What The Cast Of Freaky Friday Looks Like Today
"Freaky Friday" was a defining childhood movie for most of us. From rebellious Lindsay Lohan's iconic blonde highlights to Jamie Lee Curtis' hilarious rendition of a moody teen, the 2003 hit movie still holds up today. But it's not just the comedy and teen angst that made this movie such a hit; "Freaky Friday" has depth to it, too. "It's a movie about empathy, and it helps us to laugh at ourselves," Rosalind Chao, who played Pei-Pei in the movie, told The Hollywood Reporter in 2023.
Believe it or not, it's been more than 20 years since the movie was released, and, as you can likely imagine, the lovable cast has gone on to expand their careers and create full lives of their own. We're here to fill you in on what the cast of Freaky Friday looks like today and how their lives have played out since they were in the movie.
Lindsay Lohan
It's safe to say Anna Coleman (played by Lindsay Lohan) was #goals for anyone under the age of 16 in 2003. Everything about the main character of "Freaky Friday" was aspirational teen content — from her punk-rock attire, guitar-playing skills, and blasé attitude to her heartthrob crush, played by none other than Chad Michael Murray.
While Lohan may have played up the rebellious teen attitude for the movie, it seems possible that some of her onscreen behavior translated into real-life rebelliousness. In the years after "Freaky Friday," Lohan struggled with substance use issues and was arrested for her first DUI at 20 years old in 2007. She continued to battle personal issues and took a step back from acting for several years. In the meantime, she opened several nightclubs in Greece and had her own MTV reality show in 2019 called "Lindsay Lohan's Beach Club." After the show, she mostly stayed out of the limelight until 2022, when she starred in Netflix's "Falling for Christmas," a perfectly corny and delightfully festive Christmas movie that rivals its Hallmark counterparts if you ask us.
These days, Lohan lives in Dubai, where she moved in 2014, with her husband, Bader Shammas, and the couple recently welcomed their first child, a son named Luai. From what we can tell, she seems to have conquered the substance use issue she struggled with previously and is living her best life!
Jamie Lee Curtis
Few actors could pull off the surly teen persona as well as Jamie Lee Curtis did in "Freaky Friday." The pouting? The perfectly bratty backtalk to her parents? A flawless performance. Since "Freaky Friday," she's continued to flex her unbeatable acting skills. Curtis has taken on critically acclaimed roles and snagged her first Academy Award nomination and win for her performance in the hit 2022 film "Everything Everywhere All At Once."
But unlike other actors her age who have their eyes set on a simple life and relaxing retirement, Curtis has no plans to stop learning and growing. In 2021, she told Silver Magazine that she'd recently embraced a newfound sense of creativity. "I'm working more and more creatively today than I have been since I was born," she said, shortly after receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Venice Film Festival. On top of starring in the "Halloween" franchise for over forty years(!), Curtis has gained recognition for her roles in "The Bear," "Knives Out," and "Christmas with the Cranks," among others.
Curtis has also maintained a sweet relationship with Lohan since they starred as a mother-daughter duo in "Freaky Friday." After Lohan announced the birth of her son, Curtis took to Instagram to congratulate her, writing, "My movie daughter just made me a movie grandmother." A full circle moment, if you ask us!
Chad Michael Murray
It's undeniable: Chad Michael Murray was the ultimate heartthrob of the early 2000s. He was the romantic lead in so many iconic shows and movies, from "Gilmore Girls" to "One Tree Hill" to "A Cinderella Story," it was no surprise he was the main love interest in "Freaky Friday."
In the years since he wooed us in teen-centered projects, Murray has continued developing his acting chops, starring in films like "House of Wax" and "To Write Love on Her Arms," the latter of which went on to win the Encore Award at the Omaha Film Festival in 2012. He also released a graphic novel in 2011 called "Everlast."
Murray's personal life seems to have had many ups and downs over the years, especially in the romance department. The actor married his "One Tree Hill" co-star, Sophia Bush, in 2005, but the pair parted ways just a few months later amidst rumors that Murray cheated on Bush. He then dated another "One Tree Hill" co-star for several years before they called it quits. But for anyone holding out for their teen celebrity crush, it looks like he's officially off the market: Murray found the one in 2014 when sparks flew with his "Chosen" co-star, Sarah Roemer. The pair got married in 2015 and have since had three children together.
Mark Harmon
You probably remember Mark Harmon's "Freaky Friday" character, Ryan, for a couple of reasons: One, he's Tess's (Jamie Lee Curtis) love interest, and two, Tess's daughter Anna, played by Lindsay Lohan, almost has to kiss him at the end of the movie, since she's occupying her mom's body, and Ryan and Tess are set to get married. Thankfully, no uncomfortable kissing occurs, but by the end of the movie, Anna and Ryan have developed a better relationship than they had at the start.
So whatever happened to Harmon after his supporting role in "Freaky Friday?" Well, the actor spent the early 2000s becoming a big deal on "NCIS," and he continued to be a big deal on the show all the way until 2021 when his character, Agent Gibbs, left his career behind and Harmon left the show. In between acting gigs, Harmon also found time to produce and direct several TV shows and movies: He was an executive producer of "NCIS," and he directed episodes of series like "Boston Public" and "Chicago Hope."
Haley Hudson
Haley Hudson played Peg in "Freaky Friday," one of the three super-cool members of the band Pink Slip. Peg was a bit angsty and reserved in the movie, and it appears that Hudson is also a bit reserved in real life, since it's difficult to find any social media for the actress. Rumors suggest Hudson dated other actors in the years following her role in "Freaky Friday," including Heather Hogan, a prominent voice actor, and Adam Rifkin, a writer, producer, and actor. Christina Vidal, who played Maddie in "Freaky Friday," told The Hollywood Reporter that she, Lindsay Lohan, and Hudson were "friends immediately," so it's possible that she maintained friendships with some of her castmates after the movie wrapped.
While we can't say for sure what Hudson has gotten up to in her personal life in the last 20 years, we do know that she continued acting. In 2008, she had a role in the popular movie "Marley & Me," and from 2005 to 2009, she appeared in several episodes of the TV show "Weeds." Hudson had roles in many other shows over the years, and her most recent acting credit is for the 2018 short film "The Answer Mark." Though it appears she may be taking a break from acting at the moment, don't doubt her acting chops: "Freaky Friday" producers actually wrote the role of Peg into the film after she wowed them with her audition.
Christina Vidal
Christina Vidal was an unforgettable character in "Freaky Friday" — as the lead singer of Pink Slip (the fictitious girl band that sang some absolute bangers for the movie) and an all-around cool girl (those chunky red highlights!), she stands out as one of Anna's rebellious friends. As it turns out, Vidal almost wasn't part of "Freaky Friday"'s iconic cast: The role of Maddie was meant to go to Kelly Osbourne, but she was forced to drop out when her mom got sick.
Since "Freaky Friday," Vidal's acting gigs have multiplied, and she's best known for her roles in "Primo" and "Being Mary Jane." And while her career is still at the forefront of her life, so is motherhood. Speaking with Refinery29, Vidal described being a mom as "a crash course in learning to be unselfish," and adds that her perspective on the things she thought and cared about most pre-children has completely changed.
When it comes to Vidal's future, she has a specific kind of role in mind: The lead in a rom-com. "I hope it happens soon because I can still play a single older woman who's just looking for love," the 41-year-old told Refinery29. "And maybe she finds it at a villa in Italy. I don't know — I wanna do one of those so bad," she added.
Julie Gonzalo
Julie Gonzalo is a Hallmark sweetheart these days, starring as the lovable romantic leads in movies like "Jingle Bell Bride" and "Flip That Romance." But in the early aughts, Gonzalo was cast as the mean girl in a few hit teen movies, including "Freaky Friday" and another classic, "A Cinderella Story." In "Freaky Friday" Gonzalo played Stacey Hinkhouse, Anna's best friend-turned-bully, and one of the main antagonists of the movie.
So how did this actress go from mean girl roles to the girl next door? In an interview with The PC Principle, Gonzalo shared that she was interested in Hallmark movies specifically for their "heartfelt" stories. "We currently live in a world full of fears and chaos that at the end of the day you want to believe in love and pureness," she said.
Hallmark ended up offering Gonzalo more than acting gigs — the network ended up being a part of her love story. After starring in "The Sweetest Heart" in 2018 alongside Chris McNally, the Hallmark lovebirds took their onscreen romance into real life, per Us Weekly. Though they've kept their relationship pretty private, Gonzalo gave everyone a glimpse into her life in June 2022 when she shared a photo on Instagram of her finger and Chris McNally's finger being held by their infant's tiny hand. The post was sweetly captioned, "Our hearts are full ... Welcome baby M."
Willie Garson
Remember Evan, Tess Coleman's neurotic therapy patient? Though he had a relatively small role in "Freaky Friday," Willie Garson (aka Evan) had a busy and successful acting career, before and after the hit movie.
The prolific actor is best known as Stanford Blatch from "Sex and the City," but he also had roles in many other popular TV shows and films, including "There's Something About Mary," "Hawaii 5-0," and "Feed." But Garson wasn't just successful in front of the camera — he also spent time directing episodes of "White Collar" in 2009 and "Girl Meets World" in 2014. In his personal life, the star was involved in many charities, including Habitat for Humanity and the Alliance for Children's Rights. Garson also adopted a son, Nathen, in 2010.
On September 21, 2021, Garson tragically passed away from pancreatic cancer at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 57.
Harold Gould
Harold Gould started his acting career long before he played Grandpa in "Freaky Friday." In fact, Gould got his Ph.D. in theater, taught drama and speech at Cornell, and made his onscreen debut in the 1951 film "The Man From Planet X."
From that point on, Gould appeared regularly in TV shows and movies, running the gamut from "Dennis the Menace" to "Touched by an Angel." And though he was 80 years old when he appeared in "Freaky Friday," his career was far from over. He continued to act, appearing in shows like "Cold Case" and "Nip/Tuck," as well as in short films.
His last film credit was a 2010 short film called "The Day the Music Died." Tragically, Gould passed away from prostate cancer on September 11, 2010. He left behind two sons, a daughter, and his wife Lea Vernon, who he was with for 60 years.
Stephen Tobolowsky
The talented actor who played the annoying Mr. Bates in "Freaky Friday" has continued to act since the 2003 movie came out, appearing in hit shows like "Heroes," "Glee," "Californication," and "Silicon Valley." He's worked with entertainment industry powerhouses like Christopher Nolan and Jim Beaver and he's carved a distinct place in Hollywood as a legendary character actor over the years. With almost 300 acting credits to his name, it's safe to say Tobolowsky has stayed busy career-wise, but what about in his personal life?
Though Tobolowsky tends to play huffy businessmen and egomaniacs onscreen, his offscreen life seems to be quite the opposite. In fact, as far as we can tell, Tobolowsky is a pretty low-key family man, with two children and a wife, Ann Hearn, who he has been with for over thirty years. He also has a podcast called the "Tobolowsky Files" where he talks about his life, love, and Hollywood — perfect for anyone who wants an inside look into this actor's journey.
Ryan Malgarini
The annoying little brother in "Freaky Friday" is all grown up: Ryan Malgarini, who played Harry in "Freaky Friday," has continued to carve out his path in Hollywood, appearing in shows like "Teen Wolf" and "Bones." He also won a "Young Artist" award for his role in the TV show "Gary Unmarried." He seems to keep his personal life pretty private, but from his Instagram (which is also unfortunately private) we're guessing he's a dog lover since his profile pic features him with an adorable fluffy pup.
When it comes to his thoughts on "Freaky Friday," Malgarini has nothing but good things to say, despite the fact that his character wasn't necessarily the most likable. "I really did like the idea of playing a spoiled little brat. I was a sweeter kid and kind of shy, so it was fun for me to feel like I could kind of mouth off a little bit," he told The Hollywood Reporter in 2023. And if you think you're the only one who's still obsessed with the girl band at the center of the movie, think again. "I think those songs are going to live on for a while because they kind of go hand in hand a little bit. Without that soundtrack, I don't think the movie would have been as good," the actor explained.
Rosalind Chao
Though Pei-Pei, played by Rosalind Chao, has a relatively minor part in "Freaky Friday," she plays a major role in the movie's plot — after all, she's the one who realizes what caused Tess and Anna to switch bodies in the first place. She also prevents Harry and Alan from switching bodies at the end of the movie, so we have to give her kudos for that as well.
Despite her small role on "Freaky Friday," Chao is known as one of the most prominent Asian actresses to appear in American TV and movies, especially throughout the '80s and '90s. She is remembered for her roles in "M*A*S*H," "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," "The Laundromat," and more.
In between her many acting roles, Chao also spends time with family; she has been married since 1989 and has two children. It's clear that acting remains her true passion; she told Variety in 2020, "Acting is an addiction ... It kept coming back and there was nothing I loved more."