He, too, has got the need for speed. Manny Jacinto, who plays the lovably not-so-bright Jason Mendoza on NBC's afterlife comedy The Good Place, has been cast in Top Gun: Maverick, as a pilot.
'Top Gun: Maverick' Taps 'The Good Place's Manny Jacinto For Pilot Duty
If you didn't know, yes, they are making a follow-up to 1986's Top Gun. Crank up the Kenny Loggins.
There aren't a lot of plot details about the long-awaited sequel, but Tom Cruise is apparently reprising his iconic role as Maverick Mitchell, now a Top Gun flight instructor serving as mentor to a new crop of elite fighter pilots.
Jacinto will reportedly play a Navy pilot named Fritz. But I'm guessing he'll perhaps also get a cool ace code name, à la "Iceman," since "Fritz" is nowhere on the casting breakdown that The Hollywood Reporter got its hands on last month. Maybe Payback? Or Coyote? Or, um... Lardo?
Top Gun: Maverick is slated for release in summer 2020. The cast also includes Jennifer Connelly, Val Kilmer, Ed Harris, Jon Hamm, Monica Barbaro, Miles Teller, and Glen Powell.
In addition to his fan-favorite role on The Good Place, which airs Thursday nights on NBC, Jacinto can be seen in the upcoming thriller Bad Times at the El Royale, due out in theaters in October.
