She's playing an extension of herself: Producer Mark Swift on H.E.R. playing Jo

American singer-songwriter H.E.R. takes on the role of Jo in Forgotten Island, bringing a mix of playfulness, warmth and strength to the character. For producer Mark Swift, however, what makes her performance work is how little she seems to be forcing the transformation.

“It feels like she is playing an extension of herself,” Swift says. “She is fun, warm and full of energy, and her performance perfectly captures Jo’s spirit.” Swift says that quality was apparent beyond the performance itself. H.E.R.’s natural openness and ability to connect with people around her also helped inform how he saw her in the role. “She is a joy to be around, with this immediate warmth and personality. She comes in wanting to hug everyone,” he adds.

For H.E.R., the connection with Jo appears to have been equally personal. Playing the character allowed her to explore qualities that she does not always find easy to show publicly.

“Playing Jo brought out parts of me that I am sometimes afraid to show. She is playful, passionate and resistant to expectations,” H.E.R. says. “She fights for the people she loves, and even when she does not get the outcome she wants, there is something so honorable about her strength and power.”

The role also carried another significance for H.E.R. As a Filipino artist, she says the opportunity to participate in a story that reflects her culture made the experience particularly meaningful.

“You do not get to see this kind of representation for Filipinos that often,” she says, adding, “I have always been so proud to be Filipino and to represent my culture, so being surrounded by my people, telling stories we have known since we were kids, sharing our culture with new audiences and showing a side of myself that people have not seen before is really special to me.”

There was also a long-standing personal ambition of being a part of animation film. “For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to play a character in an animated film,” H.E.R. says. “To have that opportunity, and to help create such a joyful, complex character from the ground up, has been an amazing journey.”

Forgotten Island releases in India on September 25, 2026.- EndsPublished By: bhavna agarwalPublished On: Sep 12, 2026 17:02 ISTALSO READ | Jennifer Lawrence is on Instagram, but she warns trolls could make her quit