Metro Manila, Philippines – It was a “Freaky” Tuesday night in Manila on August 5 as Filipino-Canadian actor and star Manny Jacinto met adoring fans at the SM Mall of Asia during the Philippine premiere and fan event of Freakier Friday, the highly anticipated sequel to the 2003 Disney classic Freaky Friday, starring Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis.
As part of NewsWatch Plus, I had the joy of joining the festivities as the screaming fans celebrated the original 2003 film, Y2K nostalgia, and the homecoming of the Philippine-born Jacinto.
Manny in Manila
The large, buzzing crowd had gathered as early as three hours before the event, just to get a chance for a glimpse of the heartthrob Jacinto. Jacinto, born in the Philippines in 1987 before emigrating to Canada when he was a toddler, is best known for his breakthrough role as the lovable airhead Jason Mendoza on the TV series The Good Place.
He has also starred as a terrifying villain in Star Wars TV series The Acolyte, co-starred with Nicole Kidman in Season 1 of Nine Perfect Strangers, and appears in the Tom Cruise action blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick.
Hundreds of fans lined up at the Main Atrium of SM Mall of Asia to welcome Jacinto. As he made his way through the crowd, screams and selfies were happening non-stop. Jacinto said earlier that this homecoming visit was very noteworthy for him.
“The Philippines has always held a special place in my heart, so I’m thrilled to be able to come home and share Freakier Friday with my fellow Filipinos.”
Once on stage, Jacinto was asked about his feelings toward being a part of this big sequel.
“It feels like a dream. I was born here so [for] a local boy to act opposite Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis is wild to me.”
To the delight of the crowd, Jacinto spoke in Tagalog as much as he could.
“Maraming-maraming salamat. Sobrang excited to be here. This is so much love, it really means the world.”
As a special treat, a few lucky fans were brought on stage to play a round of Pinoy Henyo with Jacinto himself!
As the fan event came to a close, Jacinto invited everyone to watch the new film, cracking out Tagalog phrases as if he never left the country:
“Sana panoorin n’yo ang “Freakier Friday.” It’s a fun one! It’s a dream to be here right now. Thank you. Mahal kita!”