Manny Jacinto on Relating to Qimir as an Asian-American: “We’ve constantly had to prove ourselves”

One of the standout aspects of ‘Star Wars: The Acolyte’ is undoubtedly Manny Jacinto’s portrayal of Qimir. As the latest Sith in the franchise, Qimir has quickly garnered a significant fan base on social media. His popularity is one of the key reasons fans are eagerly calling for a second season, eager to see his journey unfold further.

Qimir has already disclosed his ambitions on the show. The Sith seeks the Power of Two, embodied by the twins Osha and Mae, presumably to enhance his own power and exact his revenge.

In a recent interview with the New York Times, Manny Jacinto shared insights into Qimir’s character and true desires. The actor explained that Qimir yearns for freedom and to live life on his own terms. This perspective aligns with what Headland emphasized before the show aired: the Jedi don’t have a monopoly on the Force, and there’s no definitive right way to use it.

Jacinto found it easy to identify with Qimir, largely due to his experiences as an Asian-American and the struggles he has faced related to his ethnicity.

It’s always come down to this feeling of being an outsider, being in a place that doesn’t accept you. I think that’s the reason it really resonated with Leslye and me. Leslye being a female, gay showrunner in this industry and me being an Asian American male in this industry, we’ve constantly had to fight for our position and we’ve constantly had to prove ourselves . So, I think it really is just a parallel to that type of feeling of wanting to be accepted and wanting to be able to really express oneself.

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