Manny Jacinto Responds to All His Top Guns: Maverick lines are being cut
“It kind of fuels you,” the actor said of the experience, saying that “It’s up to us — Asian Americans, people of color — to be that [for ourselves]”
Manny Jacinto was not surprised when his lines were deleted from Top Gun: Maverick.
In an interview with GQ published on Wednesday, July 17, the Filipino-Canadian actor reflected on his little role in the Tom Cruise-led 2022 blockbuster and described his reaction to having all of his lines deleted from the finished picture.
“It’s flattering that there was a little bit of outcry, but it wasn’t shocking to me,” Jacinto stated, referring to the fan frenzy sparked by his decreased part.
Jacinto, who played LT Billy “Fritz” Avalone, was barely seen in the background in a few situations. He also mentioned that he became aware of the film’s direction while it was still being filmed.
“There was this sense of where the film was going [on set], like I can see them focusing the camera more on these [other] guys and not taking so much time on our scenes,” he told me.
“Fortunately, it still was a great experience — you get to see this huge machine at work, see how Tom Cruise works, and you get to be a small part of this huge franchise.”
Jacinto stated that the event reinforced a message about diversity in the entertainment sector. “It kind of fuels you, because at the end of the day, Tom Cruise is writing stories for Tom Cruise,” he told me. “It’s up!
