The Perey identical twins, Savina and Serena, debut in psychological thriller ‘The Fostered'
Born in Makati, the identical twins are now carving their names in Hollywood — even without professional acting training. They landed the roles of twins Morgan (Savina) and Madison (Serena) in the thriller movie, "The Fostered."
Co-directed by Gunnar Garrett and Ritchie Greer and written by Garrett, the movie is about 13-year-old twin girls who are fostered into a home with a dysfunctional couple, and they find out that people are not always who they seem.
The twins are enrolled at Beverly High School but will be homeschooled this school year due to their busy acting schedules.
They will be going to 10th grade next school year.
COURTESY: PIA PEREY
Pia, who is married to Thomas Waelte, COO of House of Perey for the Pia Gladys Perey brand and the Perey & Waelte Fashion Group for the distribution, admitted that the girls are getting busier. According to Pia, she was the one who initially trained them in acting.
'Initially, it was just me! They didn't have any training before filming the movie. Then they went to Beverly Hills Playhouse. At the moment, they are having one-on-one acting lessons online,' she disclosed.
As for Thomas, Pia revealed that 'he is also professional stage dad and driver to the girls" apart from his regular job as COO.
Asked how challenging it was for the girls to juggle school, acting and their extra-curricular activities, Pia confessed, 'It is quite challenging because it is not just them who needs to have discipline, it also means a lot of extra work for me. From submitting self-tapes, editing, and booking lessons. The list goes on and on. They do have a schedule (as well as a list of chores) that they need to follow to help them manage their time. Right now, they are doing theater acting, dance (hip-hop, jazz funk, and contemporary), and singing lessons.'
Filmed in December 2023, 'The Fostered' marks the twins' first foray into acting, despite having no formal training before stepping onto set. What they lacked in experience, they made up for in instinct and presence, drawing praise from co-stars and audiences alike for their emotionally layered and eerily restrained performances.
Raised in California and based in Los Angeles, the twins began modeling at just three years old, first appearing in their mother's fashion brand campaigns. Their natural ease in front of the camera was evident even then, but their mother, valuing a grounded childhood, encouraged them to wait before pursuing the industry professionally.
At age twelve, after years of persistent asking, Savina and Serena finally convinced their mom to allow them to sign with an agent and pursue modeling more seriously. Since then, their portfolio has grown to include campaigns for major global brands such as Nike, Target, Walmart, the NFL, and Universal Studios, among others. Their work has spanned print, e-commerce, commercial, and experiential formats, earning them recognition not only for their photogenic quality but also for their professionalism and charm on set.
We asked Pia how she could tell the difference between the identical twins, and she said, 'They are quite identical and until now when they're not fully facing me, I still get confused who's who.
'Serena is an inch shorter, and she has a mole on her lower right lip; she's more singkit and Filipina-looking. Savina is an inch taller, and she has bigger eyes. They do have very different personalities, and Serena always tells everyone she's older by the minute. Serena is feistier and Savina is very talkative.'
In 'The Fostered,' the twins star as orphaned sisters at the center of a dark and unsettling mystery. Despite having no formal acting training before filming, their emotionally complex and restrained performances received critical praise, establishing them as serious emerging talents. Their ability to convey intensity through stillness, connection, and nuance surprised both audiences and seasoned co-stars.
Shortly after wrapping 'The Fostered,' Savina and Serena expanded their creative range to the stage, making their theater debut in 'I Hope You're Having Fun in Hell, Dad' at the Hollywood Fringe Festival. In the satirical family drama, they played Sherlyn and Sharon—the witty, no-holds-barred 'other sisters' in a dysfunctional Latinx family. Their comedic timing, stage presence, and natural chemistry stood out in a cast filled with seasoned professionals, with one reviewer calling them 'scene-stealing breakout stars.'
We were able to interview the twins, co-director-writer-producer Gunnar Garrett and Pia, their mom, via email and the twins shared their experiences with their debut movie acting, working on the psychological thriller movie, among others.
Savina and Serena Perey (identical twin actresses, Morgan and Madison)
This is your first acting gig. What was the most difficult scene for you to do and why?
Serena: The hardest scene for me was when I was shot. I was really scared, and it felt like I was inside of a bad dream. This scene was shot on the first day of filming, so it was a heavy scene to film. The thought of being shot was really haunting.
Savina: For me, it was witnessing her sister being shot, I felt deeply terrified to see my twin sister in such a vulnerable state and it felt so real. But the amazing part of this filming is that while we were scared during the filming, the crew made sure that we felt okay in between shots and after filming, so we were just goofing around and laughing; so, everything felt light, and we were having fun afterwards.
What important lesson did you learn from your director? From doing this movie?
An important lesson that we learned from our director and this movie was to value teamwork to bring a creative vision to life.
Do you watch this kind of genre movie? Do you get scared easily?
We enjoy watching dark thriller movies and tend to become easily frightened. At times, it felt as though we were genuinely scared, rather than simply acting. Nonetheless, we appreciate a touch of spookiness, even if we are somewhat apprehensive or easily scared. The crew was also there for us whenever the scenes became too frightening.
What is your dream project if you have a choice?
Our dream project would be to have a show like 'Liv and Maddie.' We grew up watching that show, and Dove Cameron is a person who inspired us to start acting and go for our dreams. It would be such a dream come true to have a 'Liv and Maddie' show.
Pia Gladys Perey (fashion designer, mom of the twins)
As a mother of the twins, when did you realize your daughters had acting talents?
I have always known that they have a flair for the arts, they have always loved dancing, and they started modeling for my label at the age of three. However, they started to ask me if they could model and act at the age of seven, but I really did not agree to it until they were 12, so they asked me for five years. I want to make sure that they really want it, and also, I want to preserve their childhood and make sure they are equipped with the values that they will need in the very competitive industry.
What made you let them audition for this movie?
The girls have always wanted to act together and do projects together. They loved 'Parent Trap' and 'Liv and Maddie,' so even if this film is a dark thriller, they wanted to try.
What do you hope your daughters will get from this experience? Is acting something they would seriously consider as a career?
I want them to understand and truly learn the meaning of dedication, hard work, and consistency. I always tell them that the hardworking usually succeed more than someone born with talent but has less determination. I also build their strength and resilience because they will get a lot more "Nos" than "yes, you are hired"; it really is not an industry for the faint-hearted, and I admire their grace when they do not get call backs. They really want to do this full-time, so I am doing my best to support them. When we started this journey, we told them we needed a one-year commitment in modelling and acting, and it has now been two years, and they are more dedicated than when they started a couple of years ago.
How did you find the director?
We submitted to Casting Networks.
What is their next film project?
They are filming 'Curse of Vandor' with the co-director of 'The Fostered' movie and they have a big project with one of the major retailers.
Gunnar Garrett (co-director)
How did you find the twins and what made you include them in your film?
I found the twins through casting networks tucked between countless other submissions, but being twins, it was easy for them to stand out, but what made them shine was their natural acting ability and what was a clear comfort in front of the camera.
How was their audition process? What made them stand out?
What impressed me the most about the most was easily how well prepared they were on set. As a director, they did nothing but make my job easy by showing up having every line memorized and being nothing but professional on set.
What do you think was the most challenging scene that the twins had to do?
I think one of the more challenging scenes the twins had to do was probably the scene where they pushed Heather into the well, and not just because of the strength of the scene, but also because the weather that day was extremely cold and the girls had to fight off the chills and still be able to perform at a high level.
How different are they, acting-wise?
Having identical twins myself, it's funny to see how different the girls are from each other, personality-wise, but I don't know that there's a large difference in their approach to acting. I'm sure with what I've seen from my twins, it's extremely beneficial to consistently have someone at your side with the same goals and aspirations to push you to be better at anything you're attempting to accomplish.
Do you plan to hire them again in your future projects?
I would love to hire Serena and Savina again for any potential projects where they'd fit.
What is your next project?
I'm currently wrapping up a documentary called 'An American Atonement' that follows John Dennis Smith, a 63-year-old Nashville singer, on his journey to prove he is the son of Elvis Presley. In addition, I'm currently in pre-production on my newest feature, 'The Weight of War'. It is a drama about a young soldier returning from war and dealing with PTSD and the struggles of transitioning back into civilian life. — LA, GMA Integrated News
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