In the opinion of series lead Manny Jacinto, for all of its flaws, The Acolyte can at least be praised for its diverse casting, particularly as it means “even more people of color” will now feel welcome to engage with the overall Star Wars franchise.
The Qimir actor spoke to his thoughts on the Star Wars series’ representation while speaking to GQ‘s Yang-Yi Go ahead of the then-upcoming 2024 Gold Gala, a cross-industry awards show meant to highlight and honor those various Asian Americans who have excelled in their respective fields.
Reflecting on his own history with the franchise, Jacinto, himself Filipino, recalled, “I remember watching all of the movies with my parents growing up. If I’m completely transparent with you, [Star Wars] was cool, it was something I admired, but almost from afar. Maybe because I didn’t see anybody like me in Star Wars, it was never something I aspired to be in, the way I’d watch a Jackie Chan film or something and go, ‘Oh, I want to do that.'”
Making note of his host’s fellow Asian heritage, the actor then opined, “I know there are plenty of Star Wars fans that look like you and me already, but it’s exciting that in this new iteration we have Lee Jung-Jae, myself, Amandla, Jodie Turner-Smith. [Now] even more people of color will be able to relate to and celebrate and see themselves in this entity that is Star Wars.”
Later on in the interview, Jacinto would reveal that his sense of racial ‘othering’ actually helped inform his performance as The Acolyte‘s resident Sith.
Speaking to his enjoyment of playing the character, the actor explained, “I think the best part about the Stranger is that he’s [this avatar for] not feeling accepted in a society that you’re trying so hard to fit into. He just wants to exist. He wants to be able to express himself in this world, yet society is constantly telling him that he can’t.”
“Leslye has expressed that she’s always felt that way as a female showrunner, as a lesbian in this industry, that sometimes people don’t take her seriously,” he continued. “She’s constantly had to prove herself in an industry that isn’t very open to people like her—or like myself. Having an Asian identity and fitting into American [society], fitting into Hollywood—I’ve had to fight so hard to fit in. And that’s a huge aspect of the Stranger.”
Notably, Jacinto is not the first member of The Acolyte‘s cast to admit to having once held such an outlook towards their Star Wars prospects.
Discussing the matter with Entertainment Weekly during the 2023 Star Wars Celebration event, Yord Fandar actor Charlie Barnett admitted, “I don’t think I could have ever imagined myself as a Jedi. Yes, one, because I was not reflected for so many times throughout these films in the past. But it was also something that didn’t equate in my mind. I don’t know about you guys as well.”
“So to see such a diverse group played out now, I know that it’s going be a healthy reflection on so many other young people and old people,” said Barnett. “No ageism allowed in this. It’s Star Wars we can all fit. I think it’s going to be a really impactful. It’s gonna be a cool moment for me for sure, I can tell you that.”
For those curious to see the series’ diverse cast in action – but be warned, all the representation in the world doesn’t change how boring its story is all eight episode of The Acolyte are now streaming on Disney Plus.