After starring in the sci-fi saga "The OA" and his big-screen breakout in Jordan Peele's critically acclaimed horror film "Nope," Filipino-American actor Brandon Perea is now chasing storms with Glen Powell in next week's epic disaster movie "Twisters." A modern chapter to the 1991 blockbuster, "Twister," the new adventure follows a group of storm chasers as they try to predict and possibly tame one of nature's most destructive forces.

Perea plays an extreme meteorolgist named boon who is part of squad leader Owen's (Powell) group of adrenaline junkies from Arkansas.

"They're a diverse group of fun and crazy hooligans who are [out for the thrills]. They work efficiently together but there's a higher purpose in what they do," Perea says in an interview. "They're cool because everyone's just being their genuine honest self, no false fronts. Their goal is to help people and have fun while doing it, and as they reveal themselves to the audience, they will earn everyone's respect."

Perea and the cast found inspiration for the vibe of their fun-loving, rag-tag group from the original "Twister" character, Dusty, played by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman.

"I know that I'm talking about one of the greatest actors of all time," Perea says. "Hopefully I can bring even just a pinkie-nail amount of that fun-kooky energy he brought to the film."

Director Lee Isaac Chung intentionally wanted to pay tribute to Hoffman and imbued some of Dusty's aesthetic onto Boone: "I also wanted to pay respect to Philip Seymour Hoffman, who was so beloved in 'Twister,' for playing this quirky, thrill-seeking character, Dusty, and whose spirit can be seen in the storm wranglers.

"Perhaps the most explicit of those homages are on Boone, Tyler's right-hand man and hype beast, played by Brandon, who rocks some tie-dye, and on Lily, played by Sasha Lane, the group's free-spirited drone flyer, whose pants have swatches of floral fabric, all nods to Dusty's wardrobe prints," Chung adds.

Perea, who was born and raised in Chicago, has always been proud of his Filipino and Puerto Rican roots in Hollywood. Catch him and the gang as they wrangle tornadoes in "Twisters," opening in Philippine cinemas on July 17.