Manny Jacinto on the fun of playing a himbo
Manny Jacinto broke out as the dorky and lovable Jason Mendoza in The right place. Then he took this waiting for Star Wars: The Sidekick, play a curious apothecary called Qimir. But halfway through this long-gone spin-off, a revelation upended fans’ expectations and launched a new Sith icon into the galaxy far, far away. So how do you track it? Walking in Patrick Swayze’s dancing shoes in the highly anticipated, nostalgia-filled sequel Weirdest Friday.
A trained dancer who turned his passion for performing into theater, Jacinto makes these jumps look easy. He visited Mashable’s Say More Couch to reveal what it was like for him behind the scenes. Sitting down with Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko, Jacinto delves into what it’s like to make big decisions The right place, the skill of combining dance and character, and the unexpected challenges on Weirdest Fridayit is a tribute to Dirty dancing. Plus, he shares his secret to doing justice to the himbo role.
“I was always attracted to these losers,” Jacinto said, thinking back to classic TV himbos like Matt LeBlanc in Friends and Chris Pratt on Parks and Recreation. “I think these guys are so funny. But in the back of my mind, I’m like, ‘These guys must be incredibly smart, because you’re playing a dumb character and you’re playing him to be dumb… you really have to find this maverick perspective on why this character would be that way.'”
To learn more about Jacinto about his time on The Acolyte, Star Wars fans and what he hopes for the future – even though the series has been canceled – check out the full Say More interview on YouTube.
Weirdest Friday arrives on Disney+ on November 12.
