For those who grew up in the ‘90s and early ‘00s, it’s hard not to think about Freddie Prinze Jr’s mark on pop culture at the time as a certified on-screen heartthrob of the time. From She’s All That to Scooby-Doo, audiences are used to seeing a certain side of the actor, which he is definitely not playing in his new movie, The Girl In The Pool. The new role in one of the latest of 2024 movies has Prinze Jr. very excited to show the world this new facet of his acting capabilities.
Freddie Prinze Jr. Goes Against Type For New Movie
The Girl In The Pool is a crime thriller that has Prinze Jr. playing a man named Tom who is having a rendezvous with his mistress when she somehow is suddenly found dead in his pool during the meeting. To make matters worse, amidst him hiding the body, his wife (played by Monica Potter) and family throw him a surprise party in the same location shortly after, leading tensions to run incredibly high. While speaking to Us Weekly about the new role, Freddie Prinze Jr. said this:
This character is the opposite of everyone that I’ve ever played. Usually, I’m playing characters that make the right decision, that make good morally sound decisions. Morality being a general term, and he ends up with the right person. This guy is none of that.
During the interview, Prinze Jr. also called Tom an “emasculated” man who is “ruled by compliments and criticism” throughout the journey of The Girl In The Pool. As he continued:
He’s like this beta personality that just can’t make a decision for himself. He’s undisciplined, he’s cheating on his wife. He’s in the middle of an affair. And all those are all horrible things. And I loved that. I thought that was exciting to get to show people that kind of a character and what I could do with it.
The Girl In The Pool is a small film that was done in just two weeks across the same location. Prinze Jr. found the shoot to be an “intense” experience, particularly because he was leading the whole production and would shoot 10 pages of script a day.
Looking Back At Freddie Prinze Jr’s Past Roles
Freddie Prinze Jr. cannot relate to his The Girl In The Pool character, considering he just celebrated 21 years of marriage with Sarah Michelle Gellar this past fall. The couple have two kids together and remain open about their sweet love story. It’s great to see him venturing away from his typical roles, because he does have an affinity to play good guys in movies.
There’s plenty of examples to talk about. Prinze Jr’s breakthrough gig was the first I Know What You Did Last Summer movie (which he is rumored to return to with the 2025 sequel) back in 1997 where he played who is one of the main protagonists of the teen horror movie. His other early hit was in 1999’s She’s All That, as a jock who unexpectedly falls in love with the school’s outcast during a bet with his friends. Or what about his portrayal of Fred Jones in the Scooby-Doo movies where he played a loyal and empty-head teen, who is self-obsessed yes, but rather harmless.
Sometimes what you're cast as early in your career is who you continue to be. Not for Prinze Jr! You can see Freddie Prinze Jr. in The Girl In the Pool now, playing in select theaters and available to rent and buy on digital platforms.
