![The Acolyte’s Manny Jacinto Has One Situation To Return To The Star Wars Universe [Exclusive]](https://i0.wp.com/www.slashfilm.com/img/gallery/the-acolytes-manny-jacinto-has-one-condition-to-return-to-the-star-wars-universe/l-intro-1781387723.jpg?ssl=1 "The Acolyte’s Manny Jacinto Has One Situation To Return To The Star Wars Universe [Exclusive]")
Final weekend I had the pleasure of interviewing Manny Jacinto on stage at Indiana Comedian Conference. Naturally his position in “Star Wars: The Acolyte” got here up, particularly in gentle of Leslye Headland’s latest feedback to Empire Journal about nonetheless eager to do a second season of the present. I had to ask him if he would come again because the Stranger, the mysterious Sith who apprenticed beneath Darth Plagueis. His reply was enthusiastic, however he had one situation for returning:
“There isn’t a Stranger with out Leslye. It is the people who that assist construct this character, it is not simply me, it is like, the costume designers, it is our writers, it is all that stuff. It took a took a group to construct the Stranger. I’d like to do it with them as properly.”
Curiosity in “The Acolyte” is rising, too. Again in April 2026 it cracked the highest 10 on the Disney+ streaming community once more, exhibiting that individuals nonetheless need to watch it, regardless of what I’d characterize as a manufactured backlash. For his half, Jacinto discovered the renewed curiosity gratifying:
“Earlier than I would finished a conference it was actually powerful,” he mentioned in entrance of the assembled crowd. “There’s plenty of the net discuss, plenty of the keyboard warriors who I believe are the loudest ones and the nastiest ones. However, you come right here and get a lot love. And two issues: First, I hope that, Amandla [Stenberg] and Leslye understand how a lot individuals love the present. And second, I am simply so extremely pleased with it. I went went on to this set and tried to take the whole lot in and be current. I am so fortunate that I obtained to step into this character and into that storyline and I am tremendous pleased with what we did and also you by no means know what’ll occur.”
Qimir’s costume needed to be modified to cover the Stranger’s arms
Whereas I had him on stage, I could not let Manny Jacinto go with out speaking about “The Acolyte” in additional element past his curiosity in doing extra. One of many issues we talked about was the unbelievable costume design by Jennifer Bryan.
He took the chance to elucidate to me that his arms nearly gave away the key of the Stranger (a personality who was nearly tied to the Knights of Ren). He had finished a lot coaching and bulked his arms up that when he went into his costume becoming for Qimir, the alter ego of the Stranger, he needed to clarify to the costume designer why it wasn’t going to work.
“I instructed Jennifer I am not model new right here. ‘I am simply saying, when you deliver the arms out now, that is a useless giveaway.’ So she checked out me and I…” At this level, Jacinto pantomimed flexing his biceps. “So I needed to present her after which we ended up masking up the whole lot. As a result of Qimir’s arms versus the Stranger’s arms … The Stranger has me arms. Qimir, no.”
You will discover that, within the completed episodes, Qimir is at all times sporting very unfastened, saggy clothes that makes him look very wiry and skinny, however the Stranger exhibits off Jacinto’s physique. He helped the costume designers make completely the suitable name.
Manny Jacinto’s favourite Star Wars films
No dialog about “Star Wars could be full with out speaking about our favourite “Star Wars” films. When requested what his favourite installment of the franchise — outdoors of “The Acolyte” — was, Manny Jacinto took a protracted second to suppose, and in the end could not choose only one. He needed to break up his resolution between two all-time favorites. “I imply, ‘Rogue One,’ as a result of we had been simply speaking about it, but in addition the stunt-choreographers that had been on that had been all a part of ‘The Acolyte.’ And that Darth Vader scene within the hallway? That was unbelievable.
“However I imply, I actually grew up on ‘The Phantom Menace.’ That one as properly. Taking part in the ‘Pod Racer’ sport on N64? that was nice. So, these two. That is my reply.”
Within the meantime, we are able to nonetheless hope that “The Acolyte” continues as a way to reply all the mysteries it left dangling at its conclusion.
