There are tons of reasons to swoon over Manny Jacinto. Maybe it’s his wide range of acting roles, his mesmerizing dance moves, or simply his cheekbones. But his best quality is how much of a romantic he truly is. He isn’t just an exceptionally talented actor and easy on the eyes—he’s also a self-proclaimed wife guy. In the latest COSMOPOLITAN Centerfold feature, the FREAKIER FRIDAY star dives into everything from being a self-proclaimed “wife guy” to his ideal date night with his wife (Dianne Doan) to the most romantic movie he’s ever seen and dishes his best advice for newlyweds and guys who can’t dance.
On what makes him feel sexy and confident in his skin: “A great outfit. An outfit that feels comfortable but also, like, is this a statement? It’s hard to balance both. You wear something that looks incredible, but a lot of the times, you can’t even sit down because it’s so tight or the proportions are off, but you can mix both. I feel like a superhero.”
On why he may share a dancing history with BTS’s Jungkook: “I was a dancer, and I have this theory. Jungkook apparently trained in Los Angeles when he was younger, and I think we almost crossed paths and trained in the same studio around the same time. I mean, he is, like, eight years younger than me, but I saw videos and pictures of him training at the same studio. And I was like, wait, when was this? And this was around the same time, like, summer of 2012, 2011. I think he’s one of the best dancers on the team. But I also just dig his music.”
On what he—himself a very good dancer—would you tell guys who are not good at dancing: “It’s really all about the face, to be honest. When you’re on the dance floor, it doesn’t really matter how well you move your body. I mean, sometimes it does, sure. But if people see you having a good time and they see it in your face, they connect with that and they find so much joy in that. When somebody’s a good dancer, but they’re completely blank up top, there’s a disconnect. You gotta feel it. It’s all in the face. But also, loosen up those hips. I think a lot of the guys tend to use the arms a lot or think it’s leg movement. But hips don’t lie.”
On what movie was the most romantic movie he’s ever seen: “A Walk to Remember. I think I first saw it in eighth grade. I remember seeing it with one of my closest friends during the time, and a girl that he was trying to see and date along with that girl’s friend. So it was like a double date. The double date did not go that well. But I remember watching that film and just, like, bawling my eyes out.”
On his idea of a perfect date: “I’m such a cheeseball but a great, two-hour walk in the park at night. I love being outside. There’s an inhibition to walking side by side and taking in nature and space and then just being able to be vulnerable and talk about anything and everything.”
On whether he thinks romance can be taught: “Yes, I think it can be. It’s just learning one’s patterns in relationships. I remember reading early on about the honeymoon phase and how that kind of dies off and how you can keep it going if you want something more meaningful. I think you can learn about different aspects of love, but it’s another thing to actually adopt those practices.”
On what ad advice you would share with someone who’s about to get married: “A good piece of advice that was given to me was to go to couples therapy before you need it. It goes for therapy in general. You don’t want to be going to couples therapy when you’re in a really bad spot because sometimes it might be too late. It helps with communication and figuring each other out, having that extra person.”
On something he learned about marriage that he didn’t know when he first got married: “That it’s work. You have this idea, especially in all these movies that we watch, that it’s gonna be a happy ending forever, but there’s a reason why it ends on the happy ending, because there’s other chapters that unfold. It takes work, time, and communication, but it’s worth it. If it was easy, everybody would stay married. But it’s not easy.”
On what he thinks makes a good wife guy: “Giving them their flowers, literally and metaphorically. As simple as getting them flowers, it’s just a small action that can go a long way. In the beginning when we first got together, I was like, Man, this is such a waste of money. Like, why am I buying these things that won’t even last? That’s actually the beautiful part about it. They aren’t gonna last, so you can keep getting them for her. But metaphorically, giving them their flowers, complimenting her, and making her feel good about herself and reminding her that she’s the best, that life is so much better with her.”
On which of his fictional characters his wife likes the most: “She would really love this guy from Freakier Friday. He’s a chef. My wife loves food. Everybody loves a good cook. And he can dance, but he gives off a Hugh Grant vibe. Charming. A little self-deprecating but charming.”
Manny’s Cosmopolitan Centerfold feature appears in the Fall 2025 issue of Cosmopolitan, the 60th Anniversary issue, on newsstands now.
[Photo Credit: Julius Frazer for Cosmopolitan Magazine – Video Credit: Cosmopolitan/YouTube]
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