Where You’ve Seen Freakier Friday’s Julia Butters Before

The delightful “Freakier Friday” is in theaters this weekend, and it’s a wonderful reprise for Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, as the two stars of the beloved “Freaky Friday” remake from 2003 return to the body-swapping formula. But this time they’ve got company, and it’s not just “Weapons” at the box office.

Julia Butters (above left) joins the cast as Harper, the rebellious, surf-loving, teenage daughter of Anna (Lohan), and Sophia Hammons plays Lily, the daughter of Anna’s soon-to-be-husband Eric (Manny Jacinto), who just wants to go back to her home in London, so she can study to be a fashion designer. Harper and Lily are completely at odds with one another, and the last thing they want is to become a blended family, because it likely means one of them is going to end up somewhere they don’t want to be.

It’s that wrinkle that makes the four-way body swap at the center of “Freakier Friday” a bit more interesting, because when Harper ends up in Anna’s body and Lily ends up in the body of Grandma Tess (Curtis), they realize that they now have the power to make sure Anna and Eric don’t get married. 

Hijinks and hilarity ensue, but of course, there’s a lovely emotional core to the movie, just like the original “Freaky Friday,” even if it occasionally gets a little too chaotic with a four-person body swap. But the main reason that the movie works so well is because Julia Butters and Sophia Hammons hold their own, both comedically and dramatically.

If you find yourself wondering where you might have seen them before, Hammons is still an up-and-comer, and the only thing you might recognize her from is the Hulu series “Up Here.” However, when it comes to Julia Butters, she’s been a child actor who debuted on screen in the long-running “Criminal Minds” back in 2014. But there’s a much more recognizable role that will probably ring a bell.

Quentin Tarantino has done a good job bolstering rising stars in small roles who eventually go on to deliver acclaimed performances. In fact, the acclaimed “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood” has proven to be quite a star generator, with small but key supporting roles featuring the likes of Austin Butler (“Elvis”), Mikey Madison (“Anora”), Sydney Sweeney (“Euphoria”), and Maya Hawke (“Stranger Things”). 

However, you might have forgotten that Julia Butters was another young face in the supporting cast, especially since she was much younger than the aforementioned burgeoning talent. That’s because she played child actor Trudi Fraser, the experienced young star who was appearing in an episode of “Bounty Law” with Leonardo DiCaprio’s Rick Dalton. In case you don’t remember, Trudi Fraser got quite the introduction in the movie:

Butters plays Trudi as a precocious young actor (not actress!) who throws Rick Dalton for a bit of a loop with her extremely professional and mature approach to acting, not to mention sounding wise beyond her years in casual conversation. It’s the kind of scene that shows Butters was always going to be a talent to keep an eye on. 

But that’s not the most memorable scene. That comes when Trudi and Rick get to perform their big scene together, and after Dalton’s character delivers quite a menacing monologue, Trudi compliments him by saying, “That was the best acting I’ve ever seen in my whole life.”

It’s a triumphant moment for Rick Dalton, but it was also just one moment in a growing career that will ultimately include many more for Butters. In addition to appearing on 90 episodes of “American Housewife” and eight episodes of “Transparent,” she has since appeared in the Russo Brothers’ movie “The Gray Man” and Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans,” as well as an episode of “I Think You Should Leave” with Tim Robinson, not to mention voicing characters in “Adventure Time” and Disney’s “Monsters at Work.”

Now, “Freakier Friday” is another feather in her cap, showing that she’s growing up and has plenty of range to utilize. Butters has a blast with some slapstick comedy, but she also brings on the waterworks when the big beating heart of the movie comes out. We’re probably going to be seeing a lot more of Butters in the future, and we can’t wait to see how her career develops.