Quick Facts About Manny Jacinto, Freakier Friday's Leading Man: Ethnicity, Age, Wife, and More

A remarkable moment in Hollywood for Manny Jacinto, who finds himself right at the centre of it.

The Filipino-Canadian actor has landed the male lead in Disney's 'Freakier Friday', becoming the studio's first Southeast Asian romantic hero in a major theatrical release.

At 37, Jacinto seems almost bewildered by how far he's travelled from his Vancouver childhood. Back then, he was just another kid watching Lindsay Lohan movies. Now he's kissing her on camera as Eric Davies, the unsuspecting fiancé, caught up in the sequel's body-swapping mayhem.

A sequel to the beloved 2003 body-swap comedy, the film sees Jacinto playing Eric Davies, the unsuspecting fiancé of Lohan's character Anna, who has - unbeknownst to him - swapped bodies with her daughter.

Scheduled for release on August 8, the film offers a fresh take on generational chaos, with Jacinto right at its heart alongside Lindsay and Jamie Lee Curtis.

The role carries weight beyond personal achievement. Asian men rarely get cast as romantic leads in big-budget Hollywood productions. Usually, they're the best friend, the tech expert, or the comic relief. Romance typically belongs to someone else.

A Childhood Fan-Turned-Co-Star

Jacinto, who grew up in Vancouver, still can't quite believe he's starring opposite childhood idol Lohan. 'It's wild that I get to do this,' he told InStyle. 'I never would have thought I'd play the love interest to Lindsay Lohan; I watched Lindsay Lohan as a kid. It's wild what you can do if you put your mind to it.'

But beyond fanboy fulfilment, the role holds a more profound significance. As an Asian man in a mainstream romantic lead, Jacinto is aware of the cultural significance of his casting.

'I mean, you don't get to see a lot of Asian American males as a love interest, or as a solid father figure, and that was the part that enticed me about it,' he told Deadline.

Ethnicity and Representation

Jacinto is of Filipino descent and is one of the few Southeast Asian actors to break into Hollywood's upper echelon—his presence in 'Freakier Friday' marks meaningful progress in a landscape still lacking diverse romantic male leads.

Filipino communities worldwide are celebrating Jacinto's breakthrough. Representation matters deeply to audiences who rarely see themselves reflected in major studio romances. His success opens conversations about which stories get told and who gets to tell them.

Veronica Fitzpatrick, a Filipino-American professor at Brown University, told Yahoo: 'There's something pleasurable about seeing an Asian man romancing anyone and getting a break from the more familiar interracial combo of white man/AAPI woman.'

Jacinto's latest role continues what many fans and scholars view as a slow but necessary reevaluation of Hollywood's gender and racial dynamics. 'That we're seeing it in a mainstream film like 'Freakier Friday' helps further normalise the very normal, very not-novel idea that AAPI men have sex appeal and romantic currency,' Fitzpatrick added.

From 'The Good Place to The Acolyte'

Best known as the loveable doofus Jason Mendoza on NBC's 'The Good Place', Jacinto has since carved a career in both indie television and blockbuster franchises. He played a brooding Sith Lord in 'The Acolyte', which not only made him a TikTok sex symbol but redefined him as a complex and emotionally resonant actor.

'The Stranger flips classic gender tropes of hypersexualisation, 'The Acolyte' creator Leslye Headland told GQ. 'But a true sex symbol is someone who resonates emotionally with fans. Manny's magnetism is rooted in his acting, not just his physique.'

Women Behind His Rise

Jacinto is quick to credit women—on and off screen—for propelling his career forward.
'Women have been a huge champion for me,' he said. 'It's always been women who have been able to look past what I have done and see the potential of what I can do.'

He credits the likes of Nicole Kidman, Leslye Headland, and 'Freakier Friday' director Nisha Ganatra as pivotal figures in his journey.

'Thank God I get to do this during this day and age when there are so many women at the top ... who see my potential and are not afraid to explore that,' he stated.

Married in Real Life, Too

While his onscreen romantic leads are growing, Jacinto is spoken for off-screen. He had a long-term relationship with Canadian-born actress Dianne Doan, and they got married in 2021.

Jacinto is poised to become a staple on both the red carpet and streaming screens with his role in Freakier Friday considered his most significant break yet.. For many, this isn't just a win for Manny Jacinto—it's a win for representation, romance, and a reshaped vision of the leading man.

Future Implications

Industry observers believe Jacinto's Disney debut could influence future casting decisions. Studios are slowly recognising that audiences hunger for authentic diversity rather than surface-level inclusion.

Whether 'Freakier Friday' succeeds commercially will partly determine how quickly that change accelerates. Early buzz suggests a positive reception, potentially launching Jacinto toward sustained leading man status.

For now, the actor seems focused on enjoying this moment whilst staying true to the journey that brought him here.