TWENTY-TWO years after the 2003 Disney Movie classic Freaky Friday comes an unexpected yet delightful surprise for adults who are still teens-at-heart — the sequel, titled Freakier Friday.
There’s another draw to the film for Filipinos. One of its stars is the heartthrob Filipino-Canadian actor Manny Jacinto.
Freakier Friday continues the story of a dysfunctional mother-daughter relationship that was introduced by Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan in the 2003 movie. That comedy film (itself a remake of the 1976 film starring a very young Jodie Foster) became a cult classic for millennials, embedded in popular culture. Twenty-two years after Tess (Ms. Curtis) and her daughter Anna Coleman (Ms. Lohan), had their bodies swapped, Anna now has a daughter (Julia Butters) and, after striking up a romance with fellow single parent Eric Reyes (played by Mr. Jacinto), a British soon-to-be stepdaughter (Sophia Hammons). While navigating a new blended family, Tess and Anna experience an even bigger body swap spell that threatens to tear the future of the family apart.
Mr. Jacinto flew to Manila to attend the premiere of the film. He met with fans, signed their merchandise, and spoke to the press on Aug. 5 at SM Mall of Asia.
“It feels like a dream,” he said. “I was born here, so a local boy that gets to act opposite Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis is wild to me. I never would have thought. But here we are.”
The 37-year-old actor was born in Manila and moved to Canada when he was three years old when his family emigrated.
During his visit, he was excited to be able to “practice Tagalog.”
“Sana panoorin niyo ang Freakier Friday. Maraming maraming salamat po (I hope you all watch Freakier Friday. Thank you very very much),” he said. “It’s a dream to be here right now.”
For Mr. Jacinto, the role is special because it is his first time to play a father. His Hollywood career includes many acclaimed roles: he played Jason Mendoza in the NBC comedy The Good Place, the villain Qimir in Disney’s Star Wars series The Acolyte, the wellness guru Yao in Nine Perfect Strangers, and small roles in films like Top Gun: Maverick and Bad Times at the El Royale.
He said that he “drew upon the experiences and memories of his parents” for this first role as a parent.
“They’re [my] biggest fans. They’re super supportive,” he explained. On getting the news that he would be in the film, he added, “It was unbelievable. I was going to play a father for the first time. I would have an anak, a little kid of my own for the first time.”
Freakier Friday, the sequel to the beloved Disney classic, is now showing in Philippine cinemas nationwide. Directed by Nisha Ganatra, it features elements similar to the first film: a body swap among women in the family who must learn from each other, and hijinks that ensue as a result.
Aside from the four female leads, Mr. Jacinto’s other co-stars are Chad Michael Murray, Mark Harmon, and Rosalind Chao who are reprising their roles from the first movie, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, and Vanessa Bayer.
Mr. Jacinto hopes that he will make Filipinos proud with his performance as Filipino-British chef Eric Reyes.
“It’s nerve-wracking. I can’t wait. I hope I made you guys proud,” he said. — Brontë H. Lacsamana, with a report from Reuters
