Manny Jacinto Explains Why It ‘Wasn’t Shocking’ That All His ‘Top Gun’ Lines Were Cut

Manny Jacinto wasn’t shocked that his lines were cut from the blockbuster “Top Gun: Maverick.”

The actor spent months working double shifts at the gym and training as a fighter pilot to play Lt. Billy “Fritz” Avalone. So when the high-octane sequel aired in May 2022, Jacinto fans were disappointed to see that his speaking parts were gone, save for a few background appearances.

“It’s flattering that there was a little bit of an outcry, but it didn’t shock me,” the actor said in an interview with GQ published Wednesday.

“There was this sense of the direction the movie was going (on set), like I could see them focusing the camera more on these (other) guys and not taking up as much time on our scenes,” Jacinto said of the film, which also stars Glen Powell and Miles Teller.

Still, “The Good Place” star said working on “Top Gun: Maverick” was something special.

“Luckily, it was a great experience,” he said of the Cruise-produced action film. “You get to see this huge machine at work, see how Tom Cruise works and you get to be a part of this huge franchise.”

According to Jacinto, being cut from a large portion of the film actually inspired him to spend more time on projects that spotlight actors from diverse backgrounds.

“It gives you energy,” says Jacinto, who is of Filipino-Chinese descent. “Because at the end of the day, Tom Cruise is writing stories for Tom Cruise.”

“It’s up to us as Asian Americans and people of color to do it. We can’t wait for someone else to do it. If we want bigger stories to be told, we have to create them ourselves.”

Read Jacinto’s full interview with GQ here.

Related…