Manuel Luis Jacinto (born August 19, 1987) is a Canadian actor best known for his breakout role as Jason Mendoza in the critically acclaimed NBC sitcom The Good Place (2016–2020). Jacinto has since built a diverse career in both television and film, with notable roles in Bad Times at the El Royale (2018), Top Gun: Maverick (2022), and as Qimir in the Star Wars series The Acolyte (2024). He also voiced the character Scott Denoga in the Disney Channel animated series Hailey’s On It! (2023–2024).
Born in Manila, Philippines, Jacinto is of Filipino-Chinese descent. His family immigrated to Canada in 1990 when he was around three years old, and he was raised in Richmond, British Columbia. During his youth, he was active in sports like baseball and basketball and attended Vancouver College, an all-boys Catholic high school. Despite earning a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of British Columbia, Jacinto eventually pivoted to acting, moving to Los Angeles to pursue his career.
