Biography
Jeffrey Manuel Peguero Peña, known professionally as Jay Manny, is a Dominican-American actor, recording artist, and writer from New Jersey. SAG-AFTRA performer, he moves between film, television, and music with the same focus: using art to inspire, entertain, and uplift his community.
Born and raised in New Jersey to Dominican parents with proud Taíno roots, Manny grew up between his father's world of jazz and salsa and his mother's example as a self-made entrepreneur. By the age of five he knew he wanted to be a performer, and he has since built his career around acting and music as tools for faith, storytelling, and social impact.
On screen, Manny gravitates toward complex, emotionally grounded characters-men caught between street reality, family loyalty, and spiritual purpose. He is actively building his body of work across independent film and series in the New York-New Jersey market and is developing several original projects, including the gritty family crime saga "Between Shadow & Street - Entre Sombra y Calle," the matriarch-led drama "Graciela," and the post-2020 comedy "AC: After Covid."
As a recording artist, Jay Manny blends Latin, Afro-influenced rhythms and R&B, performing in both English and Spanish. His songs-such as "Sin Miedo," "Para Los Dos," "Contigo," and other upcoming releases-often explore love, vulnerability, faith, and resilience, while showcasing his smooth, melodic vocal style.
Beyond entertainment, Manny is laying the groundwork for NativoAfroLatinosUnidos, a philanthropic and community-driven platform focused on empowering Latino, Afro-Latino, and immigrant families through art, education, and financial literacy. He sees every role, every song, and every project as part of a larger mission: to serve God, honor his roots, and create opportunities for the communities that raised him.
