Did You Know? A Veteran Filipina Actress Plays Lindsay Lohan's Future Mother-in-Law in "Freakier Friday"

The actress previously appeared in teleseryes like “Pangako Sa 'Yo” and “Darna.”

Published on Aug 18, 2025

Lightning strikes twice with Freakier Friday, the sequel to the 2003 comedy where Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan hilariously switched lives as mother and daughter. Twenty years later, Anna (Lindsay Lohan) has grown up, raising a daughter and navigating a blended family.

But it’s not just the return of body-swap chaos that got people talking—the film also slips in Filipino cultural touches and casts two Filipino actors in central roles. Aside from Filipino-Canadian star Manny Jacinto, veteran teleserye actress Gigette Reyes delivers a surprise Hollywood turn as Anna’s soon-to-be mother-in-law.

READ:

Filipina Actress Gigette Reyes' Role in “Freakier Friday”

The sequel is set 22 years after Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Anna switched bodies in the first film. Anna is now a mother, raising her own daughter while preparing to become a stepmom. As Tess and Anna adjust to these new roles, they once again find themselves switching bodies—this time with Anna's daughters—testing their bond in the middle of a blended family.

Click to Enlarge

PHOTO: Freakier Friday/Disney Studios.

Gigette Reyes portrays Loretta, the mother of Eric (Manny Jacinto), who is engaged to Lindsay’s Anna Coleman. As Anna’s future mother-in-law, her role sprinkles in fun, “if you know, you know” Filipino cultural references—a playful touch of representation that Filipino audiences can easily spot.

In one memorable scene during a family rehearsal dinner at Eric’s new restaurant, Tess delivers a cheeky “Mano po” to Gigette’s character—a Filipino gesture typically used to show respect to someone older—which makes the moment especially funny given their similar ages.

Click to Enlarge

PHOTO: Freakier Friday/Disney Studios.

Gigette Reyes' Filmography

At 65, Gigette carries an impressive career across film, television, and stage. She has starred in a string of the Philippines’ most memorable teleseryes: Pangako Sa ’Yo (2000) with Jericho Rosales and Kristine Hermosa, Hiram (2004) with Anne Curtis and Heart Evangelista, Darna (2005) with Angel Locsin, Sana Maulit Muli (2007) with Kim Chiu and Gerald Anderson, and Lobo (2008).

Click to Enlarge

PHOTO: IMDB.

Her career stretches back to 1978 with Ang Tatay Kong Nanay, a film by National Artist and auteur Lino Brocka starring Dolphy. In more recent years, she appeared in the 2013 film Chasing Fire and the 2024 short Vic and His Nanay, which was selected for the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (VC Film Fest 2025).

Beyond her screen credits, Gigette is also a seasoned theater actress and a former member of the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA). Now based in Los Angeles, she continues to take on projects that bring her decades-long artistry to new audiences—including a Disney franchise where she shares the screen with Hollywood icons.

Kat is Preview's Lifestyle Editor, explorer, and occasional rhymer. When not globe-trotting, she's over her computer, writing her next big novel.