watch it in advance on Netflix and iWant.