Justina Machado tackles the rom-com world with 'The Throwback'

HOLLYWOOD -- Justina Machado says she's relentless when it comes to her acting career. She's been at it now for more than 30 years. There was "Six Feet Under," the re-boot of "One Day at a Time," and even "Dancing with the Stars." Machado is now the leading lady of the new rom-com, "The Throwback."

In "The Throwback," Machado plays an over-stressed and under-appreciated wife and mother who has a post-traumatic breakdown after the bank where she works is robbed. Suddenly, she regresses to an earlier time in her life when she loved to party.

"I like rom-coms, you know? And I like the--I love 'Freaky Friday' and movies like that so this is kind of in the world of 'Freaky Friday' where she wakes up one day and she's 19 years old again. And so I just thought it would be really fun to play that."

She thinks the "funny" comes from playing a character honestly.

"You know, it's like classic Norman Lear. I was lucky enough to work with him on 'One Day at a Time' and that's one of the reasons I loved him so much. So I do think I know when something is funny."

Her better half in the film is played by Will Sasso. They once did a short together and she was already a fan.

"He's not just super funny. He's really good. He's touching. He's vulnerable. And it's just so much fun to work with him," said Machado.

In the movie, before her incident, Justina's character does it all. And, what about the real Justina?

"I don't put my stuff away. I hate washing clothes because I hate folding clothes. So I have clothes galore. And I don't like anybody else washing my clothes. So I never have clothes! "laughed Machado.

"The Throwback" is in theaters now.