Manny Jacinto says it's a 'dream' to come home to PH for 'Freakier Friday' premiere
Screams of kilig filled the SM Mall of Asia as Filipino Canadian actor Manny Jacinto walked the purple carpet for the Freakier Friday Philippine premiere.
In the Freaky Friday sequel, Jacinto plays Eric Reyes, Anna Coleman's (Lindsay Lohan) fiancé, whose teenage daughter Lily (Sophia Hammons) gets entangled in a body swapping mishap with her soon-to-be stepsister Harper (Julia Butters) and the Coleman family.
"It feels like a dream!" the actor said about starring in Freakier Friday. "I was born here, so a local boy who gets to act opposite Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis is wild to me."
His role in the film would be his first time playing a dad. Jacinto previously starred in The Good Place as Jason Mendoza, a fake monk-turned-himbo (male bimbo) with a heart of gold, and in the Star Wars series The Acolyte as Sith master Qimir.
"I would have an anak, a little kid of my own for the first time. I didn't know how to react at first, but I just drew upon the experiences of my parents, drew upon those memories," he told the Philippine crowd.
"[My parents] are the biggest fans. They would be here if they could. This would be incredible for them."
During the Philippine premiere, Jacinto signed fan art, which ranged from drawings to photoshopped pictures of him in a UP Sablay.
He also played a round of Pinoy Henyo with fans, which he was pretty good at—the Freakier Friday star guessed all of the words, which were all related to the movie, in under 30 seconds.
Manny wore a smile the whole time, but what was most charming about him was that he tried his best to speak in Filipino to his kababayans in the audience.
"Maraming maraming salamat po... It's a dream to be here right now, so thank you! Mahal kita!" he said, before forming a finger heart.
Jacinto also shared that it was a treat to see people who look like him.
"I've been practicing [my Filipino]," he said in the theater before the movie premiere.
"I'm so excited. Sana mag enjoy kayo."
Freakier Friday is now in cinemas.
