Manny Jacinto

Manny Jacinto (born Manuel Luis Jacinto on August 19, 1987) is a Filipino‑born Canadian actor whose career bridges both comedic and dramatic realms. Raised in Richmond, British Columbia after his family emigrated from Manila in 1990, he attended Vancouver College, an all‑boys Catholic high school where he cultivated a love for baseball, basketball, and hip‑hop dance competitions. After earning a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of British Columbia, he briefly interned in the field before realizing his true passion lay in performance, a decision fueled by his frustration at the scarcity of prominent Asian actors in Vancouver’s film community. Determined to break through, he relocated to Los Angeles, where he secured minor television roles on series such as Once Upon a Time, Supernatural, and iZombie, and earned a Leo Award nomination for his portrayal of triad leader Wing Lei in the Canadian spy drama The Romeo Section. These early experiences honed his craft and prepared him for the breakout role that would define his public persona.

In 2016, Jacoto was cast as the endearingly clueless Jason Mendoza in NBC’s critically acclaimed sitcom The Good Place, a performance that won praise for subverting stereotypical portrayals of Asian men and showcasing his impeccable comic timing. Following this success, he appeared in high‑profile projects such as Bad Times at the El Royale (2018) and the blockbuster sequel Top Gun: Maverick (2022), and lent his voice to the animated series Hailey’s On It! as Scott Denoga. Most recently, he portrayed the mysterious Qimir in Disney’s The Acolyte (2024) and starred in Freakier Friday (2025) alongside Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis. Off screen, Jacinto became engaged to fellow actor Dianne Doan in 2019, quietly married in 2021, and currently resides in Los Angeles, where he continues to champion representation and diversify the stories told on screen.