Cheyenne Suarez

Fil-Am Sam Morelos is the star of a Hollywood coming-of-age film

Article (news)

Yong Chavez

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1746843461701SAM MORELOS COURTESY HULU SUMMER OF 69.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"><em style="text-align:left"></em><em>Sam Morelos stars as Abby in &quot;Summer of 69&quot; Courtesy: Hulu “Summer of 69”</em><em style="text-align:left"></em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>In Summer of 69, now streaming on Hulu, Filipino American actor Sam Morelos stars as Abby — a shy teen gamer slowly learning to take up space in a world that often overlooks girls like her.</p><div><br/></div><p>This isn’t just a lead role — it’s a landmark. Summer of 69 may be the first major American coming-of-age comedy centered on a Filipina character. For Morelos, 19, the project is both historic and deeply personal.</p><div><br/></div><p>“I got so many messages from other Filipino artists, or just Filipinos in general. They were like: ‘Thank you. I love it, it’s so cool to see someone who looks like me on-screen.’ Genuinely, it fills my heart with joy,” Morelos shares.</p><div><br/></div><p>They light up describing the attention to detail on set: “The set designer is also an Asian woman. She put up a Filipino flag in my bedroom, mangoes in the kitchen, and a ‘Live, laugh, lumpia’ sign. It was very intentional. Everyone took care of the culture.”</p><div><br/></div><p>Morelos, known for That ’90s Show, was stunned to see authentic Filipino representation written into the script. “When there was a casting call for my parents, and my team sent a screenshot… Emy’s (Coligado) character was specifically a Filipina. My jaw was on the floor. I’d never seen that in a casting breakdown.”</p><div><br/></div><p>Raised in a tight-knit Filipino household in Los Angeles, Morelos found resonance in Abby’s story — especially her social awkwardness.</p><div><br/></div><p>“I was also an awkward loner in high school,” they admit. “I overcompensated in social settings, then went home and didn’t talk to anyone. I’d rehearse icebreakers. I was so socially awkward.”</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:633px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1746843530700MORELOS FAMILY Courtesy Jennifer Esclamado Morelos.JPG" style="width:633px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"><em>Sam and family. Courtesy: Jennifer Esclamado-Morelos</em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>They recently watched the film with classmates at NYU, where they study. “Afterward, they were like: ‘That was just Sam.’ I really learned a lot from Abby — especially that the best version of myself comes when I’m most confident in my skin.”</p><div><br/></div><p>Director Jillian Bell (Brittany Runs a Marathon) recalls the moment Sam auditioned — from the dressing room of That ’90s Show. “I was like, ‘Who is this?’ Sam had this amazing quality… wise beyond their years but still a kid. It really translated onscreen.”</p><div><br/></div><p>Morelos is joined by Saturday Night Live alum Chloe Fineman, who plays an eccentric stripper named Santa Monica, and High School Musical’s Matt Cornett, who plays Abby’s crush.</p><div><br/></div><p>“It was scary at first,” Fineman says. “But also refreshing. In sketch comedy, you’re not allowed to really feel things. This role was heaven.”</p><div><br/></div><p>Morelos hopes the film sparks conversations about visibility and belonging. In Summer of 69, they’re not just playing a lead — they’re opening a door.</p>

<p>In <i>Summer of 69</i>, now streaming on Hulu, Filipino American actor Sam Morelos stars as Abby — a shy teen gamer slowly learning to take up space in a world that often overlooks girls like her.</p>

In Summer of 69 , now streaming on Hulu, Filipino American actor Sam Morelos stars as Abby — a shy teen gamer slowly learning to take up space in a world that often overlooks girls like her.