Filipino-Canadian actor Manny Jacinto said being cast in Lucasfilm’s “Star Wars: The Acolyte” series was a dream come true. 

Jacinto, who was born in Quezon City in the Philippines before his family moved to Canada when he was three years old, is one of the main cast in “The Acolyte,” now streaming with the first two episodes on Disney+. 

In an interview with Manila Bulletin on June 5, Jacinto talked about how he got the role, working with the cast including Korean star Lee Jung-jae, and his Filipino roots. 

Manny Jacinto as Qimir in "Star Wars: The Acolyte" (Lucasfilm) 

The main cast of "Star Wars: The Acolyte" (Instagram/Manny Jacinto)

In “The Acolyte,” he plays the role of Qimir, which, he said, is “a former smuggler, a former trader. He spends little too much time at his local cantina. But he doesn't take anything too seriously. He's not really about what the Jedi are about. He is not really about what the Sith do. He’s kind of creating his own path. He leans more towards like the Han Solo character. Nomadic being, does his own thing, and he's also very much a comedic character.” 

Leslye Headland created “The Acolyte” based on “Star Wars” by George Lucas, and also serves as an executive producer.  

According to Headland, while she was writing the role of Qimir, she knew that the only person who could play him was Jacinto. 

“If he hadn’t done it, I think I probably would have rewritten the character,” said Headland, according to “The Acolyte” production. 

Jacinto’s acting credits include “Top Gun: Maverick,” “The Good Place,” “Nine Perfect Strangers,” “Brand New Cherry Flavor” and “Supernatural.” 

He said he bagged the role in “The Acolyte” not through a “traditional audition process.” 

“It wasn't a traditional audition process. I received a call from Carmen Cuba, our casting director, and we talked about roles that I would like to take on for the future after ‘The Good Place’ and after ‘Nine Perfect Strangers,’” he said.  

He added, “And then Carmen forwarded my contact to Leslye, and then Leslye and I met and we talked about the character and a little bit about the show…but yeah we've talked and we got along and then the next thing you know she called me up and left a voicemail on my phone and asked if I wanted to be a part of the Star Wars galaxy.” 

Manny Jacinto at the launch event for "The Acolyte" at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on May 23. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)

Manny Jacinto (center) with his parents Emmy and Lito Jacinto at the launch event for "The Acolyte" at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on May 23. (Instagram/Manny Jacinto)

(From left) Dafne Keen, Carrie-Anne Moss, Lee Jung-jae, Rebecca Henderson, Leah Brady, Dean-Charles Chapman, Amandla Stenberg, Lauren Brady, Margarita Levieva, Manny Jacinto, Leslye Headland, Jodie Turner-Smith and Charlie Barnett attend the launch event for Lucasfilm's new Star Wars series "The Acolyte" at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on May 23. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)

Jacinto was in Mexico when he got a voicemail from Headland informing him that he got the role in “The Acolyte.” 

“That is me running up and down the streets of Mexico. That's because I was in Mexico at the time and I was just ecstatic. I was…it was a dream come true. I couldn't believe it. I had to repeat the voicemail over and over again to make sure that she was actually...she got the right person but yeah it was an unbelievable feeling. It was a dream,” said Jacinto. 

To prepare for his role, Jacinto said they had movement and vocal coaches, and he tried acting as Qimir in a grocery store in London. . 

“There's a lot I had to figure out the physicality of Qimir just because, I mean, that's just where I always begin because I come from a dance background so we had  movement coaches. We had a vocal coach to kind of figure out how he sits within his vocal range. Listening to music also helps but also just trying trying him out I was in London for eight months. So I would kind of try him out randomly at the grocery store and act as Qimir and see if it was real enough for people to accept this person,” he said. 

Jacinto said working with the cast including Korean actor Lee Jung-jae was an incredible experience. 

“It's incredible. I mean, you know, it’s no secret that this cast is full of people of color and I feel so proud to be a part of this cast,” he said. 

Lee Jung-jae (right) as Jedi Master Sol in "The Acolyte" (Lucasfilm)

According to him, “I was shocked when Leslye told me that Lee Jung-jae was gonna be Sol. I almost got emotional just because it's not every day that you get two Asians, let alone two Asian males, in a project like Star Wars. You know, unfortunately, sometimes it's like ‘oh we only can afford one or we can only go with one’ but no, like Leslye didn't care. She just wanted the right actor for it and yes, so I was blown away by the fact that I could act with with JJ [Lee Jung-jae] and among the…he’s so passionate and smart. I think nobody else could have done this role other than [him].” 

Jacinto said the biggest challenge he faced during filming was keeping the details of “The Acolyte” a secret. 

“The secrecy was a big thing. I couldn't print out my scripts and work on them. They always had to be on a tablet,” he said. 

He added, “I found that different departments didn't know certain aspects of the story a lot of the time. So there is like, you know, bits of miscommunication between departments which was a little difficult. But also not being able to tell people about what goes on in this story line is a big thing. I have to hold all these secrets until this day. So yeah, I think it's the secrecy that's a big challenge.”

Jacinto talked about his Filipino connection and said he visited the Philippines during Christmas. 

“I was born in Quezon City. We moved to Canada when I was three and I still have roots in the Philippines like we were just there during Christmas time. It was the first time that I was back in the Philippines, I think, in 10 years,” said Jacinto, who now lives in Los Angeles. 

He added, “I mean, what can I say, it's very much a part of my identity and I do wish to represent, and it also informs the stories that I want to tell, you know, the link. There are so many Filipino stories that have not been told yet and that I look forward to working on or collaborating with people. A lot of Filipino talent, whether they be writers or directors, need help getting their work out so yeah it's very much a part of my identity.” 

The star grew up in a Filipino household. 

‘Everything about it was Filipino from the Filipino spaghetti to the ‘sinigang [popular sour soup] to ‘ang tigas ng ulo naman yung batang to (this kid is really stubborn). It’s like it’s all Filipino to getting hit with a “tsinelas’ (slippers), yeah, all the Filipino things.” he added. 

When asked to rate his role in “The Acolyte” from a scale of one to 10 in importance among his acting projects, Jacinto said it’s definitely a “10.” 

“Ten for sure. In terms of being creatively fulfilled, it definitely filled my soul because it was more so of a collaborative experience. It was something that I was able to create with Leslye as opposed to just acting and, yeah, you know, Star Wars is a pretty big deal. She’s proud of this one,” he said. 

The first two episodes of “The Acolyte” are now streaming on Disney+.