Manny Jacinto: From Engineering Student to Star of the Screen

Manny Jacinto's journey is anything but ordinary. From his early aspirations in civil engineering and competitive hip-hop dance to his breakout role as Jason Mendoza in "The Good Place," Jacinto has captivated audiences with his versatility. His career reflects a shift in representation, redefining how Asian men appear on screen.

Early Life and Education

Manuel Luis Jacinto, born on August 19, 1987, in Manila, Philippines, is of Filipino-Chinese descent. When he was three years old, his family immigrated to Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, seeking better opportunities. He grew up playing baseball and basketball.

Jacinto attended Vancouver College, an all-boys Catholic high school, where he completed his early education. While he enjoyed sports, acting wasn't yet on his radar.

After high school, Manny earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of British Columbia. Coming from a family of engineers on his father’s side, he saw it as a "backup plan," since acting wasn’t on his radar initially. As a college student, he interned for companies that helped build the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre and the redesigned Port Mann Bridge. During his studies, he also got into hip-hop dance, which sparked his creative side. He still has the degree but never used it, as acting became his true calling.

Transition to Performing Arts

While interning, Jacinto participated in hip-hop dance competitions before deciding on acting as a career. He and his team even won 10th place (out of over 40 countries) at the 2013 World Hip Hop Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada. In a 2018 GQ interview, Jacinto shared that seeing the hip-hop dance group Jabbawockeez perform on America’s Best Dance Crew sparked his interest in dance, saying, “It was the first time I saw that Asian people could actually do that, and look cool, and possibly even do it for a living. And through that moment, everything changed-shifted. It shifted slowly, but it made a huge change in my life.”

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Frustrated by the lack of prominent Asian actors in Vancouver's film community, he moved to Los Angeles. He asked his parents for five years to prove himself as an actor after leaving engineering.

Early Roles and Breakthrough

Manny’s career kicked off with dance. His debut was in 2012 with a short film, "Broken Sword: Shadow of the Blade." He then landed small roles in shows like "Once Upon a Time" (2013), "Supernatural" (2013), "The 100," "iZombie," "Bates Motel," and "Wayward Pines." His first legitimate job was on "Once Upon a Time," where he acted opposite Eion Bailey. He found the experience initially intimidating but learned a great deal from Bailey's collaborative approach.

In 2015, he played Wing Lei in the Canadian spy drama "The Romeo Section," earning a Leo Award nomination.

His big break came in 2016 when he was cast as Jason Mendoza in NBC’s "The Good Place." Jason, a lovable, slightly dim EDM fan from Florida, broke stereotypes about Asian men in Hollywood, earning Manny tons of fans. This breakout role gave him everything that he could’ve asked for.

Notable Projects

After "The Good Place," Jacinto appeared in several major projects, showcasing his versatility as an actor.

Bad Times at the El Royale (2018): He played Wade Espiritu.
Top Gun: Maverick (2022): Jacinto was cast as Lt. Billy “Fritz” Avalone, one of the pilots trained by Tom Cruise’s character Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell.
Brand New Cherry Flavor (2021): He starred in Netflix’s horror drama.
The Acolyte (2024): Jacinto played Qimir, a happy-go-lucky, drunken apothecary who turns out to be Mae’s master and a fearsome Jedi-slaughtering warrior. Headland initially intended the role of Qimir/the Stranger to be a much smaller one this season, but when she saw Jacinto’s screen test during pre-production, she knew she had to develop his story further so that audiences would get to see more of him in the show. He prepped for his dual role as Qimir/the Stranger in The Acolyte for eight months in the remote English town of Windsor. According to an interview with StarWars.com, Jacinto deliberately isolated himself for eight months to single-mindedly focus on getting into his character. For the role of Qimir, he drew inspiration from both Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean and Toshiro Mifune’s Kikuchiyo in Seven Samurai and even practiced walking and talking like Qimir at his local grocery store. Jacinto did most of his fight stunts in The Acolyte and trained diligently for nearly four months, leveraging his dance background while also honing his boxing and martial arts skills.
Hailey’s On It! (2023-2024): Manny voiced Scott Denoga in Disney’s animated series.
Marigold Breach (2022): He voiced Lucan in the sci-fi podcast with "Good Place" co-star Jameela Jamil.
Freakier Friday (2025): He stars in Disney’s sequel, playing Eric Davies, a British chef and single father engaged to Anna (Lindsay Lohan).

Acting Style and Influences

Jacinto has often talked about the importance of Asian representation in the media. He’s openly admitted to being very thoughtful and careful about the roles he chooses to take on, telling Bustle in 2021: “It’s [always been] a big thing for me, to pick roles that aren’t stereotypical and show people, especially other Asian kids … that they don’t have to be a nerd or a stereotype. It’s all a conscious decision.”

During the aforementioned GQ interview, he spoke about his continued commitment to acting and the lack of Asian representation onscreen. “The thing that propelled me forward was the fact that this industry is so unfair. What the heck is going on in the world? Why is it that what I’m seeing on television is not the same as what I’m seeing in real life? It really got to me.

In preparing for auditions, Jacinto combines his analytical side from his engineering background with his creative energy from dance. He breaks down the character and story analytically, finding intentions and actions, and then gets it on its feet physically. He emphasizes the importance of listening and collaboration in acting.

He credits his ability to transition from engineering, to competitive hip hop, to acting, to the work ethic demonstrated by his parents and cultural background. “A big part of my work ethic comes from being born in Manila and seeing what my parents have done to give us [he and his sister] this life,” Jacinto explains. “I say cultural background specifically because I remember being in university, I would study late at night on campus and would be in an empty classroom at night and the janitor would come in and would usually be an Asian or Filipino janitor. Seeing that made me realize I’m pretty lucky to be in my position,” credits Jacinto.

Personal Life

Manny’s personal life revolves around his wife, Dianne Doan, a Canadian actress known for "Descendants." Among other projects, Doan has starred as Kora in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Yidu in the original History Channel series Vikings, Mai Ling in the Cinemax action series Warrior and Lonnie in Disney’s Descendants film franchise. They met in 2015, got engaged in 2019, and married in 2023. In 2019 Jacinto revealed that his Jason Mendoza character in The Good Place inspired him to finally pop the question to Doan, his longtime girlfriend. His heartwarming proposal, as told to Vulture, sounds like something straight out of a movie: “I took her to places that really meant a lot to us. Where I first met her, where I first saw her, where we had our first date, and where we had our first dance class. I had these canvas things written down with a message saying why the places were important to us. At every location I had her close her eyes, I’d hold up the canvas, and she would open her eyes. I took her through five different places, and at the last place I had our families waiting and I proposed.” Manny calls Dianne his biggest strength, helping him stay grounded. They live in Los Angeles, keeping their life low-key. He occasionally shares cute pics with Dianne on social media but prefers privacy.

Recognition and Awards

Manny’s biggest win is his role as Jason Mendoza, earning him a 2018 Gold Derby Award for Ensemble of the Year. He was nominated for a Leo Award in 2016 for "The Romeo Section." He was also selected as one of People Magazine’s Sexiest Men of 2020.

At Kore Asian Media’s Unforgettable Gala Awards (UNFO) in 2018, Jacinto was the recipient of the “Breakout Star in Television” amongst his Asian peers. “I looked into the crowd and I saw John Cho, Jon M. Chu, and all these people whose work I truly admire. To be accepting this award in front of them is because I stand on all their shoulders.

Net Worth

As of 2025, Manny’s net worth is estimated at $2-4 million. His main income comes from acting, voiceover work, and brand endorsements.

Advocacy and Future Aspirations

Manny Jacinto is increasingly aligned with socially conscious storytelling and advocacy for diversity. He has publicly supported mental health awareness and expressed a commitment to collaborating with Filipino creatives behind the scenes. Jacinto continues to use his platform thoughtfully: interviews reveal his intent to champion women‑led projects and support Filipino storytelling in Hollywood.

Jacinto has expressed interest in producing Filipino stories and fostering representation behind the camera.

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