In the early 2010s, Jasmine Curtis-Smith joined the Philippine showbiz industry, a world where her older sister Anne Curtis was arguably one of its biggest stars. And with one look at Jasmine, you'd see her uncanny resemblance to Anne, but the striking difference they had from the get-go was their last names. Anne dropped Smith from her screen name and settled with just Curtis, whereas Jasmine, up to this day, uses their family's hyphenated surname Curtis-Smith.
READ: Why Jasmine Curtis-Smith Uses Her Full Last Name Unlike Her Sister Anne
Being an artista for over a decade, the actress explained why she made the decision to retain her last name in an interview with PhilStar in 2021. "Because I know she tried so hard to keep it," Jasmine said of Anne starting off her career with Curtis-Smith but eventually shortening it. "So it was a challenge to myself. Parang I felt like kasi na sayang naman yung full name ng Curtis-Smith, and I really, really like it, so if I can try to retain it, then by all means I'll do my best to do so."
She further detailed that she wanted to take a stand, so to speak, in using her complete last name and to see if the industry would just ride with it: "When I look at my family's ancestry, parang even when I ask my dad, nalilito kami kung kanino nagsimula yung Curtis-Smith, yung pag-join ng two last names, yung Curtis and Smith. So I wanna try to keep it. Kung mag-aartista ka rin naman and if you're gonna make your name out there in the public, why not try to have it complete? And see how long pa kaya kong panindigan ng mga networks, ng nagke-credit ng films, na buo yung last name ko. It was just me trying to see if people would and they did!"
In another exclusive interview with Preview for her March 2023 In Focus feature, the actress further explained her reasoning. “I want to complete my name kasi it's a way of [giving] honor doon sa ancestors na’min and those who came before us,” she says. “I don’t know, I have a very big need to be in touch with my roots that a name matters to me.”
There was no issue for Jasmine if she'd have to shorten her last name like her sister, but she still does want to keep it in full because it gives her her own identity apart from Anne. "Open naman ako i-drop din siya eventually, and I don't get mad, but I do prefer na may Smith kasi for some reason it was also a way to identify me," she said. "I think people would just naturally know, 'Oh, si Anne Curtis' pero 'Si Jasmine Curtis-Smith.' Even if I just put my name nga sa mga packages na Jasmine Smith tapos naka-mask ako ngayon, sasabihin nila, 'Ikaw ba si Jasmine Curtis-Smith?' So there's recognition din doon sa three names whichever way you use it."
You do you, Jasmine Curtis-Smith!
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