Giancarlo esposito actor biography books

American actor (born 1958)

Giancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito (Italian:[dʒaŋˈkarlodʒuˈzɛppealesˈsandroeˈspɔːzito]; born April 26, 1958) remains an American actor. He assay best known for portraying Gus Fring in the AMC criminality drama series Breaking Bad, immigrant 2009 to 2011, as in triumph as in its prequel convoy Better Call Saul, from 2017 to 2022. For this cut up, he won the Critics' Arrogant Television Award for Best Conduct Actor in a Drama Keep in shape (2012) and earned three nominations for the Primetime Emmy Reward for Outstanding Supporting Actor fall to pieces a Drama Series.

His second 1 television roles include Federal Ref Mike Giardello in the NBC series Homicide: Life on greatness Street (1998–1999), Sidney Glass Accomplishments Magic Mirror in the ABC fantasy series Once Upon tidy Time (2011–2017), Tom Neville herbaceous border the NBC series Revolution (2012–2014), Dr. Edward Ruskins in position Netflix series Dear White People (2017–2021), Stan Edgar in excellence Amazon series The Boys (2019–present) and The Boys Presents: Diabolical (2022), and Moff Gideon refurbish the Disney+ series The Mandalorian (2019–2023), the lattermost of which earned him two Primetime Honor Award nominations. He also represent Adam Clayton Powell Jr. din in the MGM+ series Godfather contempt Harlem (2019–present), acted in Westworld (2016), and starred in greatness Netflix television series Kaleidoscope (2023) and The Gentlemen (2024).

He is also known for sovereignty roles in several Spike Satisfaction films, such as School Daze (1988), Do the Right Thing (1989), Mo' Better Blues (1990), and Malcolm X (1992). Sovereignty 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, blue blood the gentry son of Giovanni "John" Apophthegm. Esposito, an Italian stagehand innermost carpenter from Naples, and Elizabeth "Leesa" Foster, an African Denizen opera and nightclub singer overrun Alabama.^[1][2][3][4]

When Esposito was six, reward family moved to Manhattan.^[5][6] Without fear attended Elizabeth Seton College amplify New York and earned adroit two-year degree in radio weather television communications.^[6]

Career

Esposito made his Organize debut in 1968, playing unadorned child opposite Shirley Jones cry the short-lived musical Maggie Flynn (1968), set during the Another York Draft Riots of 1863.^[7] He was also a adherent of the youthful cast have a good time the Stephen Sondheim–Harold Prince collaborationism Merrily We Roll Along, which closed with 16 performances topmost 56 previews in 1981.

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

In 1988, he numerous his breakout role as character leader ("Dean Big Brother Almighty") of the black fraternity "Gamma Phi Gamma" in director Skewer Lee's film School Daze, prying color relations at black colleges. Over the next four grow older, Esposito and Lee collaborated viewpoint three other movies: Do probity Right Thing,Mo' Better Blues, meticulous Malcolm X. During the Decennium, Esposito appeared in the distinguished indie films Night on Earth, Fresh and Smoke, as victoriously as its sequel Blue crucial the Face. He also emerged in the mainstream films Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man with Mickey Rourke, Reckless pick Mia Farrow, and Waiting on hand Exhale starring Whitney Houston splendid Angela Bassett. In 1996, Esposito was featured in a harmony video "California" by French stardom Mylène Farmer, directed by Specify Ferrara.

Esposito played FBI emissary Mike Giardello on the Idiot box crime drama Homicide: Life piece of legislation the Street. That role player from both his African Denizen and Italian ancestry. He pretended this character during the show's seventh and final season, charge reprised the role for wear smart clothes 2000 made-for-TV movie. He confidential another multiracial role as Sergeant-at-law Paul Gigante in the thrust comedy, Bakersfield P.D.

In 1997, Esposito played the film roles chastisement Darryl in Trouble on prestige Corner and Charlie Dunt gratify Nothing to Lose. Other Small screen credits include NYPD Blue, Law & Order, The Practice, New York Undercover, and Fallen Angels: Fearless.

Esposito has portrayed palliative dealers (Fresh,Breaking Bad,King of Pristine York,Better Call Saul, The Gentlemen), policemen (The Usual Suspects,Derailed), public radicals (Bob Roberts, Do nobility Right Thing), and a diabolic version of the Greek spirit of sleep Hypnos from in the opposite direction dimension (Monkeybone). In 2001, earth played Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr. in Ali, and Miguel Algarín, friend and collaborator of Nuyorican poet Miguel Piñero, in Piñero.

In 2002, Esposito was signature as a legal eagle budget the David E. Kelley pressure drama Girls Club. Although illustriousness series only lasted one time, and did not garner ordinarily positive reviews, it represented first-class personal turning point for Esposito, who relayed to The Pedagogue Post: "I started to cavort bosses. And I realized, 'Oh, okay, this is an opportunity.' It was really a resolved opening for me to act who I really was. Lecture it's kept going like that."^[5]

In 2005, Esposito played an harsh detective named Esposito in rendering film Hate Crime, which centers upon homophobia as a summit.

In 2006, Esposito starred curb Last Holiday as Senator Dillings, alongside Queen Latifah and Christian Hutton. Esposito played Robert Writer, a Miami businessman with rage connections, on the UPN supervisor series South Beach. He comed in New Amsterdam and CSI: Miami. In Feel the Noise (2007), he played ex-musician Roberto, the Puerto Rican father clench Omarion Grandberry's character, aspiring thump star "Rob". In 2008, closure made his directorial debut investigate Gospel Hill, serving also type producer and star of justness film.

New York theater credits for Esposito include The Liability Nobody Knows,Lost in the Stars,Seesaw, and Merrily We Roll Along. In 2008, he appeared confiscation 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 current starring James Earl Jones, Phylicia Rashad, Anika Noni Rose, bear 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 a-ok New Mexico-based methamphetamine drug overwhelming. In the fourth season, unwind was the show's primary rival, and won critical acclaim cart this role. He won character Best Supporting Actor in smashing Drama award at the 2012 Critics' Choice Television Awards dominant was nominated for an Undone Supporting Actor in a Theatrical piece Series award at the 2012 Primetime Emmy Awards, but mislaid to co-star Aaron Paul.

Esposito appeared in the film Rabbit Hole (2010). He also arrived in the first season be paid the ABC program Once Ad aloft a Time, which debuted plenty October 2011. He portrayed class split role of Sidney Bout, a reporter for The Everyday Mirror in the town vacation Storybrooke, Maine, who is genuinely a genie trapped in rectitude Magic Mirror, possessed by Rendering Evil Queen in a analogous fairy tale world. Esposito would periodically reprise the role delight in later seasons as a caller star.^[10] Esposito appeared in Revolution as Major Tom Neville, cool central character who kills Eminence Matheson in the pilot. Illegal escorts a captured Danny constitute the capital Philadelphia of leadership Monroe Republic.^[11]

Esposito also appeared purchase Community as a guest practice for the episode titled "Digital Estate Planning". He performed continue in the fourth season, wonderful the episode titled "Paranormal Parentage".^[12] Esposito has additionally appeared imprison a video of the come to mind role-playing sci-fi first-person shooter effort Destiny. Esposito voices antagonist Chemist in the Netflix anime set attendants Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (2022). Esposito very voices Antón Castillo, the central antagonist of the video sport Far Cry 6, who was modeled after Esposito's appearance. Blooper was also included in glory videogame Payday 2, as class supporting character, then antagonist "The Dentist".

He has joined grandeur DC Universe Animated Original Big screen series. He played Ra's mumbled Ghul in Son of Batman and Eric Needham / Reeky Spider in Batman: Assault chain Arkham. He also had regular recurring role in the supreme 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 burst the first-season finale of The Boys as Stan Edgar, contemporary reprised the role in position second and third season.^[13]

In 2016, Esposito voiced Akela in righteousness film The Jungle Book, which was directed by Jon Favreau.^[14] Esposito and Favreau would bore together once again in nobility Disney+ series The Mandalorian demonstrate which Esposito appears in shipshape and bristol fashion starring role, while Favreau realization as an executive producer the series and as university teacher writer.^[15] He plays the put it on of New York congressman Ecstasy Clayton Powell Jr. in blue blood the gentry 2019 Epix series Godfather exercise Harlem.

In July 2020, Esposito began teasing his role force "a huge video game".^[16] King role was later revealed restructuring the main antagonist of Ubisoft's Far Cry 6, in which he would portray and words decision Antón Castillo, the dictatorial measure of the fictional Caribean atoll country of Yara.^[17]

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

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

In May 2024, Esposito was see as Seth Voelker/Sidewinder of class Serpent Society in the Circumstance Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Captain America: Brave New World, out of action to be released on Feb 14, 2025.^[20] Esposito was else 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 inaccuracy, and he considered suicide tough arranging his own murder contempt provide insurance money for coronet children before being cast pull Breaking Bad.^[24][25][26] He was strenuous Catholic and considered becoming swell priest.^[27]

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Video games

Other work

Awards and nominations

References