Call her Nurse Yasmien

CEBU, Philippines - Thanks to shedding off the post-baby weight, original “Starstruck” First Princess Yasmien Kurdi has never looked better than she has been flaunting of late. All in good time, as she had just renewed a contract with home network GMA-7 and starring once again in a primetime drama.

“I think you just got used to seeing me chubby before,” said Yasmien with a laugh when her impressive slim-down was pointed out. “I didn’t go on a diet back then. After giving birth and breastfeeding, I lost a lot of weight. From 184 lbs., now I’m around 120 lbs. These days, I exercise and watch what I eat.”

Yasmien is mom to one-year-old daughter Ayesha Zara, whom she shares with husband Rey Soldevilla Jr., a flight attendant. By the look of things, marriage and motherhood seems to suit the 25-year-old actress well. But the domestic bliss doesn’t mean she wasn’t missing acting in front of the cameras.

“It’s been a while. I stopped showbiz for a time because I wanted to study Nursing. I said to myself  that once I finish college, I’ll return to acting. But then when I was done with school, I had a baby and got married, so my showbiz return was pushed back.”

Her hubby isn’t one to hinder her return to the limelight, as he has gotten accustomed to her line of work, Yasmien shared. “I’ve known my husband since I was seven years old. I was in love teams with Rainier Castillo and JC de Vera, but off-cam, I already had a steady boyfriend. So he’s used to my work as an actress. It’s no longer an issue with him if I have kissing scenes.”

If many stars are hesitant to lay low from the scene, lest they have no careers to return to, what prodded Yasmien to withdraw from showbiz and pursue her academics instead?

She explained, “My mom had a kidney problem before. I pitied her so much. I didn’t know anything, in terms of recognizing the symptoms and taking blood pressure. Later on, I learned vital signs were such a big deal. I thought to myself, if my mom will have medical emergencies or if she grows older, I wanted to be able to take care of her and be her personal nurse. I also thought that when I’ll have my own family, I’d like to know how to properly breastfeed, or the different stages of labor, or even how to assist someone who’s giving birth. Those were my main reasons on why I chose to shift to Nursing from my first course, which was Foreign Service.”

Yasmien has since graduated from New Era College and is now a registered nurse. She’s not yet done though, and is eyeing a second diploma. “I took Foreign Service for three years, before deciding to shift gears. I saw online that I can still make use of those subjects I took from my first course --- the degree that I’ll get is equivalent to Political Science, so I’ll have two degrees.”

Cast as a young mother in the 2013 soap “Anna Karenina” right after she gave birth in real life, it’s a glowing Yasmien that viewers see in the primetime series “Rhodora X,” where she stars with fellow Starstruck alumni Jennylyn Mercado and Mark Herras.

“My character’s story will revolve around her quest to avenge what her sister did to her. It’s very challenging for me, since in real life, I have yet to experience plotting revenge towards someone I love. That feeling is foreign to me, so I have to put myself in my character’s shoes, as I have no real-life experience to draw from.”- VAB (FREEMAN)