The Brief

Over two decades ago, the comedy Freaky Friday posed the question: What would happen if a mom and her teenage daughter — played by Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan — swapped bodies?

Earlier this month, the sequel Freakier Friday hit theaters, back with a similar premise and much of the same cast. But this time, with a new romantic lead: Manny Jacinto, known for his role on the sitcom The Good Place.

LAist host Antonia Cereijido spoke to Jacinto about the enduring allure of the inter-generational body swap conceit, aging in Hollywood, and how the movie is a love letter to Los Angeles.

On switching bodies with a parent: “ I don't know if I could hack it”

At their most humorous and endearing, the Freaky Friday movies are about learning to appreciate the experience of loved ones who come from a different generation than you.

Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsey Lohan in Freakier Friday.

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Glen Wilson

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Courtesy of Disney Enterprises

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Jacinto, who plays Lindsey Lohan’s love interest in the new Freakier Friday, says that’s what makes the new sequel — and its 2003 predecessor — special.

Even though Jacinto’s character doesn’t undergo a body swap in the film, it’s a thought experiment that resonates with him on a personal level — especially when thinking about his father.

 Manny Jacinto:  He's a first-gen immigrant. He came from the Philippines, traveled across the sea to Canada, left his brothers and sisters to pursue this better life for his children. I probably wouldn't survive a day.

Antonia Cereijido: Really, why?

 Manny Jacinto:  I just remember seeing my dad waking up like at 4 a.m. He's an engineer by trade, but he did whatever he had to do to provide for his family. So he worked as a parking attendant —12-, 14-hour days, six days a week.  I don't know if I could hack it.

Antonia Cereijido: Do you think he would learn something about you, being in your shoes?

 Manny Jacinto:  Yeah. He’d be like, why is this so easy? [laughing] How is it that I get to play pretend and I get paid to do this? But secretly, I think my dad loves a little bit of the limelight or the Hollywood-ness of it all.

Antonia Cereijido: And I'm sure seeing you live that out for him is super gratifying …

 Manny Jacinto:  Yeah, whenever, like, we have dinner and say our waiter is, like, “Sorry, are you ... ?” And then my dad is usually the one to finish, to be like, “The Good Place? Yes! He was the actor on The Good Place. Do you wanna take a photo? I can take the photo for you.” Which I love. He's definitely embraced it.

On playing a Dad in Freakier Friday — and accepting being 'dad' age

Antonia Cereijido:  I saw you say that you were offended when they offered you a role to be a dad. I feel like we hear a lot about what it's like for women to age in Hollywood, which I think makes sense. But I'm curious for you — how did working on this movie make you think about getting older?

 Manny Jacinto: I was reading an article or a headline talking about how 40s is the new 30s and what not. … I do feel like when I was growing up, people in their 30s were true adults. Maybe because I'm in this industry, where I'm constantly playing pretend, I feel like I'm just a kid in general. Maybe I'm stuck in a certain age in my head where I still think I'm 28 or at least late 20s.

But yeah … I started really grappling with the fact that I am at a certain age where people do have kids and are taking on those responsibilities. It really hit me in terms of the idea of getting older when the transition hit, when I started to become the parent in my parent dynamic. Like, when we went on a trip and I was the one who started to take care of my parents — making sure that they went to the washroom, that they had water, that they had their medicine, and I carried all the bags. So tapping into that, I was like, 'Oh, there's a transition happening in my life.’ But yeah, I was still offended, terrified, and partly having a midlife crisis knowing that [I could play a dad].

Jamie Lee Curtis, left, and Lindsay Lohan as Tess and Anna Coleman in <em>Freakier Friday.</em>

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Glen Wilson

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Disney Enterprises, Inc.

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Freakier Friday as a love letter to LA

The film will have particular meaning for Angelenos who will spot a lot of beloved locations as the backdrops to the movie. Jacinto, who lives in Los Angeles, said how important it was for him that the movie was shot in L.A. at a time when so many productions are leaving the city. And how the film unexpectedly turned into a pre-fires time capsule.

 Manny Jacinto: It was our chance to highlight areas of L.A. that we truly love, like the duck boats in Echo Park, the restaurant at the Line Hotel. But also, the most important, which was the original house, from [the 2003 movie] — the one in the Pacific Palisades. The fact that we got to film there before it unfortunately got taken away by the fires.

Antonia Cereijido: Oh my gosh … I did not realize that that house is gone now …

 Manny Jacinto: Yeah, it's no longer with us. We were so lucky to be able to film at that original house before that tragedy happened. We were able to commemorate that home … which makes this movie so much more special.

Lead photo caption and credit: Manny Jacinto as Eric Davies and Lindsay Lohan as Anna Coleman in Disney's Freakier Friday. Glen Wilson/ Courtesy Disney Enterprises

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium. 

“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.

Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.

More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. 

“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”

Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”

Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.

Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.

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J.W. Hendricks

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The LA Local

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In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers. 

“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.

The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants. 

In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.

The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.

When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a  “slap in the face.” 

“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.

“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”

The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place. 

Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.

“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.

A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.

Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.

Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.

“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.

But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.

Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.

California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.

Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What can small businesses do? 

Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.

Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.

“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.

She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.

“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.

Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.

What’s next 

After READ Books posted about their situation on social media, commenters chimed in to express their outrage and love for the little shop.

While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.

Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.

Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.

By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.

When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.

“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.

“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”

Topline:

Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.

Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.

Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.

Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.

How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.

Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.