Hes also been known to share behind-the-scenes anecdotes, inspirational tales about his show-biz journey, and more personal stories about his experiences as a bi-racial actor in the industry. The New Yorker may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. I suffered in that middle ground that got squeezed in the industry, he said. He has a more established brother named Vincent. The film premiered at the 2017 SXSW Festival and was released in theaters later that year. See also:Breaking Bad: If Only They Had a New York Public Library Card, The New York Public Library is a 501(c)(3) | EIN 13-1887440, When They Trod the Boards: Giancarlo Esposito, Breaking Bad-Ass on Broadway, Click to learn about accessibility at the Library, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Breaking Bad: If Only They Had a New York Public Library Card. [20], He was raised Catholic and considered becoming a priest. They have four daughters together: Kale Lyn Esposito, Shayne Lyra Esposito, Ruby Esposito, Syrlucia Esposito. In 1997, Esposito played the film roles of Darryl in Trouble on the Corner and Charlie Dunt in Nothing to Lose. At the last minute, he balks, losing and painfully reconstructing his composure in a closeup that showcases Espositos talent for the inner drama of discipline. NYPL has Breaking Bad seasons 1-5 in their entirety and all the bonus material goodness that entails. In 2002, Esposito was cast as a legal eagle in the David E. Kelley television drama Girls Club. In between projects, Esposito makes sure to take plenty of time out to enjoy some much-needed R&R. Esposito and his older brother Vincent debuted on Broadway in 1968 in the musical Maggie Flynn with Shirley Jones and Jack Cassidy. Esposito has portrayed drug dealers (Fresh, Breaking Bad, King of New York, Better Call Saul), policemen (The Usual Suspects, Derailed), political radicals (Bob Roberts, Do the Right Thing), and a demonic version of the Greek God of Sleep Hypnos from another dimension (Monkeybone). Scarier than the act itself is the time Gus takes to change clothes before and after the killing. After a climactic screaming-match scene with Danny Aiello, full of improvised slurs, the two actors burst into tears. Siblings - Vincent Esposito (Older Brother) Build. In 1988, he landed his breakout role as the leader ("Dean Big Brother Almighty") of the black fraternity "Gamma Phi Gamma" in director Spike Lee's film School Daze, exploring color relations at black colleges. TV work followed in the 1980s, with increasingly significant parts in a string of high-profile series until he became well-established as a character player both on TV and in a number of movies.He came very much to the public's attention playing Agent Mike Giardello in the TV series Homicide: Life on the Street (1993) in 1998 and since then has rarely been off our screens. Besides winning a Critics Choice Television Award, Esposito also earned a nomination for an Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series award at the 2012 Primetime Emmy Awards for his performance. Other notable actors whove lent their voices to the series include Rosario Dawson, Rainn Wilson, Christian Slater, and Jennifer Hale. The award was announced by Hollywood Chamber of Commerce President Leron Gubler, who stated We are thrilled to have this triple threat on our Walk of Fame. More recently, hes achieved a new level of success with his role as drug kingpin Gus Fring in the hugely popular AMC shows, Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. Besides his own films, he has produced The Keeper (1995) and Stuck (2017). His imperious likeness graces memes, video games, and ads for Dirty Devil Vodka; at fan conventions, masochistic fans beseech him to stare them down. On Broadway, his biggest role came in 2008 when he appeared as Gooper in Tennessee Williams Pulitzer prize-winning drama, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, which was directed by Debbie Allen and starred James Earl Jones, Phylicia Rashad, Anika Noni Rose, and Terrence Howard. From the year 1950 to 1958, Esposito has served in the Hawaii Territorial House of Representatives and was the regional house speaker. Espositos seething side-stage monologues, which rage against his circumstances in an attempt to excuse the murder, earned him an Obie Award, along with the admiration of an N.Y.U. Esposito has directed two films to date, Gospel Hill and The Show. He gives himself so fully to a role that spectators believe he must be playing himself. His father, an Italian stage carpenter, and his mother, an African American opera singer, met while working in Italy. Giancarlo Esposito (or to give him his full name, Giancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito) was born April 26th, 1958 in Copenhagen, Denmark to father Giovanni Esposito, an Italian. Growing up too fast as a child on Broadway, as a performer who always had to be on, who always had to delivermany of the things I missed, I havent given back to myself yet.. He won the Drama Desk Award for the play Balm in Gilead (1985). Maybe he wants that child so that he can take what he has and give it to all of us., Its become a clich to observe that Esposito is actually a very nice guy. In Piero, he was cast as the Puerto Rican poet, educator, and writer Miguel Algarin while in Ali, he played the titular characters father, Cassius Marcellus Clay, Sr. It was Lee who first gave full expression to Esposito's aptitude for lawful evil. The star was rushed to hospital in February after . He also performed in TV shows such as Miami Vice and Spenser: For Hire. He went on to work with Lee in several other films, including 'Do the Right Thing' (1989), 'Mo' Better Blues' (1990), and Malcolm X (1994). They want it, just like children want discipline, the actor told Conan OBrien during a recent interview. Now a regular in the TV show Revolution, Giancarlo Esposito continues to be a versatile and in-demand actor, and despite his attempt to avoid bad guy roles, he's just too good at it. In Taps, Esposito plays a student officer at a fictional military academy, whose cadets stage an uprising to prevent its sale to real-estate interests. Strolling through the museum, Esposito recalled a memorable childhood encounter with Josephine Baker. He played Ra's al Ghul in Son of Batman and Eric Needham / Black Spider in Batman: Assault on Arkham. READ ALSO: John Bishop Life After Deaf Moreover, he has devoted much of his personal time to countering the problem of racial stereotyping and enjoys roles that explore minority and immigrant issues. How would you rate this article? The Theatre on Film and Tape Archive (TOFT), the Broadway and Off-Broadway archive of live theater on video situated in the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, has the original stage productions of Balm in Gilead (1984) and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (2008), starring Giancarlo Esposito. Giancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, to an Italian carpenter/stagehand father from Naples, Italy, and an African-American opera singer mother from Alabama. [16] His role was later revealed as the main antagonist of Ubisoft's Far Cry 6, in which he would portray and voice Antn Castillo, the dictatorial ruler of Yara. Fans flicking through Espositos back catalog may be surprised by one past credit in particular. Perhaps his most celebrated monologue, from Breaking Bad, is addressed to Guss then protg Walter White (Bryan Cranston), an ex-chemistry teacher whos wavering on his decision to enter the drug trade. Esposito appeared in the film Rabbit Hole (2010). It was Lee who first gave full expression to Espositos aptitude for lawful evil. Under his production company, Quiet Hand Productions, Esposito made his directorial debut with Gospel Hill. Vincent Esposito, 51, after pleading guilty Wednesday to. His father Giovanni Esposito is an Italian stagehand and set designer from Naples, and his mother, Elizabeth Foster, was an African-American opera singer from Alabama. Add this to what he makes from other projects (especially the latest successes like Mandalorian and Kaleidoscope), and were looking at a very respectable net worth of $8 million. This talented actor, director, and producer continue to entertain fans, and his talent is a great fit on our sidewalk of immortalized stars.. Paul Gigante in Foxs short-lived sitcom Bakersfield P.D. In 1995, he shared screen space with Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Benicio del Toro, and Kevin Spacey in Bryan Singers The Usual Suspects. I am Ghanaian. . But a reporter discovered that behind the faade of innovation were lies and links to Russian intelligence. Giancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, to an Italian carpenter/stagehand father from Naples, Italy, and an African-American opera singer mother from Alabama. The experience was also cathartic for Esposito as a Black Italian American, forcing him to confront the tensions between his communities. He appeared in four Broadway musicals before hed turned fifteen. He also had a recurring role in the first season of The Get Down on Netflix. The primary antagonist in The Mandalorian, Gideon is a powerful and formidable. In 1996, Esposito was featured in a music video "California" by French superstar Mylne Farmer, directed by Abel Ferrara. His Neapolitan father worked as a stagehand and carpenter while his African American mother sang in operas and nightclubs. Did I just miss the Calder mobiles? he wondered; weaving through the midday crowds, he pivoted smoothly between selfie requests, my questions, and his own bursts of curiosity. According to him, Esposito was the natural choice for the role. Giancarlo Esposito had two special cameo appearances in Community, adding to the connection between the comedy series and AMC's Breaking Bad.The actor, who was best known for playing villain Gus Fring in Breaking Bad at the time, starred in two episodes of the series created by Dan Harmon.Community debuted in 2009 and ran for five seasons on NBC before it was cancelled on the network due to . He played this character during the show's seventh and final season, and reprised the role for its 2000 made-for-TV movie. Ad Choices. my brother and I were accepted. His excellent execution of the role enabled him become one of the greatest villains in TV history but Esposito, who considers himself an Italian black first cut his teeth on Broadway as a child star with a notably clear singing voice. Giancarlo performs with Ken Howard and Michelle Lee in the musical Seesaw, 1973. Given his European background, its perhaps no surprise to learn the talented actor knows a thing or two about languages. He had his cinematic debut in 1979, in the sports drama Running, which also starred Michael Douglas, Susan Anspach, and Lawrence Dane. We were in Shock." "After doing two shows, my brother Vincent Esposito turned to the violin and is still playing professionally." Says Giancarlo. As a child, Espositos hero was Burt Lancaster, the legendary actor who won worldwide acclaim (and multiple Academy and Golden Globe nominations) for his appearances in such classics as Elmer Gantry, Atlantic City and Zulu Dawn. In 1991, Giancarlo won his second Obie for Distant Fires for the Off-Broadway Atlantic Theater Company and began a long-lasting relationship with that company. Ironically, as he grew up in the stage, screen and TV industry during the 1970s and '80s, Esposito fought hard to avoid being typecast as a street thug, a difficult task for minorities even today. If it's anything Shawshank Redemption, Seinfeld, or Kevin Bacon game related he's way more interested. . ? he recalled. Elizabeth told her son to go out and buy a single red rose; that night, they sat close to the stage during the performance. His mother was an opera diva. In 1970, he was hired as a voice actor in the short film Et Salammbo? This was his first job in the industry. The film starred Esposito alongside Danny Glover, Angela Basset, and Samuel. He was in Toronto, travelling with his mother, when she realized that her old acquaintance was performing at their hotel. Of his decision, Esposito says, I figured if I never made It as an actor, I could go to Alaska, be a cameraman, and collect a paycheck. This month, Esposito returns to Disney+ on the popular Star Wars series The Mandalorian, playing Moff Gideon, a cape-swirling insurrectionist in a remnant of the Galactic Empire. Aiden's been an entertainment freelancer for over 10 years covering movies, television and the occasional comic or video game beat. Esposito is set to star in James Francos directorial venture The Long Home; Cinemaxs action drama series Jett; comedy-drama film Stargirl; The Mandalorian, a TV series set in the Star Wars Universe; action thriller Live!; and musical drama Coda. Over the next four years, Esposito and Lee collaborated on three other movies: Do the Right Thing, Mo' Better Blues, and Malcolm X. New York theater credits for Esposito include The Me Nobody Knows, Lost in the Stars, Seesaw, and Merrily We Roll Along. [12] Esposito has additionally appeared in a video of the action role-playing sci-fi first-person shooter game Destiny, as well as plays The Dentist, a non-playable story character, in the game Payday 2. He played jazz with the Marsalis brothers. In recent years, he has appeared in films like the Maze Runner movies, Money Monster (2016), Brother Nature (2016), and Okja (2017). Shayne Lyra Esposito with her younger sister, Syrlucia and father, Giancarlo Esposito at 71st Emmys Governors Ball. From the balcony, we gazed at the shape-shifting forms of Refik Anadols Unsupervised, an A.I.-generated video installation that looked like an unruly galaxy in need of a firm hand. Esposito would periodically reprise the role in later seasons as a guest star. Slim. Although he made a name for himself early on with his voice (Clive Barnes described his singing voice as "big, round, and clean as a freshly scoured skillet"), he is chiefly known today for his dramatic intensity. Esposito, a graceful sixty-four-year-old with sharp dimples and slicked back salt-and-pepper curls, seems to be everywhere these days. He also portrayed American Baptist pastor and politician Adam Clayton Powell Jr. in the TV series Godfather of Harlem (2019present) and appeared in Westworld (2016). Born in Rome, Italy but raised in New York City, Kedar grew up in a spiritual family of artists and performers. And I realized, 'Oh, okay, this is an opportunity.' Giancarlo Esposito is of both Italian and African-American origin. Giancarlo Esposito is the man behind many iconic TV and movie roles. In the musical comedy "School Daze" (1988), set on the campus of a fictional H.B.C.U., he cast the actor as . Some of his other TV roles are of Sidney Glass / Magic Mirror in ABCs fantasy drama series Once Upon a Time (2011-17), Tom Neville in NBCs post-apocalyptic series Revolution (2012-14), and the narrator on Netflixs comedy-drama series Dear White People (2017-present). Esposito and Favreau had previously worked together on the TV show Revolution and the movie The Jungle Book. His Neapolitan father worked as a stagehand and carpenter while his African American mother sang in operas and nightclubs. (Even on Sesame Street, where, in his early twenties, he guest-starred as a camp counsellor, Esposito laid down the law for a homesick Big Bird.) What does a man do, Walter? 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Sometimes we fucking lose., The show that freed Esposito from purgatory was Breaking Bad (2008-13). He has a brother named Vincent. they want me to call them employee of the month. Despite jocular complaints that hed like to try a good guy, the baddie beat is treating him well. I could never talk about my bankruptcy, for years, until I realized it was perfectly healthy to talk about, he told me. During the 1980s, Giancarlo spent less time singing and dancing and doing more dramatic roles. I almost wanted you to switch, the actor told me; from a young age, hes struggled with hypervigilance, a tendency that became acute during the pandemic. All work and no play may have made Jack a dull boy, but Esposito is in no danger of following suit. Offering to pay for trauma counselling, he explains the attack as a futile attempt by old Mexican acquaintances to extort an innocent businessman in a land where the righteous have no reason to fear.. 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