In the movie adaptation of Regretting You, from best-selling author Colleen Hoover and director Josh Boone (The Fault in Our Stars), Filipino-American Sam Morelos steals the scenes they’re in as Lexie, best friend of lead character Clara Grant (played by Mckenna Grace).
“About 900 people submitted tapes for Lexie,” says Boone. “Sam Morelos was our first and only choice. They’re one of the most popular characters in any screening. They always get the most laughs.”
Regretting You tells the story of Morgan Grant (Allison Williams) and her daughter Clara (Mckenna Grace) as they explore what’s left behind after a devastating accident reveals a shocking betrayal and forces them to confront family secrets, redefine love, and rediscover each other. Regretting You is a story of growth, resilience, and self-discovery in the aftermath of tragedy, also starring Dave Franco, Mason Thames, with Scott Eastwood, Willa Fitzgerald and Clancy Brown.
The character played by Morelos, Lexie, is Clara’s ride-or-die, her buddy since elementary school. “Lexie is just a fun, light presence,” says Morelos, a proud first-generation Filipino-American. “In a movie where there’s a lot of tension, Lexie is the knife that cuts it. I was laughing whenever I was on set – mostly at my own jokes.”
Though Morelos hadn’t read the book before being cast to play Lexie, they became a fan of Colleen Hoover after working on the movie. “I have been familiar with Colleen Hoover’s work for a very long time but to be completely honest, I haven’t considered myself an avid reader since middle school,” they share. “My attention span has dwindled as I get older, so to get this job was such a gift because it gave me the opportunity to rediscover my love for reading. Since then, I became a very quick fan of Colleen and her storytelling. Lexie immediately piqued my interest because of how fun and magnetic she was in the audition scenes – it felt as though she was jumping off the page. I was so drawn to her and the story she had to tell that I knew I wanted this job.”
Aside from playing a really fun character, Morelos also enjoyed working with their fellow actors. “Everyone was a joy to work with,” says Morelos. “Allison was so interested in Gen Z vernacular and I became her guide. She started saying things like, ‘Slay the house down, Boots. Houston, I’m deceased.’ Dave Franco is so sweet and so curious.”
Allison Williams and Mckenna Grace play a mother-daughter duo in Regretting You
Photo credit: Paramount Pictures
Regretting You is a movie best seen in cinemas with loved ones, says Morelos. “Everyone should watch Regretting You in theaters with their moms, their best friends, and their partners,” they say. “Watching this film in a cinema filled with that much love will make you want to hold your people closer, it’s that infectious. I want audiences to walk into the lobby talking about their own relationships – remembering the moments that you and your best friend got drunk after a big fight with your boyfriend, that night you had your first kiss and called your mom about it, and all the little moments that shaped your relationships in the long run. It’s a story of love that everyone can relate to in their own little way, which is what will make Regretting You so special to so many people.”
Regretting You, from Paramount Pictures, opens in Philippine cinemas October 22. #RegrettingYouMovie
