“It kind of fuels you,” the actor said of the experience, noting that “It’s up to us — Asian Americans, people of color — to be that [for ourselves]”

Manny Jacinto wasn’t surprised when his lines were cut from Top Gun: Maverick.

In an interview with GQ published on Wednesday, July 17, the Filipino-Canadian actor looked back on his small role in the Tom Cruise-led 2022 blockbuster and shared his response to all of his lines being cut from the final product.

“It’s flattering that there was a little bit of an outcry, but it wasn’t shocking to me,” Jacinto said, referencing the fan frenzy that his reduced role caused.

Playing LT Billy “Fritz” Avalone, Jacinto only appeared in the background of a few scenes in the hit sequel.

He further stated that he caught on to the direction of the movie while they were still filming.

“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 explained. “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 noted that the experience drove home a point about diversity in the entertainment industry. “It kind of fuels you, because at the end of the day, Tom Cruise is writing stories for Tom Cruise,” he said. “It’s up to us — Asian Americans, people of color — to be that [for ourselves]. We can’t wait for somebody else to do it. If we want bigger stories out there, we have to make them for ourselves.”

Cruise also served as a producer on the film, which was written by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie.

The actor, who is starring in the series The Acolyte on Disney+, cracked a joke about the Top Gun ordeal earlier on in the interview, when he was talking about the future of his current role in the Star Wars series. “I mean, at this point, who knows? Maybe they cut me out of the whole series. You just never know,” he said.

Releasing over 30 years after 1986’s Top Gun, the sequel sees Cruise returning to play Pete “Maverick” Mitchell as he trains a group of Top Gun graduates for a special mission. The flick was the second-highest grossing movie in 2022, preceded by Avatar: The Way of the Water, and was nominated for six Academy Awards – winning one for Best Sound.

In a 2021 interview with W Magazine, Jacinto reflected on his experience working with Cruise, which he said was “intense.”

“It’s [Tom’s] baby,” he said of the movie, at the time. “And having seen clips of footage, he doesn’t disappoint.”