Giancarlo Esposito

Birthday: 26 April 1958, Copenhagen, Denmark

Birth Name: Giancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito

Height: 171 cm

Giancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, to an Italian carpenter/stagehand father from Naples and an opera-singing African-American mother from Alabama. His parents, working in Europe at the time of his birth, settled in Manhattan by the time he was six, and that's where he grew up.Coming from a theatrical background, it was, perhaps, inevitable that young Giancarlo would appear on stage sooner or later, and he did, at age 8, appearing on Broadway as a slave child in "Maggie Flynn" in 1966.More Broadway work followed through the '60s and early-'70s, followed by some small roles in movies. 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. Show less «

I first felt successful when I was 13 and in a show called "Seesaw". I came offstage and heard the a...Show more »

I first felt successful when I was 13 and in a show called "Seesaw". I came offstage and heard the applause of the theater audience and felt a sense of accomplishment. Around that time, my role model for success was Burt Lancaster. He was one of the first actors in Hollywood to start his own production company, and I respected him because he created something he believed in. Nowadays, I look to spiritual people, such as Mother Teresa and the Dalai Lama, since I'm always asking myself, "What do I have to give?". Show less «

I started in the acting business at age 8, so I feel it's my experience and social skills for exampl...Show more »

I started in the acting business at age 8, so I feel it's my experience and social skills for example, how to be charismatic, how not to lose your temper - that have helped me the most to succeed. But I did develop a plan: I wanted to work with good people who had a passion for what they did. Still, at age 17, I made the decision to study the technical part of the business as well. I got a two year degree in radio and television communication at Elizabeth Seton College in Yonkers, New York. I figured if I never made It as an actor, I could go to Alaska, be a cameraman, and collect a paycheck. It would be something to fall back on, but something I still enjoyed. Show less «

[on a special award in 2014] I'm getting my star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but I feel like my c...Show more »

[on a special award in 2014] I'm getting my star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but I feel like my career has just begun. I'm in a place now that I can accept the love and accolades that comes with that star. But more than anything it represents a new beginning for me. Now I feel like I can pick up the pace. Show less «

My advice for achieving success is to make a career choice that reflects your passion. Then work you...Show more »

My advice for achieving success is to make a career choice that reflects your passion. Then work your craft a little bit each day - even if someone's not paying you to do it. Try to balance your social life with your educational (or professional) life, and have patience. Show less «

[1997] Accumulating money has never been a real goal for me. Rather, I think about how to make every...Show more »

[1997] Accumulating money has never been a real goal for me. Rather, I think about how to make every moment of my life mean something. What's been my barometer for success is my creative and spiritual growth - I measure my success by the quality of my work. Last year I sat down and reexamined things. I asked myself if I wanted to do anything and everything just to get a lot of money. I decided I'd rather work and collaborate with people at the top of their craft. And my dream has come true. This year, I'm doing a picture with four Academy Award winners: Director Robert Benton, Susan Sarandon, Gene Hackman and Paul Newman. Show less «

[on planning his demise in Breaking Bad (2008)] I said to [Vince Gilligan] It's got to be something ...Show more »

[on planning his demise in Breaking Bad (2008)] I said to [Vince Gilligan] It's got to be something different but it has got to be real. Look at what I do as Gus. I've developed this thing where I button my buttons, I look pretty dapper and I fix my tie. And we both stopped and looked at each other, and we were off and running with an idea that proved to be probably one of the most visually satisfying and most gratifying deaths in film history. Show less «

Giancarlo Esposito

Giancarlo Esposito's FILMOGRAPHY

Giancarlo Esposito'S roles

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