Giancarlo Esposito facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Giancarlo Esposito
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Esposito in 2024
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| Born |
Giancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito
April 26, 1958 Copenhagen, Denmark
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| Citizenship |
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| Alma mater | Elizabeth Seton College |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1968–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Joy McManigal
(divorced) |
| Children | 4 |
Giancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito (born April 26, 1958) is a famous American actor and director. He is well-known for playing powerful and memorable characters in popular TV shows and movies.
Many people know him as the smart and calculating Gus Fring in the TV series Breaking Bad (2009–2011) and its spin-off, Better Call Saul (2017–2022). This role won him two Critics' Choice Television Awards.
He also played Moff Gideon in the Disney+ series The Mandalorian (2019–2023), a role that earned him two Emmy Award nominations. Esposito has appeared in many other hit shows, including Once Upon a Time, The Boys, and Kaleidoscope.
Esposito has worked with the famous director Spike Lee on several films, such as Do the Right Thing (1989) and Malcolm X (1992). He also voiced the wolf leader Akela in the live-action movie The Jungle Book (2016).
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Early Life and Family
Giancarlo Esposito was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. His father, Giovanni Esposito, was an Italian stagehand from Naples, Italy. His mother, Elizabeth Foster, was an African-American opera and nightclub singer from Alabama.
When he was five, his family moved from Italy to Manhattan in New York City. He later attended Elizabeth Seton College and earned a degree in radio and television communications.
Acting Career
Esposito started his acting career on Broadway in 1968. He was a child actor in the musical Maggie Flynn. Throughout the 1980s, he appeared in movies like Taps and TV shows like Miami Vice.
His career took off in 1988 when he starred in Spike Lee's film School Daze. He worked with Lee on three more movies: Do the Right Thing, Mo' Better Blues, and Malcolm X.
During the 1990s, Esposito acted in popular films like The Usual Suspects and Waiting to Exhale. On television, he played FBI agent Mike Giardello in the crime drama Homicide: Life on the Street.
Famous Roles in the 21st Century
Esposito is known for playing a wide variety of characters. He has played police officers, business owners, and villains.
From 2009 to 2011, he played Gus Fring in Breaking Bad. This role made him very famous and he won an award for his performance. He returned to play Gus Fring in the show Better Call Saul.
In 2011, he joined the cast of ABC's Once Upon a Time. He played Sidney Glass, who was also the Magic Mirror from the story of Snow White.
He has also done voice acting for animated shows and video games. He was the voice of Ra's al Ghul in Son of Batman and the main villain, Antón Castillo, in the video game Far Cry 6.
Recent Work
In 2016, Esposito voiced the wolf Akela in Disney's The Jungle Book. This film was directed by Jon Favreau. Esposito and Favreau worked together again on The Mandalorian, where Esposito played the main villain, Moff Gideon.
He also played Stan Edgar in the superhero series The Boys and Congressman Adam Clayton Powell Jr. in Godfather of Harlem. In 2024, he appeared in the Netflix series The Gentlemen.
In 2025, Esposito joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Seth Voelker / Sidewinder in the movie Captain America: Brave New World.
Personal Life
Esposito was married to Joy McManigal, and they have four daughters. They later divorced. He has shared that he faced very difficult times in his life before he was cast in Breaking Bad, but the role helped change things for the better.
Selected Filmography
Esposito has appeared in dozens of movies and television shows. Here are some of his most well-known roles.
Notable Films
- Do the Right Thing (1989) - as Buggin' Out
- Malcolm X (1992) - as Thomas Hagan
- The Usual Suspects (1995) - as Jack Baer
- Last Holiday (2006) - as Senator Dillings
- The Jungle Book (2016) - as the voice of Akela
- Okja (2017) - as Frank Dawson
- Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018) - as Jorge
- Stargirl (2020) - as Archie Brubaker
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023) - as the voice of Baxter Stockman
- Captain America: Brave New World (2025) - as Seth Voelker / Sidewinder
Notable Television Shows
- Homicide: Life on the Street (1998–1999) - as Mike Giardello
- Breaking Bad (2009–2011) - as Gus Fring
- Once Upon a Time (2011–2017) - as Sidney Glass / Magic Mirror
- Revolution (2012–2014) - as Tom Neville
- The Get Down (2016–2017) - as Pastor Ramon Cruz
- Better Call Saul (2017–2022) - as Gus Fring
- The Boys (2019–present) - as Stan Edgar
- The Mandalorian (2019–2023) - as Moff Gideon
- Godfather of Harlem (2019–2023) - as Adam Clayton Powell Jr.
- Kaleidoscope (2023) - as Leo Pap
- The Gentlemen (2024) - as Stanley Johnston
Images for kids
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Esposito at GalaxyCon Raleigh 2023
