Biography
Working on stage and screen, Giancarlo Esposito emerged from the indie-film movement of the 1990s to become one of his generation's most respected actors. Raised in Europe by his theatrical, ethnically diverse parents, Esposito was brought to New York at the age of six and first performed on Broadway two years later. More lauded work in various stage productions soon made way for the young Obie Award-winning actor's growing list of film …
Giancarlo Esposito SlideShow
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Career Milestones
1966 | Made Broadway debut in "Maggie Flynn" at the age of eight |
1973 | Landed featured role in the Broadway musical "Seesaw"; performed the musical number "Spanglish" |
1979 | Made film debut in "Running" |
1981 | Acted in the short-lived Stephen Sondheim Broadway musical "Merrily We Roll Along" |
1981 | Featured in the ensemble drama "Taps" |
1981 | TV-movie debut, "The Gentleman Bandit" (CBS) |
1982 | Cast in regular role on the CBS daytime drama "Guiding Light" |
1983 | Played a bit part in "Trading Places"; also featured in "Enormous Changes at the Last Minute" |
1984 | Acted in Francis Ford Coppola's "The Cotton Club" |
1984 | Portrayed Ernesto in the New York theater production of "Balm in Gilead," directed by John Malkovich |
1985 | Landed cameo role in the comedy feature "Desperately Seeking Susan" and a memorable guest turn as Adonis Jackson on "Miami Vice" (NBC) |
1986 | Acted in the miniseries "Roanoak" (PBS), a chronicle of English explorers' first encounters with Native Americans in the New World |
1986 | Appeared in the Stephen King drama "Maximum Overdrive" |
1987 | Co-starred in the Broadway musical "Don't Get God Started" |
1988 | First collaboration with Spike Lee, "School Daze" |
1989 | Played incendiary neighborhood activist Buggin Out in Spike Lee's acclaimed "Do the Right Thing" |
1990 | Acted in Lee's "Mo' Better Blues" |
1990 | Featured in Abel Ferrara's cult hit "King of New York" |
1991 | Played YoYo in the New York-set segment of Jim Jarmusch's "Night on Earth" |
1992 | Appeared in the biopic "Malcolm X"; fourth feature with Spike Lee |
1992 | Co-starred as Bugs Raplin, an investigative journalist with dirt on Senate hopeful "Bob Roberts" in Tim Robbins' comedic pseudo-documentary |
1993 | Co-starred in "Simple Justice," an installment of PBS "The American Experience" docudrama series examining the groundbreaking Brown vs. the Board of Education ruling |
1993 | Starred as Sgt. Paul Gigante on the quirky sitcom "Bakersfield P.D." (Fox) |
1994 | Starred as a drug dealer who takes a streetwise teen under his wing in Boaz Yakin's drama "Fresh" |
1995 | Acted in featured roles in "The Usual Suspects," "Reckless," and "Kla$h" as well as Wayne Wang's "Smoke" and its follow up "Blue in the Face" |
1995 | Appeared in the short-lived Broadway play "Sacrilege" |
1995 | Co-produced and starred in "The Keeper," playing a corrections officer on a journey of self-discovery |
1996 | Guest starred on episodes of "Chicago Hope," "Nash Bridges" (both CBS), "NYPD Blue" (ABC), and "Living Single" (Fox) |
1997 | Featured alongside the odd buddy pairing Martin Lawrence and Tim Robbins in the adventure film "Nothing to Lose" |
1998 | Co-starred as FBI Agent Mike Giardello on NBC's "Homicide: Life on the Street" |
1998 | Played a hit man hired to murder an old high school pal in Showtime's "Naked City: Justice With a Bullet" |
1998 | Played supporting role in Robert Benton's "Twilight," starring veterans Paul Newman, James Garner, and Gene Hackman |
2000 | Reprised role of Special Agent Mike Giardello in "Homicide: The Movie" (NBC) |
2000 | Returned to series TV as co-star of the Fox drama "The $treet" |
2000 | Starred in the sci-fi adventure "Stardust"; aired on HBO in lieu of theatrical release |
2001 | Featured in "Piñero," a biopic of the Latino poet-playwright Miguel Piñero |
2002 | Landed another television series role on Fox drama "Girls Club" |
2005 | Cast opposite Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston in the psychological thriller "Derailed" |
2006 | Played Maggie Gyllenhaal's parole officer in "Sherrybaby" |
2009 | Joined the cast of AMC's "Breaking Bad" as main antagonist Gustavo 'Gus' Fring; character memorably killed off during fourth season |
2010 | Cast in supporting role in drama feature "Rabbit Hole," directed by John Cameron Mitchell |
2011 | Played dual role of Sidney Glass and Magic Mirror on ABC fantasy drama "Once Upon a Time" |
2012 | Cast as a ruthless Militia officer on NBC's "The Revolution" |
2012 | Featured in crime thriller "Alex Cross," based on the novel Cross by James Patterson and starring Tyler Perry |
Awards
1995 | Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male in Fresh |
2011 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in Breaking Bad |
2012 | Critics' Choice TV Award for BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES in Breaking Bad |
2012 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in Breaking Bad |