Four episodes into the Apple TV series Pluribus, viewers find themselves immersed in a world that feels uniquely isolating for its protagonist, Carol Sturka, portrayed by Rhea Seehorn. Trapped in a society dominated by a collective consciousness of happiness, Carol is a lone figure of discontent. However, audiences are about to discover she’s not the only one experiencing solitude.

Episode 4 marks the introduction of a pivotal new character, Manousos, who emerges as the enigmatic 13th individual immune to the worldwide outbreak of contagious joy. This character adds depth to the storyline, highlighting that Carol isn’t the sole person grappling with this new reality.

Portrayed by Carlos-Manuel Vesga, Manousos was initially referenced in Episode 2. During a conversation with Carol, Zosia (played by Karolina Wydra) revealed that there were 11 others like Carol, mentioning, “Now 12. A man in Paraguay we became aware of this morning.” Manousos, not being one of the five English speakers in this group, initially flew under Carol’s radar. However, after a failed meeting with these five and learning of Manousos’s reluctance to engage with anyone following the global transformation, Carol’s interest was piqued, prompting her to reach out.

So, who exactly is Manousos in the Pluribus universe? And what do we know about Carlos-Manuel Vesga, the actor behind the character? Here’s a closer look at Vesga’s significant role in Pluribus, along with insights into his career beyond this Apple TV series.

Who Is Manousos on Pluribus? Meet The 13th Other

As detailed by Zosia in Episode 3, Manousos hails from Paraguay and operates a self-storage business. He has shown a marked hesitance to connect with those affected by the extraterrestrial phenomenon. Despite the language barrier—Manousos only speaks Spanish—Carol enlists Zosia to facilitate contact, hoping to converse about their unnerving new circumstances. In the initial attempt, Manousos abruptly ends the call, expressing his desire to be left alone. Undeterred, Carol tries again, only to be met with a curt dismissal. Frustrated, Carol instructs Zosia to call one last time, delivering a heated retort in Spanish.

While Carol and Pluribus largely forget about Manousos after the phone call, Episode 4, “Please, Carol” finally introduces him on-screen and gives us an intriguing look into his world. Though we can’t spoil his compelling extended intro, we can say that he’s seen scanning a radio, setting a timer to wait for signs of life, and meticulously recording his findings in a notebook. His crossed arms and slow neck stretch signals that he’s been conducting his research for quite some time. We also get a glimpse of his small office, which includes several lamps, a small television, and intentionally covered windows.

A printed sign in the office reads, “Warning! Payments 30 days late will result in the lock being cut and your belongings being removed. No exceptions,” suggesting that he’s at his self-storage facility. And eventually, Manousos’ gaze wanders over to a small trash can with a fly hovering over it. He makes his way over, pulls out an empty food can, removes the lid, and licks it as if he’s in survival mode and hasn’t eaten in days.

In Pluribus production notes, Vesga said of his character, “I get the feeling that he has lost a lot in his life and is not willing to lose anything else.” As Zosia said, they were unaware of Manousos’ existence for the first 33 hours, so it will be interesting to learn more about the crucial character, see how his personal experience has differed from Carol’s, and hopefully watch the two cross paths again down the line. Until then, let’s learn more about Carlos-Manuel Vesga, the actor who plays Manousos.

Who Plays Manousos on Pluribus? Meet Carlos-Manuel Vesga

Manousos on Pluribus is played by Carlos-Manuel Vesga, a. 49-year-old Colombian theater, film, and television actor. Per IMDb, Vesga has nearly 50 film and TV credits, including Amor Sincero, The Hijacking of Flight 601, Pura Sangre, A Grito Herido, and more. In Pluribus production notes, creator Vince Gilligan made sure to shout out Vesga’s talents, raving, “Carlos-Manuel is a real find, a wonderful actor and person. He is also a superstar in South America, so when we were shooting in the Canary Islands, Spain, he was constantly stopped on the street to sign autographs and pose for pictures.”

If you’re looking to stay up-to-date with Vesga outside of Pluribus, you can follow him on Instagram at @carlosmanuelactor, where he had 119,000 followers ahead of Pluribus Episode 4. While he’s built a solid fanbase over the years, we have a feeling Pluribus is going to make a whole new audience fall in love with Vesga, and we can’t wait to see more of his talented acting — and more Manousos! — on our TVs.

New episodes of Pluribus premiere Fridays on Apple TV.