Manny Jacinto, women of 'The Pitt' honored at CAPE's 35th anniversary gala

Manny Jacinto and the women of "The Pitt" were recently honored by the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE) at its 35th anniversary gala held at the iconic Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles.

Looking sharp and stylish, the talented but shy 39-year-old actor jokingly confessed upon receiving his Champion Award, "Those who know me know that this is my favorite thing to do - to be out here."

He then revealed, "Ten years ago, I was actually invited to this same gala. The first fancy gala that I've ever been to. Being invited meant I got to connect with the community for the first time. It also gave me an excuse to ask a girl out on a date as well. So, thank you for being my wingman."

Jacinto admitted he got starstruck with the actors and creatives in attendance at the event.

"I remember seeing Ali Wong for the first time and being so scared to introduce myself," he said. "I was in awe of Daniel Dae Kim's cheekbones and witnessed that for the first time. And a lot can change in ten years. Ali is now an Emmy-winning actor. And Daniel's cheekbones are even sharper."

The actor expressed his gratitude to CAPE for the recognition and its work in supporting the community in the entertainment industry.

Then he added, "By the way, the girl I dated the first time I attended a CAPE gala is now my wife ("Descendants" Canadian actress Dianne Doan)."

Dressed in a stylish black suit with a crisp white shirt and a black tie, Jacinto, who is portraying the baby demon, Bungi, in the DreamWorks Philippine-inspired animation "Forgotten Island," also won on the red carpet as one of the Best Dressed for the night as he showcased a classic and elegant look.

Jacinto also voiced the teen, Jordan Santos, in the Philippine mythology-inspired web series of Fil-Am creators Bobby Pontillas and Bernard Badion, "Sun Chaser."

Also receiving recognition from CAPE were the women of the hit Emmy-winning series, "The Pitt." Accepting the Radiance Award were "The Pitt" executive producer-writer Simran Baidwan and writer Valerie Chu who were joined onstage by Kristin Villanueva, Isa Briones, Tal Anderson, and Lily Singh.

"This means more to me than I can adequately express. Yes, it is a recognition of all the hard work that comes from behind the camera to in front of the camera, but it's also a recognition that representation matters. Our stories matter. We matter," Baidwan said.

She continued, "Gina Prince-Blythewood once said: 'Cultural specificity doesn't yell your name, it brings you in.' And in 'The Pitt,' we truly take that to heart by spending great time and care to tell authentic, meaningful, complex stories from the very perspectives of AAPI women and non-binary folks working in the healthcare industry, all of whom are too often tokenized or cast aside from television."

Villanueva and Briones were both lovely, proudly wearing their Filipiniana best outfits. Accompanying Briones, who recently made it to TIME magazine's Rising Stars of 2026, were her parents, award-winning actor Jon Jon Briones and Megan Briones.

CAPE, which was founded by Fil-Am publicist Fritz Friedman, TV producer Wenda Fong, and film producer Chris Lee in 1991 to help create a pathway for fellow Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Hollywood, is now being led by CAPE Executive Director and CEO Michelle K. Sugihara.

"Tonight is a celebration of the advances we have made. It is also a moment to take stock of where we are today. When CAPE started, there seemed to be a ceiling on how much we could ask for. Then for a brief time in the past few years, it seemed that the ceiling had shattered, but it was short-lived. Unless we stay vigilant, that ceiling will descend upon us again," Sugihara said.

"The truth is, it is a strange and concerning time, but nobody ever said a career in the arts would be stable. If I can think about what CAPE can try to be, I hope we can provide some measure of stability and strength in this rapidly changing industry."

Aside from Jacinto and the women of "The Pitt," other honorees included Head of Cultural Trust at Walt Disney Animation Studios Kalikolehua Hurley (Changemaker Award), actor-comedian Randall Park (Renaissance Award), actor Ben Wang (Rising Star Award), and the Head of UCAN (U.S.-Canada) Scripted Series Jinny Howe (Decision Maker Award).

CAPE's 35th anniversary gala marked its first anniversary celebration in a decade and was able to raise $357,146 toward CAPE's $500,000 capital campaign goal by the end of 2026, surpassing its goal for the evening. These funds go directly toward sustaining and expanding CAPE's programs for API filmmakers, showrunners, writers and executives. —MGP, GMA News