Filipino-Canadian actor Manny Jacinto was in disbelief when he landed the lead male role in Disney’s much-anticipated sequel to the beloved “Freaky Friday,” titled “Freakier Friday.”
During a fan event in Manila on Tuesday, August 5, Manny shared that he first informed his parents upon learning that he bagged the role, “Eric Reyes,” the chef-fiancé of Lindsay Lohan’s Anna Coleman.
READ: ‘Sobrang excited to be here’: Manny Jacinto says being back in Manila feels like a dream
“I, called my parents, let them know, but it was unbelievable,” Manny shared.
This also marks his first time playing a father role.
“It was, I, I was gonna play a, a father for the first time, I would have an, an a kak, A little kid of my own for the first time, so I, yeah, I didn’t know how to react at first, but I just drew upon the experiences of my parents and kind of maybe drew upon those, those memories and, and yeah, and then here we are,” he added.
For Manny, it was “wild” to be working alongside renowned actors Lindsay Lohan and “Jamie Lee Curtis,” who reunite as the iconic mother-daughter duo in the sequel.
“Honestly, I never would have thought that I’d be, you know, I, I was born here, so like, a local boy that gets to act opposite Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis is, is wild to me,” the Fil-Canadian actor said.
“Freakier Friday,” now out in Philippine cinemas nationwide, also stars Julia Butters, Sophia Hammons, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Rosalind Chao, Chad Michael Murray, Vanessa Bayer and Mark Harmon.
It is directed by Nisha Ganatra and based on the book “Freaky Friday” by Mary Rodgers, and is produced by Kristin Burr, p.g.a., Andrew Gunn, p.g.a., and Jamie, with Nathan Kelly, Ann Marie Sanderlin and Lindsay serving as executive producers.
Manny graced a fan event open to the public to kick off the premiere of “Freakier Friday” in the Philippines on Tuesday, where he was welcomed by hundreds of fans before the film’s screening.
READ: ‘I’ve been practicing’: Manny Jacinto speaks Filipino multiple times at Manila fan meet
The event was made possible by Globe Telecom, and its official mall and cinema partners, SM Mall of Asia and SM Cinema.
READ: Manny Jacinto to grace red carpet premiere of ‘Freakier Friday’ in Manila