Manny Jacinto attends PHL movie premiere
TWENTY-TWO years after the 2003 Disney Movie classic Freaky Friday comes an unexpected yet delightful surprise for adults who’re still teens-at-heart — the sequel, titled Freakier Friday.
There’s one other draw to the film for Filipinos. One in all 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 within the 2003 movie. That comedy film (itself a remake of the 1976 film starring a really 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 brand new blended family, Tess and Anna experience a fair larger body swap spell that threatens to tear the longer term 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 seems like a dream,” he said. “I used to be born here, so a neighborhood boy that gets to act opposite Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis is wild to me. I never would have thought. But here we’re.”
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 find a way to “practice Tagalog.”
“Sana panoorin niyo ang Freakier Friday. Maraming maraming salamat po (I hope you all watch Freakier Friday. Thanks very very much),” he said. “It’s a dream to be here immediately.”
For Mr. Jacinto, the role is special since it is his first time to play a father. His Hollywood profession includes many acclaimed roles: he played Jason Mendoza within 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 movies like Top Gun: Maverick and Bad Times on the El Royale.
He said that he “drew upon the experiences and memories of his parents” for this primary role as a parent.
“They’re [my] biggest fans. They’re super supportive,” he explained. On getting the news that he can be within the film, he added, “It was unbelievable. I used to be going to play a father for the primary time. I might have an anak, a little bit kid of my very own for the primary time.”
Freakier Friday, the sequel to the beloved Disney classic, is now showing in Philippine cinemas nationwide. Directed by Nisha Ganatra, it features elements just like the primary film: a body swap amongst women within the family who must learn from one another, and hijinks that ensue because of this.
Except for the 4 female leads, Mr. Jacinto’s other co-stars are Chad Michael Murray, Mark Harmon, and Rosalind Chao who’re reprising their roles from the primary movie, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, and Vanessa Bayer.
Mr. Jacinto hopes that he’ll make Filipinos proud along 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