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Sophia Hammons said Jamie Lee Curtis was “all-round competitive” on the set of Freaky Friday, with one exception.
While chatting exclusively with PEOPLE at the 2025 WIF (Women in Film) Honors, where Curtis received the Jane Fonda Humanitarian Award, the 18-year-old actress opened up about her experience filming the Disney movie starring Bear. Hammonds said Curtis, 66, was willing to do almost anything.
“That’s the one thing about Jamie. She always says, ‘I’m not going to sing,'” she revealed at an event in Los Angeles on Nov. 6. ”
“Other than that,” Hammonds continued, “she can try anything. She’s very collaborative. She’s always open to other ideas and collaborates with other people. I mean, it was awesome to play against her.”
Amy Sussman/Getty; Kayla O’Adams/Film Magic
Hammonds recalled filming one scene where the two were “just shoving donuts into each other’s mouths,” and the scene was a huge flop.
“I’m pretty sure Jamie ate 36 donuts that day,” she says. “But again, she challenges it. She challenges everything. She’s great.”
The long-awaited sequel to 2003’s Freaky Friday stars Curtis and Lindsay Lohan reprising their roles as mother-daughter duo Anna and Tess Coleman. Anna now has a daughter of her own, Harper Coleman (Julia Butters), and a soon-to-be stepdaughter, Lily Reyes (Hammons).
Glenn Wilson/Disney
Hammons’ character ended up swapping bodies with Curtis’ character, and the actress told PEOPLE, “I couldn’t have asked for a better person to switch places with.”
“She’s lovely, wonderful and very strong,” Hammonds says of the Halloween star. “Her presence has taught me a lot, not only on set, but also in my life.”
“Of course she gave advice to me and Julia as we were new to the set, but I think it meant a lot to me to watch her work and see how she specifically interacted with other people,” Hammons continues. “And I can’t believe I’m standing here, because I remember auditioning for this role and watching her interview and thinking, ‘Okay, I have to be like her.'” And now we’re friends. So this is a crazy full-circle moment.”
Glenn Wilson/Disney
Curtis, who also spoke exclusively with PEOPLE at WIF Honors, said that night was a full-circle moment for her.
Reflecting on how her mother Janet Leigh’s generation inspired her to get involved in charities such as the Special Olympics, Curtis said: “Young people like Sophia Hammons, who is going to carry on, and Julia Butters, who played two of the teenagers in ‘Freaky Friday,’ are the next generation. They’re the next ones to step up to bat.”
Curtis previously shared an Instagram post to mark the end of filming on Freaky Friday in August 2024, showing support for his young co-stars.
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“This is rap!… Lots of laughs, a little blood, a lot of sweat and a lot of tears. We made it for you all and can’t wait for you to see it. Excited to reunite with @lindsaylohan and watch new talent form and expand,” she wrote, tagging 16-year-olds Hammons and Butters.
