Manny Jacinto only appeared in the background of a few scenes in 2022’s ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ because the movie cut out all his lines. The actor discussed the matter in a recent interview with GQ by saying:
“It’s flattering that there was a little bit of an outcry, but it wasn’t shocking to me. 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.”
He didn’t realize the extent of the cuts until the sequel hit theaters but noted:
“It kind of fuels you, because at the end of the day, Tom Cruise is writing stories for Tom Cruise. 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.”
The Actor Liked Being Part Of The Film
Jacinto still said being part of such a big franchise and seeing Tom Cruise’s work up-close was ‘a great experience,’ especially after months of flight training for the film. He told a Philippines news outlet in 2022:
“You kind of feel like a superhero a little bit, and it’s an incredible feeling because even throughout shooting, we were able to meet a good amount of people in the Navy, people in the Air Force, and a good amount of them are Filipino. And to be able to represent that for them and have their face kind of represented, meant a lot.”
The actor joined the ‘Star Wars’ universe after his role in ‘Top Gun: Maverick.’ His last appearance as Qimir/The Stranger in ‘The Acolyte’ came on Disney+ earlier this week.
Meanwhile, ‘Maverick’ producer, Jerry Bruckheimer, confirmed a new sequel with Tom Cruise. The details of the production are still unclear, though.
