August 7, 2025
MANILA – Not even the sweltering Manila heat and hours of waiting could tame the screams of fans as soon as Manny Jacinto graced a fan event in Pasay City. While he opted to go for a simple green jacket, green trousers and a polo shirt, it was already more than enough for the audience to go crazy for him.
Fans carrying placards with witty phrases, photos of Jacinto in his past projects, and fan-related merchandise gathered at the Mall of Asia Atrium on Tuesday, Aug. 5. “Kamusta po kayo (How are you)? Thank you for being here, this is so exciting,” he addressed the screaming audience.
The Filipino-Canadian actor returned to the Philippines to promote “Freakier Friday,” a sequel to the 2003 film “Freaky Friday.” With Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis reprising their roles, Jacinto portrays the dashing Filipino-British chef Eric Reyes, a widower and single father who is set to marry Anna Coleman (Lohan) and restart his life in Los Angeles.
Also part of the film are rising stars Julia Butters and Sophia Hammons, the latter portraying Jacinto’s onscreen daughter Lily, who is doubtful of her father’s decision to move to Los Angeles for good.
Jacinto was born in Manila, but he and his family moved to British Columbia in Canada when he was three years old. He might’ve been young when he left the Philippines, but he never lost sight of his Filipino roots, which can be clearly seen in the way he did his best to speak Tagalog as a way of reconnecting with fans at the event.
“It feels like a dream. Honestly, I never would have thought that I would be [here]. I was born here, so a local boy who gets to act opposite Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis is wild to me. I never would have thought. But here we are,” he said.
Manny Jacinto was met with cheers at the “Freakier Friday” fan event at the Mall of Asia Atrium in Pasay on Tuesday, Aug. 5. PHOTO: PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER
When the actor found out that he got the part of Eric, he immediately called his parents to inform them of the news. Known for his lead roles in the hit series “The Good Place” and “The Acolyte,” as well as the films “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Bad Times,” the film marks the first time the Filipino-Canadian actor has played the role of a father.
“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. I didn’t know how to react at first. I just drew upon the experience of my parents and maybe drew upon those memories, and then here we are,” he said.
Manny Jacinto poses for photos at the “Freakier Friday” fan event at the Mall of Asia Atrium in Pasay on Tuesday, Aug. 5. PHOTO: PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER
One of the highlights of the event was engaging in a fun round of the popular game “Pinoy Henyo,” which allowed Jacinto to guess the keywords. Only for his case, the typical “tao, bagay, hayop” questions were replaced with English. He immediately understood the game’s mechanics, as he ended up guessing the words in less than a minute.
After the program, Jacinto visited movie theaters before the film was screened to reporters, content creators, and special guests.
“It’s cool walking into a theater where people look like me!” he said while laughing. “Everyone looks so pretty and beautiful. I am so excited. Sana mag-enjoy kayo. Maraming, maraming salamat. Thank you so much. I’ve been practicing [my Tagalog]. So again, mahal kita. I love you so much!”
“Freakier Friday,” which premieres in the Philippines Wednesday, Aug. 6, tells the story of Anna Coleman (Lohan), set to marry Eric Reyes (Jacinto), much to the support of her mother Tess (Curtis) and the chagrin of their children Harper Coleman (Butters) and Lily Reyes (Hammons).