‘At the end of the day, Tom Cruise writes stories for Tom Cruise’: Edit Cut to Top Gun Maverick, Star Wars The Acolyte star finds motivation in frustration

Warning spoilers! This article contains key points from the first season of Star Wars: The Acolyte.

“I think baby oil goes a long way,” new Star Wars fan idol Manny Giacinto told GQ, discussing his new role in the franchise’s latest installment, The Acolyte. “Baby oil and wet hair“, he explained. We have to admit that his character Kymir, or the stranger who has succumbed to the dark side, created a sensation not only with his looks but also with his stunning fight scenes.

the first season Asulite finished Manny Jacinto — who some may already know from his role as Jason Mendoza on The Good Place — spoke with GQ about his career leading up to the saga — and especially what he learned while editing Top Gun: Maverick after making the cut.

A matter of diversity

was part of a particularly diverse cast Asulite It means a lot to an actor who once viewed Star Wars as something to be admired from afar without recognizing himself in its characters.

“I remember watching all the movies with my parents. To be completely transparent with you, it was cool, I was excited, but almost from a distance. Maybe because I’ve never seen anyone like me in Star Wars, it’s never been something that I’ve tried to be in, like watching a Jackie Chan movie or something and going, “Oh, I want to do that.”“

He added: “I know there are already a lot of Star Wars fans out there who are like me, but it’s interesting that in this new iteration we have Lee Jung-jae, myself, Amanda, Jodie Turner-Smith. Even more people of color will be able to identify, celebrate and see themselves in the entity that is Star Wars.“

In terms of representation, the actor, unfortunately, knows what he is talking about. In 2018, he was indeed chosen to play Top Gun: MaverickA role for which he endured pilot training in real fighter jets and twice-a-day sessions to sculpt a certain physique.

“You feel like a bit of a superhero“, he told a news release in the Philippines in 2022, ahead of the film’s release, when he first discussed wearing a flight suit. “And it’s an amazing feeling because even during the filming, we met quite a few people in the Navy, the Air Force, and quite a few of them are Filipino. And to be able to represent them and have their faces represented meant a lot.“

And then the movie came out and Manny Jacinto found his role reduced to a few seconds of screen time and all his dialogue left for the editing room. Maverick went on to gross $1.5 billion worldwide, elevating the careers of Glenn Powell and Miles Teller, leaving him and his fans stunned.

“It’s flattering that there was a bit of a stir, but it didn’t surprise me“, the actor said about the reduced role and the reaction of the fans. “There was an idea of ​​where the movie was going, I could see them focusing the camera more on these guys and not taking as much time with our scenes. Fortunately, it was still a great experience: you get to see this huge machine at work, you get to see how Tom Cruise works, and you get to be a small part of this huge franchise..”

Despite his optimism, Manny Jacinto Still, he admitted that frustration caused him. “It kind of fuels you, because at the end of the day, Tom Cruise writes stories for Tom Cruise. It’s up to us, Asian Americans, people of color, to be that. We can’t wait for someone else to do it. If we want to tell bigger stories, we have to create them ourselves.“

Asulite Since then, he’s risen to the top with the most mysterious role fueling the wildest theories: the internet is fascinated and intrigued, and with good reason.

Freaky Friday and season two?

But the actor clearly does not stop there. He’s currently starring alongside Lindsay Lohan in the highly-anticipated Freaky Friday 2 – a truly surreal experience for a ’90s kid like himself: “I never thought I would be a part of the Lohannaissance. This is an icon. But I took the role because it’s really another big change and something I’ve never done before.“

There is clearly the prospect of a second season as well Asulite which is on the horizon – although the series has not yet been officially renewed. However, the actor clarified that there are many stories that he and the rest of the cast and crew want to shoot for.

“In the fan art I’ve seen, there’s a lot to do with…something between Osha and the unknown“, she said. “It’s something that people aspire to in this genre, or at least in this intellectual property, and I love that people are focusing on it and promoting it. So I think maybe people expect more of it. If they want, we can explore that next season.“

from now on Manny Jacinto Looking for the most in his work is what Leslie Headland, creator AsuliteIt allowed him to do what he did on set: be himself.

“ It hit me really hard because I had never been able to do it before. I was never allowed to just be myself. And it was so liberating.“

With the announced casting of the animated series Bedrock with Elizabeth Banks about the Flintstones family, we also find the actress in the thriller Balestra, which does not yet have a release date. I’m certainly looking forward to a potential second season Asulite…

The first season of the series can be seen exclusively on Disney+.