Manny Jacinto says he took his ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ audition ‘a lot more seriously’ after finding out Nicole Kidman was involved

• Manny Jacinto plays Yao on Hulu's "Nine Perfect Strangers" opposite Nicole Kidman's Masha.
• He told NPR he prioritized the audition after learning that the Australian actress was involved.
• "You kind of take it a lot more seriously than other auditions that come your way," Jacinto said.
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Manny Jacinto was always intrigued by the prospect of playing Yao, a consultant at a high-end, holistic retreat called Tranquillum House, on Hulu's "Nine Perfect Strangers."

But after learning of Nicole Kidman's involvement in the project as Masha, the Russian guru running the wellness program, the role shot to the top of his list.

On NPR's most recent "Weekend Edition Sunday," the Filipino-Canadian actor, 34, told host Susan Davis that Yao's "unwavering devotion" to the head of Tranquillum House became apparent to him during his early read-throughs.

"I just so happened to find out that it was Nicole Kidman that was leading Tranquillum. So when I obviously found that out, you know, you kind of take it a lot more seriously than other auditions that come your way," he said.

After Davis joked that actors should blindly agree to projects with Kidman, who also served as an executive producer on the series, Jacinto replied: "Absolutely."

He quipped, "Do you need me to be background? Yes. Yeah. Do you need me to cater for you? Absolutely."

Jacinto isn't in the background of "Nine Perfect Strangers," though; He's at the forefront of David E. Kelley's eight-episode adaptation of Liane Moriarty's 2018 novel, standing right by Kidman's side.

From the moment the nine guests arrive on the retreat's property, Jacinto's Yao serves as Masha's selfless right-hand man. His relationship with his employer straddles the line between steadfast loyalty and obsession, as he devotes his life, both personal and professional, to helping Masha realize her vision for the retreat.

Jacinto, best known for his role as Jason Mendoza on NBC's "The Good Place," admitted that it could have easily been "intimidating" to share scenes with an actor as successful and experienced as Kidman. She made sure it wasn't.

"Right off the bat when I first met her, she's just like a regular human being. And if anything, actually pretty shy and just super grounded. She's a very open, vulnerable scene partner … open to criticisms, open to playing around and being very playful, especially as that character," he told The Star.

Jacinto continued, "We have such a tight relationship as Yao and Masha that we needed that. You can't help but separate the stardom of what is Nicole Kidman, but she was able to do that right off the bat by just being present and being open with me."

The first three episodes of "Nine Perfect Strangers" are available to stream on Hulu, with new episodes released on a weekly basis.