H.E.R. makes her voice-acting debut as Jo in DreamWorks’ “Forgotten Island,” which opens in theaters Sept. 25. She says the Filipino-culture story is personal: she is half Filipino, half Black and sometimes felt out of place between the two communities.
Jo and her best friend Raissa, voiced by Liza Soberano, share a love of Filipino mythology while navigating growing up and drifting apart; Dave Franco voices Raww, their comedic third wheel. H.E.R. said she related to Jo’s imaginative, outsider nature.
H.E.R. said that outside the Bay Area, she found herself explaining Filipino culture to people unfamiliar with it. She said there had not been a mainstream film centered on Filipino culture with characters speaking Tagalog.
