The Acolyte star Manny Jacinto addresses the Stranger and Osha romance

Everything worked out for Manny Jacinto at the end of The Acolyte season 1 finale. Or at least everything worked out for his character, whether his name is Qimir, the Stranger, or whatever it was when he was a Jedi Padawan learning under Master Vernestra (Rebecca Henderson).

Not only did the Stranger get to bear witness to another Jedi being slain (in this case, Lee Jung-jae’s Master Sol), and not only did he finally find a worthy apprentice in Osha (Amandla Stenberg), but he also displayed awesome memory wiping skills. Oh, and is there a budding dark side romance brewing between master and apprentice? That was one of many burning questions left unanswered at the conclusion of season 1, so we tracked down Jacinto on his uncharted planet armed with queries… and baby oil.

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ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: So before we get to the finale, how cold was that water when you had to take off your clothes and take a skinny dip back in episode 6?

MANNY JACINTO: Oh, man. So the stunt guys were like, “Manny, you don't have to do this yourself.” Obviously, I had to do the first closeup scene, but there were instances where I didn't have to go into the water. I just wanted to do it myself, but that water was cold. It was a cold plunge experience.

The cold was very difficult because there was one point where I came out of the water, and I had trouble not shaking. I couldn't stop shaking, and then [creator Leslye Headland] was like, “Oh my God, I'm going to kill my actor. He's going to die from hypothermia.” And I was like, “No, I'm fine. I'm fine. Let's just go again.” But literally, I couldn't control my body, and I was just constantly shivering. So then we had to get a hot tub in and I had to relax and be in a little spa for a few minutes before I could go again. But yeah, it was cold water, man.

Look, I realize you’re a professional actor and all, but any nerves or anything when you have to go au natural in a scene like that?

Always. I think at this point it's the only reason why I go to the gym now, because of the possibility that a job is going to come up and I'm going to have to take my shirt off. That is the main motivation. There's nothing like the motivation of an impending scene where you have to show some skin. So yes, it's always nerve wracking, but pushups beforehand, maybe some bicep curls beforehand, and a little run around the block is very helpful before you shoot that scene. And as I've said before, some baby oil definitely goes a long way.

Tell me about how you approached the finale fight scene with Lee Jung-jae, because that was just breathtaking. I love the pace of it and how fast you’re always moving.

I mean, it’s definitely not easy. The dance background is incredibly helpful. It's so interesting because you want to move quick and you want to be powerful, but at the same time, you’ve got to remember that we're playing pretend. So there are instances when JJ and I were going at it and we were at a point where we would hurt ourselves. Not willingly, but it comes to a point where you're just going all out and you're putting all this anger into the movement that you forget that you have to hold back a little bit.

Especially in scenes in episode 5 when JJ and I were going hand to hand combat, I remember coming out of that and having bruises on my wrist and forearms. So it's being mindful that this isn't supposed to be a real fight, but you need to have that intensity. So it is a fine line, but we also have our stunt doubles when you have the major sequences. In episode 8, when I was able to do the kick onto JJ, obviously I'm not doing that kick onto JJ — it's the stunt double. So in terms of that, we have our stunt team to help us out and they'll take the big hits so that we can execute very powerfully and use our full force so that it projects on screen.

Do you prefer fighting with single blade or double blade?

The double blade is so cool because I'm Filipino and there's a Filipino martial arts called Arniz. And it's basically a martial art with two weapons, whether it be two sticks, or a sword and a dagger. We didn't do it just because I was Filipino, it just was through a happenstance, but being able to shout out my culture through that martial art was very special to me. And so being able to do a two-handed fight scene was definitely a highlight.

Why does the Stranger take the helmet off after Sol beats him in combat? Is he daring him to finish the job?

That's pretty much it. He is like, “If you're going to take me out, take me out looking at me straight in the eyes.” I think the Stranger is not afraid of death. He's not afraid of being taken out from the beginning, even in episode 5. It doesn't matter if he gets taken out, it doesn't matter if he dies. What he wants is he wants Sol to realize his failings. He wants Sol to tap into his darkness and his anger. And for him, that's already the win. So if he can win like that, then that's all he's ever really wanted. But if he loses, he wants all the drama, he wants you to look into his eye and be like, “Finish it.” And he wants to go out with a bang.

We learn that the Stranger was Vernestra’s Padawan, and it’s really the one time we see a little alarm on your face when he senses she’s arrived on Brendok. What can you say about that relationship?

Leslye and I talked about that specific one second moment for a whole afternoon, possibly for a couple of days before we had to shoot that. And what we honed it down to was, again, it parallels very much the relationship that Osha has with Sol. It's a father and daughter relationship. So from my understanding and from my talks with Leslye about Vernestra and the Stranger, I think what we decided on was very much a mother-son relationship.

It's possibly a dynamic to explore in season 2, but when you see him with that sense of fear, it's very much like a childlike fear that only one specific person can cause. Only one specific person can give them that feeling, and that person is Vernestra. And why that's the case, I have no idea, and hopefully we will hopefully explore that later on, but that's what we're alluding to, that there was this relationship that was very tender and very special between these two characters. And it was broken somehow in a very traumatic way. And hopefully, we can explore that in subsequent seasons. But yeah, there's a definite fear in his eyes when he realizes Vernestra is nearby.

The Stranger puts his hand on Osha’s hand and the lightsaber at the very end. Are there some romantic feelings there?

It was always something that we wanted to allude to. From the beginning, we knew the journey of these characters, that it would end up in sort of this more intimate type of relationship. Everything from the being seduced by the dark side to the power of two. There is this sense of intimacy and romanticism that is just there, especially when you have two people that are thought of as being outsiders. You want somebody to go through this world that doesn't accept you. You want to go through it with somebody. It was always implied.

I remember that specific scene, I was only meant to stand beside her. Amandla was just standing there looking out into the ocean, and I would just stand beside her. And we were just supposed to look out into this vast ocean together. And I suggested, “Hey, would it be cool if I reach my hand over where she's holding the lightsaber, and I kind of just wrap my hand around her hand?” And fortunately, Leslye is very collaborative and she was like, “Yeah, let's try it!” And then we filmed it a bunch of times and she was like, “I really like this!” And then lo and behold, we kept it for the final cut.

I think it alludes to something more romantic, but it also alludes to something I think a lot of Star Wars fans are yearning for. In this IP, you have the ships like Reylo, and you have all those relationships that people just innately want to see — these romantic relationships that people want to see in Star Wars. So Leslye was like, “Give the people what they want. Let's lean into this.” And hopefully we can explore more of that again in a possible season 2 and in subsequent seasons.

What can you say about what appears to be Darth Plagueis peeking outside of that cave there?

Oh man. At this point I cannot confirm or deny if that's Darth Plagueis. But I will say this: I am experiencing that as purely as a viewer. I did not know that that was going to happen. I saw all eight episodes months ago, and that specific moment was blacked out and I never thought anything of it. I was like, “Okay, it was just unfinished CGI or something.”

And then it wasn't until the finale that I just watched that I see that moment come to full fruition and I was like, “What?!” So I need to talk to Leslye and see what are the implications of this roommate that I possibly have. I have so many questions just like you, if that's the case. I mean, it was always rumored with fans, but I am experiencing it just like a viewer.

There’s no official word on a season 2 yet, but have you and Leslye talked about where your character would be going if the show does continue?

Going back to Vernestra and the Stranger’s relationship, I think that's a world that could possibly be really explored. In my brief talks with Leslye, with us trying to figure out how to approach the season 2, do we jump time a little bit? Maybe five or 10 years and see how the relationship has evolved with Osha and Qimir? Or do we go right away into their training dynamic and how the dynamic between these two characters evolves? Yeah, there's a lot for debate, and discussion. It all comes down to Leslye and what she's thinking, so I always defer to her. But there's just so much to explore, a lot of Easter eggs that dropped in that finale. And I think there's so many more stories to tell and so much more I want to do with this character. So fingers crossed we get to do it.