Rashi Mehta
After a lot of public outcry for the unfair situation, Manny Jacinto opens up about all his dialogue being cut from Tom Cruise’s 2022 summer blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick.
Despite undergoing intense fighter pilot training and twice-daily gym sessions, the Filipino-Chinese Canadian actor discovered his lines were completely cut from the final film. When the movie was released, Jacinto’s character appeared only briefly in the background of a few scenes.
“Tom Cruise writes for Tom Cruise” Manny Jacinto says
Manny portrayed the character of LT Billy “Fritz” Avalone in Tom Cruise’s $1.5 billion hit. However, it came as a shock to the fans when they saw Manny not having any screen time at all. On the other hand, Glen Powell and Miles Teller got their shot at success through the movie.
It’s flattering that there was a little bit of an outcry, but it wasn’t shocking to me,” he told GQ magazine.
“There was this sense of where the film was going [on set], like I can see them focusing the camera more on these [other] guys and not taking so much time on our scenes. Fortunately, it still was a great experience — you get to see this huge machine at work, see how Tom Cruise works, and you get to be a small part of this huge franchise.”
He did admit feeling disappointed about the omission, but found it was good “fuel” as an Asian actor. Manny is of Chinese-Filipino descent and was brought up in Canada.
“At the end of the day, Tom Cruise is writing stories for Tom Cruise,” he said. “It’s up to us — Asian Americans, people of color — to be that [for ourselves]. We can’t wait for somebody else to do it. If we want bigger stories out there, we have to make them for ourselves.”
Manny Jacinto draws attention in The Accolyte
Jacinto is currently drawing attention for his role as a saber-wielding Sith Lord in the Star Wars spinoff The Acolyte.
Manny Jacinto, known for his TV roles in “The Good Place” and “Nine Perfect Strangers,” is currently making a significant impact as Qimir in Disney+’s “Star Wars” series “The Acolyte.”
Jacinto’s portrayal of the seductive Sith Lord is arguably one of the sexiest characters in “Star Wars” history, quickly becoming one of the most talked-about new additions to the franchise.
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