Giancarlo Esposito
Giancarlo Esposito
Versatile American actor Giancarlo Esposito was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, but grew up in Manhattan from the age of six. His mother was an African-American nightclub singer (who once shared a bill with Josephine Baker) and his father was an Italian stagehand. In show business most of his life, Esposito made his Broadway debut in a 1966 production of Maggie Flynn. His other stage credits include Sacrilege, Miss Moffatt, and Balm in Gilead. He won a 1981 Theatre World Award for his performance in Zooman and the Sign. On the big screen, Esposito started appearing in Spike Lee films during the late '80s in a wide range of roles with great character names. He was the frat leader Julian "Big Brother Almighty" in School Daze, the outspoken reactionary Buggin' Out in Do the Right Thing, the dandy pianist Left Hand Lacey in Mo' Better Blues, and the criminal Thomas Hayer in Malcolm X. Esposito's other film roles include an investigative journalist in Bob Roberts, an activist in Amos & Andrew, and a game show host in Reckless. In 1995, he earned an Independent Spirit award nomination for his supporting role of doting drug dealer Esteban in Boaz Yakin's debut drama Fresh. Esposito also appeared in Wayne Wang and Paul Auster's Smoke, along with the sequel Blue in the Face. The next year, he turned briefly to producing with the independent prison film The Keeper, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. On television, Esposito appeared on NYPD Blue, Law & Order, and the short-lived Fox comedy Bakersfield, P.D. In 1999, he earned an Image award nomination for his role as FBI Agent Michael Giardello on Homicide: Life on the Street. He also has contributed to the Fox television dramas The $treet and girls club. While teaching at the Atlantic Theatre Company, Esposito found time to portray real-life figures in the biopics Ali (as Cassius Clay Sr.) and Piņero (as Miguel Algarin). Projects for 2004 included James Hunter's feature Back in the Day and the television movie NYPD 2069. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
Filmography of Giancarlo Esposito:
- Piņero with Benjamin Bratt , Mandy Patinkin , Rita Moreno , Robert Klein , Fisher Stevens , Griffin Dunne
- Stardust with Amanda Donohoe
- Bob Roberts with Tim Robbins , Alan Rickman , Ray Wise , Brian Doyle-Murray , Gore Vidal , John Cusack , Peter Gallagher , Pamela Reed , Susan Sarandon , James Spader , David Strathairn , Fred Ward , Bob Balaban , Helen Hunt , Fisher Stevens , Lynne Thigpen , Jack Black
- Noise with Ally Sheedy
- Rain with Faye Dunaway , Robert Loggia
- Derailed with Clive Owen , Jennifer Aniston , Vincent Cassel , Tom Conti
- Monkeybone with Brendan Fraser , Bridget Fonda , Whoopi Goldberg , Dave Foley , Rose McGowan , Lisa Zane , John Turturro
- Phoenix with Ray Liotta , Anjelica Huston , Anthony LaPaglia , Tom Noonan
- Creature with Craig T. Nelson , Kim Cattrall
- Ali with Will Smith , Jamie Foxx , Jon Voight , Mario VanPeebles , Ron Silver , Jeffrey Wright , Mykelti Williamson , Joe Morton , Paul Rodriguez , LeVar Burton , Ted Levine , Jada Pinkett Smith
- Hate Crime with Bruce Davison , Susan Blakely
- Back in the Day with Ving Rhames , Pam Grier , Tia Carrere , Joe Morton
- Where's Marlowe? with Miguel Ferrer , Mos Def
- Blue in the Face with Harvey Keitel , Roseanne , Michael J. Fox , Jim Jarmusch , Lily Tomlin , Keith David , Jared Harris , Madonna , Mira Sorvino
- Taps with George C. Scott , Timothy Hutton , Ronny Cox , Sean Penn , Tom Cruise
Giancarlo Esposito Trivia
