Manny Jacinto on the fun of playing a himbo

The “Freakier Friday” star looks back on “The Good Place,” “Star Wars: The Acolyte,” and dancing in the steps of Patrick Swayze.

Kristy Puchko

Kristy Puchko is the Entertainment Editor at Mashable. Based in New York City, she’s an established film critic and entertainment reporter who has traveled the world on assignment, covered a variety of film festivals, co-hosted movie-focused podcasts, and interviewed a wide array of performers and filmmakers.

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Warren Shaw
on November 7, 2025

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On Mashable’s Say More, hosts Kristy Puchko (Mashable’s Entertainment Editor) and Mark Stetson (Senior Creative Producer) bring humor and their trusted insights to the biggest shows, films, digital trends, and cultural moments. From viral-worthy rants and passionate raves to smart recaps and first-look teasers, they cover what everyone is talking about. Celebrity guests join the conversation for real talk about their careers, upcoming projects, and what’s trending online.

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Manny Jacinto broke through as dopey and lovable Jason Mendoza on The Good Place. Then he took that expectation to Star Wars: The Acolyte, playing a curious apothecary called Qimir. But midway through this gone-before-its time spinoff, a reveal flipped fans’ expectations and thrust a new Sith icon into the galaxy far, far away. So, how do you follow that up? By walking in the dance shoes of Patrick Swayze in the much-anticipated and nostalgia-rich sequel Freakier Friday.

A trained dancer who turned his passion for performing to acting, Jacinto makes these leaps 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 felt like to take big swings on The Good Place, the skill of combining dance and character, and the unexpected challenges on Freakier Friday’s homage to Dirty Dancing. Plus, he shares his secret to doing justice to the role of the himbo.

“I’ve always gravitated toward those dummies,” Jacinto said, looking back on classic TV himbos like Matt LeBlanc on Friends and Chris Pratt on Parks and Recreation. “I just found these guys so funny. But in the back of my head, I’m like, ‘These guys must be incredibly smart, because you play a dumb character and you play it to be dumb … you really got to find this nonconformist viewpoint of why this character would be this way.'”

For more from Jacinto on his time on The Acolyte, Star Wars fans, and what he hopes for the future — even if the series was canceled — check out the full Say More interview on YouTube.

Freakier Friday comes to Disney+ on Nov. 12.

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