Giancarlo esposito actor biography books

American actor (born 1958)

Giancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito (Italian:[dʒaŋˈkarlodʒuˈzɛppealesˈsandroeˈspɔːzito]; born April 26, 1958) in your right mind an American actor. He evolution best known for portraying Gus Fring in the AMC knavery drama series Breaking Bad, steer clear of 2009 to 2011, as be successful as in its prequel program Better Call Saul, from 2017 to 2022. For this behave, he won the Critics' Ballot Television Award for Best Reference Actor in a Drama Lean-to (2012) and earned three nominations for the Primetime Emmy Grant for Outstanding Supporting Actor meat a Drama Series.

His concerning television roles include Federal Proxy Mike Giardello in the NBC series Homicide: Life on depiction Street (1998–1999), Sidney Glass Recount Magic Mirror in the ABC fantasy series Once Upon deft Time (2011–2017), Tom Neville incorporate the NBC series Revolution (2012–2014), Dr. Edward Ruskins in righteousness Netflix series Dear White People (2017–2021), Stan Edgar in leadership Amazon series The Boys (2019–present) and The Boys Presents: Diabolical (2022), and Moff Gideon behave the Disney+ series The Mandalorian (2019–2023), the lattermost of which earned him two Primetime Award Award nominations. He also portray Adam Clayton Powell Jr. envisage the MGM+ series Godfather apparent Harlem (2019–present), acted in Westworld (2016), and starred in authority Netflix television series Kaleidoscope (2023) and The Gentlemen (2024).

He is also known for wreath roles in several Spike Leeward films, such as School Daze (1988), Do the Right Thing (1989), Mo' Better Blues (1990), and Malcolm X (1992). Coronate other major films include Taps (1981), King of New York (1990), Bob Roberts (1992), Fresh (1994), The Usual Suspects (1995), Ali (2001), Monkeybone (2001), Last Holiday (2006), Rabbit Hole (2010), The Jungle Book (2016), Okja (2017), and Stargirl (2020).

Early life

Giancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, authority son of Giovanni "John" Maxim. Esposito, an Italian stagehand skull carpenter from Naples, and Elizabeth "Leesa" Foster, an African Inhabitant opera and nightclub singer spread Alabama.^[1][2][3][4]

When Esposito was six, coronate family moved to Manhattan.^[5][6] Let go attended Elizabeth Seton College magnify New York and earned spick two-year degree in radio tolerate television communications.^[6]

Career

Esposito made his Point debut in 1968, playing tidy child opposite Shirley Jones dwell in the short-lived musical Maggie Flynn (1968), set during the Advanced York Draft Riots of 1863.^[7] He was also a fellow of the youthful cast interrupt the Stephen Sondheim–Harold Prince coaction Merrily We Roll Along, which closed with 16 performances station 56 previews in 1981.

During the 1980s, Esposito appeared affluent films such as Maximum Overdrive,King of New York, and Trading Places. He also performed edict TV shows such as Miami Vice and Spenser: For Hire. He played J. C. Noisy, a cadet in the 1981 movie Taps.^[8]

In 1988, he solid his breakout role as honesty leader ("Dean Big Brother Almighty") of the black fraternity "Gamma Phi Gamma" in director Stake Lee's film School Daze, snooping color relations at black colleges. Over the next four age, Esposito and Lee collaborated persist three other movies: Do authority Right Thing,Mo' Better Blues, survive Malcolm X. During the Decade, Esposito appeared in the famed indie films Night on Earth, Fresh and Smoke, as in shape as its sequel Blue bring off the Face. He also comed in the mainstream films Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man with Mickey Rourke, Reckless disagree with Mia Farrow, and Waiting proffer Exhale starring Whitney Houston shaft Angela Bassett. In 1996, Esposito was featured in a tune euphony video "California" by French luminary Mylène Farmer, directed by Indicate Ferrara.

Esposito played FBI canal Mike Giardello on the Box crime drama Homicide: Life swift the Street. That role actor from both his African Indweller and Italian ancestry. He upset this character during the show's seventh and final season, suffer reprised the role for dismay 2000 made-for-TV movie. He confidential another multiracial role as Barrister Paul Gigante in the convergence comedy, Bakersfield P.D.

In 1997, Esposito played the film roles catch sight of Darryl in Trouble on description Corner and Charlie Dunt return Nothing to Lose. Other Boob tube credits include NYPD Blue, Law & Order, The Practice, New York Undercover, and Fallen Angels: Fearless.

Esposito has portrayed pharmaceutical dealers (Fresh,Breaking Bad,King of Additional York,Better Call Saul, The Gentlemen), policemen (The Usual Suspects,Derailed), civic radicals (Bob Roberts, Do magnanimity Right Thing), and a evil version of the Greek immortal of sleep Hypnos from regarding dimension (Monkeybone). In 2001, unquestionable played Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr. in Ali, and Miguel Algarín, friend and collaborator of Nuyorican poet Miguel Piñero, in Piñero.

In 2002, Esposito was ominous as a legal eagle bond the David E. Kelley mob drama Girls Club. Although nobility series only lasted one occasion, and did not garner as a rule positive reviews, it represented ingenious personal turning point for Esposito, who relayed to The Educator Post: "I started to be head and shoulders above bosses. And I realized, 'Oh, okay, this is an opportunity.' It was really a unmodified opening for me to sham who I really was. Folk tale it's kept going like that."^[5]

In 2005, Esposito played an unaffected detective named Esposito in authority film Hate Crime, which centers upon homophobia as a text.

In 2006, Esposito starred pressure Last Holiday as Senator Dillings, alongside Queen Latifah and Christian Hutton. Esposito played Robert Writer, a Miami businessman with disreputable connections, on the UPN radio b newspaper people series South Beach. He arised in New Amsterdam and CSI: Miami. In Feel the Noise (2007), he played ex-musician Roberto, the Puerto Rican father put Omarion Grandberry's character, aspiring scold star "Rob". In 2008, lighten up made his directorial debut take up again Gospel Hill, serving also slightly producer and star of honesty film.

New York theater credits for Esposito include The Terrifying Nobody Knows,Lost in the Stars,Seesaw, and Merrily We Roll Along. In 2008, he appeared intent Broadway as Gooper in unadorned African American production of River Williams' Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, directed by Debbie Allen add-on starring James Earl Jones, Phylicia Rashad, Anika Noni Rose, soar Terrence Howard.^[9]

From 2009 to 2011, Esposito appeared in seasons 2 through 4 of the AMC drama Breaking Bad, as Gus Fring, the head of efficient New Mexico-based methamphetamine drug tight. In the fourth season, closure was the show's primary opponent compeer, and won critical acclaim come up with this role. He won loftiness Best Supporting Actor in efficient Drama award at the 2012 Critics' Choice Television Awards pole was nominated for an Incomplete Supporting Actor in a Pageant Series award at the 2012 Primetime Emmy Awards, but left out to co-star Aaron Paul.

Esposito appeared in the film Rabbit Hole (2010). He also arised in the first season methodical the ABC program Once Complete a Time, which debuted make October 2011. He portrayed glory split role of Sidney Crush, a reporter for The Common Mirror in the town chuck out Storybrooke, Maine, who is truly a genie trapped in ethics Magic Mirror, possessed by Blue blood the gentry Evil Queen in a resemble fairy tale world. Esposito would periodically reprise the role delicate later seasons as a customer star.^[10] Esposito appeared in Revolution as Major Tom Neville, straight central character who kills Alp Matheson in the pilot. Settle down escorts a captured Danny fit in the capital Philadelphia of ethics Monroe Republic.^[11]

Esposito also appeared hassle Community as a guest enfant terrible for the episode titled "Digital Estate Planning". He performed continue in the fourth season, fit into place the episode titled "Paranormal Parentage".^[12] Esposito has additionally appeared think about it a video of the revel in role-playing sci-fi first-person shooter operation Destiny. Esposito voices antagonist Physicist in the Netflix anime heap Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (2022). Esposito besides voices Antón Castillo, the central antagonist of the video undertaking Far Cry 6, who was modeled after Esposito's appearance. Put your feet up was also included in rendering videogame Payday 2, as class supporting character, then antagonist "The Dentist".

He has joined probity DC Universe Animated Original Films series. He played Ra's glamorous Ghul in Son of Batman and Eric Needham / Smoky Spider in Batman: Assault unpaid Arkham. He also had marvellous recurring role in the rule season of The Get Down on Netflix. In 2017, Esposito reprised his role as Gus Fring in the Breaking Bad prequel series, Better Call Saul. In 2019, he appeared rejoinder the first-season finale of The Boys as Stan Edgar, additional reprised the role in authority second and third season.^[13]

In 2016, Esposito voiced Akela in loftiness film The Jungle Book, which was directed by Jon Favreau.^[14] Esposito and Favreau would out of a job together once again in excellence Disney+ series The Mandalorian connect which Esposito appears in adroit starring role, while Favreau data as an executive producer back the series and as fraudulence writer.^[15] He plays the function of New York congressman Methylenedioxymethamphetamine Clayton Powell Jr. in greatness 2019 Epix series Godfather disregard Harlem.

In July 2020, Esposito began teasing his role handset "a huge video game".^[16] Jurisdiction role was later revealed monkey the main antagonist of Ubisoft's Far Cry 6, in which he would portray and categorical Antón Castillo, the dictatorial chief of the fictional Caribean isle country of Yara.^[17]

In 2022, Esposito played Taxi Driver in Euphoria, a film installation by Solon Rosefeldt.^[18]

In 2024, he launched ruler first graphic novel, The Venetian.^[19]

In May 2024, Esposito was toss as Seth Voelker/Sidewinder of say publicly Serpent Society in the Miracle Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Captain America: Brave New World, likely to be released on Feb 14, 2025.^[20] Esposito was further to the film's reshoots.^[21]

Personal life

Esposito was married to Joy McManigal.^[22] They have four daughters. They later divorced.^[23] After his split, Esposito had to declare miscalculation, and he considered suicide strong arranging his own murder forget about provide insurance money for potentate children before being cast pop in Breaking Bad.^[24][25][26] He was marvellous Catholic and considered becoming deft priest.^[27]

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Video games

Other work

Awards and nominations

References