The Vietnam War cast a long shadow across not just one of the most fertile periods of American filmmaking, but has led filmmakers for the past half century to reckon with its complicated legacy.

Just days after Love, Victor premiered on Hulu, its leading man has landed onto the scene with a splash. While he got his big-screen break in the 2019 flick Annabelle Comes Home, it's Love, Victor that's sure to make him a household name. Keep reading for five more reasons that make Cimino the breakout star of the summer. Most recently, Cimino took to Instagram to share a video of him covering H.E.R and Daniel Caesar's 2017 track, "Best Part." After the show dropped, Cimino took to Instagram to reflect on "one of the most surreal moments of my life."

RIO RANCHO, N.M. The 2018 film, Love, Simon, brought a fresh perspective to the first love, coming-of-age genre through the eyes of a gay teen. "Love Victor,'' a spinoff series, premieres Friday on Hulu. It takes the universe of Love, Simon into a new level, adding class, race, and ethnicity in the mix as another teen walks through the same love conflicts. The series follows Victor Salazar, a Latino high school student struggling with his sexual identity and life in school. Its is a great honor to represent the Latino community and not just the Latino community, but the LGBT community in a way that can positively affect peoples lives, Cimino told The Associated Press in an interview.

Simon Spier's presence is felt from the very first episode of Love, Victor, with Nick Robinson reprising his Love, Simon role via voiceover to narrate his and Victor's DMs back and forth. It takes another eight episodes before Victor meets Simon, and we finally get to see him in the flesh again. It was Cimino and Robinson's first time connecting about their respective journeys in the franchise, and it happened to be the last day of filming on Love, Victor. The scene culminates in the literal passing of the jacket, as Simon bequeaths his now-iconic jean jacket from the movie to Victor. RELATED CONTENT:'Love, Victor': All of Your Biggest Season 1 Questions, AnsweredAna Ortiz Talks Latinx Representation From 'Ugly Betty' to 'Love, Victor'How Criticism of 'Love, Simon' Inspired 'Love, Victor' (Exclusive)