The set of Freakier Friday was filled with icons—from Jamie Lee Curtis to Lindsay Lohan— that could intimidate even the most seasoned actor. But Sophia Hammons found herself fangirling a bit over her fellow newbie to the crew, Julia Butters.
As a tween, Hammons loved Butters’s performance as Trudi Fraser in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood so much that she went full stan. The evidence remains on social media—something she admitted once the duo became besties on set.
“I was like, ‘Julia, you don’t understand. I’m a fan,’” Hammons tells Glamour. “We scrolled back on her Instagram, and there’s literally comments and likes from young me, being like ‘You’re so cool’ or ‘You’re so pretty,’ or ‘This is so cute.’ We were dying when we saw them. I was like, ‘Wow, I really manifested our friendship.’”
Hammons, 18, had acted in TV shows like Hulu’s Up Here and the Disney Channel film Under Wraps before landing the role in the sequel to the iconic 2003 film Freaky Friday, which she says was the type of project she’d been “dreaming of.” The new film features Lohan and Curtis returning as mother-and-daughter pair Anna and Tess, who undergo a four-way body swap with Hammon’s character, Anna’s soon-to-be stepdaughter Lily, and Butters’s character, Anna’s daughter Harper.
One aspect of Lily that Hammons particularly related to was that her character was raised by a single dad, Eric, played by Manny Jacinto. Hammons was also raised by a single dad and says that sort of relationship was the type of story she didn’t see on screen that much growing up and was thrilled to portray.
“I think it’s so important to show those father-daughter relationships,” she says. “I grew up not seeing a lot of stories about that. I love my dad so much, and I love how much Lily and Eric love each other. I think it’s very accurate.”
Hammons chatted with Glamour about her personal theory about one Freakier Friday Easter egg, her “cosmic” connection with Butters, and what she’s got her sights on next.
Glamour: My first question is a random one, but I have to ask. Given that neither you or Manny Jacinto are British, why do you think they kept your characters’ London roots and had you both learn English accents for the film?
Sophia Hammons: I think it was some sort of ode to Parent Trap, but I don’t know.
I loved all those Easter eggs. You’ve been acting since you were a child. What made you want to start going to auditions?
I was a huge theater kid. I loved it so much. I was so committed. I was flying out to New York to do these Broadway casting calls if I saw one on the internet or something. I got rejected pretty much every time. I was always a little too tall, or I just wasn’t in the same talent level because Broadway kids are so good.
I remember walking around Central Park with my dad after being rejected from an audition, and he was like, “Why don’t you try film and TV?” And I was like, “Oh, wait, that sounds very interesting.” So then I tried that, and here we are. It’s been a long journey, but I’m so proud of myself. Honestly. I wish I could tell the girl in Central Park that everything will be fine and that it’ll work out.
The original Freaky Friday came out before you were born but has become a classic. Had you seen it before you got the opportunity to try out for the sequel?
Oh my gosh, absolutely. I watched it for the first time when I was 12 or 13. My middle school was a performing arts school, and we would have Freaky Friday days where we would switch clothes with our friends. Students would dress up as teachers, and teachers would try to dress up as teenagers. It was really fun. Sometimes in class they would show the movie. So that’s such a full-circle moment.
What first drew you to your character, Lily?
It’s funny because the first time I read Lily’s character description, I was like, What? I don’t relate to this at all. I’m not a British preppy girl. But then, as soon as I read more…I was like, Oh, I got it. This makes so much more sense.
One of the great things about playing Lily is she has so much depth to her. At first glance she’s exactly how Harper describes her in the movie, like a little demon child. But there’s so much more to her. I love her. I love how we see her vulnerability and her heart.
You and Julia Butters became quick BFFs on set. Did you bond right away?
It just happened. It was so weird. Even Jamie was like, What’s going on? She was telling us that she actually had a meeting with the producers and was like, “Okay, so what happens if they get in a fight? Because they’re getting close really quickly. Something is bound to go wrong.”
But we met for the first time at a chemistry read, and I keep describing it as cosmic because I think that’s what it was. I swear to God, we just clicked instantly. When I got the role, I was so excited because I was like, Oh my God, yes, I get to do this with Julia. I think I told her everything about my life, every secret I ever had, the second time we met each other. We just opened up immediately, and I’m happy we didn’t scare each other away.
What was it like being on set with so many icons?
Before the first day of set, we had a few weeks to get to know each other, all of us, and that helped a lot. But everyone on that set was so welcoming, despite the fact that a lot of them have all known each other because of the first one. So many, even of the crew and cast and the producers, are from Freaky Friday. Even though Julia and I were newcomers on set, no one treated us any differently. Everyone treated us with open arms. Jamie actually does this thing where she makes everyone wear name tags the first week, and it really did work. All of us knew each other very quickly and got closer that way. So honestly, I will take that with me in the future. The name tag thing, I think it’s very, very smart.
Everyone’s been loving the looks from the press tour. What outfit has been your favorite?
I worked with a lovely stylist, Jordan Dorso, and my hair and makeup team, but I think the biggest thing was staying super fun. This movie is very lighthearted. Two of the outfits I wore, for the LA and the London premieres, were very bright and sparkly. That’s how I felt and how I feel watching this movie. It’s just happiness radiating through in me.
For the London premiere, specifically, I really wanted it to be a long dress. I was so happy when Jordan brought the dress to my attention. It was this wonderful pink sparkly dress by the brand Sau Lee; it’s Asian-owned, female owned. And it kind of tied in. I’ve never emphasized my heritage in a role before except Lily. I loved having that ode to the culture in that dress, and it made me feel amazing.
What’s your next big goal?
I’m open to everything, really. Just seeing what happens. My dad and I just bought the rights to two books. Something I want to do in the future is produce and direct. It’s always been a dream of mine. So maybe entering a producer era of sorts. I’m really excited about that. But I’m open to any opportunity that comes my way. I don’t want to take anything for granted.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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