Manuel Luis Jacinto is a Filipino-born Canadian actor. After several small appearances on television, his breakout role came in 2016, playing Jason Mendoza on the NBC comedy "The Good Place." In 2018, he was cast in the feature film "Top Gun: Maverick."

Jacinto was born in Manila, Philippines. His family emigrated to Canada in 1990, when he was about three years old, and he was raised in Richmond, British Columbia. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Applied Science in civil engineering at the University of British Columbia, after which his passion for performance led him to participate in hip-hop dance competitions before transitioning into an acting career.

After small roles in series including "Once Upon a Time," "Supernatural" and "iZombie," he was cast in 2015 as triad leader Wing Lei in the Canadian spy drama "The Romeo Section" by Chris Haddock. The role won him a Leo Award nomination for Best Supporting Performance in a Dramatic Series.

In 2016, Jacinto was cast as Jianyu Li / Jason Mendoza in "The Good Place." Jacinto has received favorable critical notice for his performance as Mendoza, the EDM-obsessed "lovable doofus" from Jacksonville, Florida, going against stereotypes of how Asian men are often portrayed in Hollywood.

Celebrity, Acting, Comedy, Pop Culture, Television & Film, Manila, Philippines, Diversity, Asian Heritage, Television Actor, Entertainers, Entertainment Industry, Asia & The Pacific, Racism, Discrimination, Entertainment