Filipino-Canadian actor Manny Jacinto has expressed interest in working on films in the Philippines, saying he wants to create stories that can be produced in his homeland.
In an interview on Fast Talk with Boy Abunda, Jacinto said his “actual goal” is to write and develop stories about the Philippines.
“Whether to act here or create stories here, that’s the goal,” he said.
The Hollywood actor revealed he is working on a family-centered story involving sabong (cockfighting), clarifying it is unrelated to the ongoing missing sabungeros case. “I can’t say too much about it because it’s still in the works, but it’s something along those lines,” he said.
Jacinto, who moved to Canada at the age of three, said he still understands Filipino and has relatives in the country. He shared that he frequently visits for family occasions and last returned two Christmases ago with his and his wife’s parents to explore the Philippines.
While Jacinto is now enjoying success in Hollywood, he admitted to facing numerous rejections, particularly as a person of color.
“It’s tough to be in the industry, especially as a person of color. Whether you’re Asian or Filipino, there’s a lot of rejection… I built up my work ethic because of my parents, and I just continue to strive on,” he said.
Jacinto is in the Philippines to promote his new film Freakier Friday, a sequel to the 2003 hit Freaky Friday starring Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis. In the movie, he plays Filipino-British chef Eric Reyes, who is set to marry Anna Coleman (Lohan) and start a new life in Los Angeles, despite the disapproval of their daughters Lily (Sophia Hammons) and Harper Coleman (Julia Butters).
