Giovanni Ribisi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Giovanni Ribisi
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Ribisi in 2009
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Antonino Giovanni Ribisi
December 17, 1974 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Other names | Vonni Ribisi |
| Occupation | Actor, cinematographer |
| Years active | 1985–present |
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| Partner(s) | Cat Power (2007–2012) Emily Ward (2018–present) |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Marissa Ribisi (twin sister) |
Antonino Giovanni Ribisi (born December 17, 1974) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in many popular films and TV shows. Some of his well-known movies include Saving Private Ryan (1998), Gone in 60 Seconds (2000), and Avatar (2009). He also starred in the TV series Sneaky Pete (2015–2019) and had recurring roles in shows like Friends and My Name Is Earl.
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Early Life and Family
Giovanni Ribisi was born in Los Angeles, California, on December 17, 1974. His father, Al Ribisi, was a musician. His mother, Gay, worked as a manager for actors and writers. Giovanni has a twin sister, Marissa Ribisi, who is also an actress. He also has an older sister, Gina Ribisi, who is a voice actress.
Acting Career Highlights
Giovanni Ribisi started acting when he was very young. In the 1980s, he appeared in the sitcom My Two Dads. He continued to act in films throughout the 1990s.
Early TV and Film Roles
A notable role for Ribisi was in the popular 1990s sitcom Friends. He played Frank Buffay, Jr., who was the half-brother of the character Phoebe Buffay. Later, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for his role in the TV show My Name Is Earl. By the late 1990s, he began getting important parts in several successful movies.
Major Film Appearances
Ribisi has been in many big movies. He played Medic Irwin Wade in the war film Saving Private Ryan. He was also in Gone in 60 Seconds and Heaven. A very famous role for him is Parker Selfridge in the Avatar movies. He appeared in the first Avatar film in 2009 and returned for Avatar: The Way of Water in 2022. He is also set to appear in future Avatar films.
Recent Work and Other Projects
From 2015 to 2019, Ribisi starred as Marius, who pretends to be "Pete," in the Amazon series Sneaky Pete. He also worked behind the scenes, directing a music video for the band The Kills in 2016. In 2024, he worked as a cinematographer for the independent film Strange Darling. He is also playing Angelo Dundee, a boxing trainer, in the upcoming Muhammad Ali series The Greatest.
Personal Life
Giovanni Ribisi married actress Mariah O'Brien in 1997, and they had a daughter together. They divorced in 2001. He later had a relationship with singer-songwriter Cat Power from 2007 to 2012. In 2012, he married English model Agyness Deyn, but they divorced in 2015. In December 2018, he announced the birth of his fraternal twins with his girlfriend, Emily Ward.
Ribisi is a member of the Church of Scientology. He took part in a special opening event for a museum related to Scientology in December 2005.
Selected Film and Television Roles
Giovanni Ribisi has had many roles throughout his career. Here are some of his notable appearances:
Films
- That Thing You Do! (1996) as Chad
- Saving Private Ryan (1998) as T-4 Medic Irwin Wade
- Gone in 60 Seconds (2000) as Kip Raines
- The Gift (2000) as Buddy Cole
- Heaven (2002) as Filippo
- Lost in Translation (2003) as John
- Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004) as Dexter "Dex" Dearborn
- Flight of the Phoenix (2004) as Elliott
- Perfect Stranger (2007) as Miles Haley
- Public Enemies (2009) as Alvin Karpis
- Avatar (2009) as Parker Selfridge
- Ted (2012) as Donny
- Gangster Squad (2013) as Officer Conway Keeler
- A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014) as Edward
- Selma (2014) as Lee C. White
- Ted 2 (2015) as Donny
- Papa: Hemingway in Cuba (2015) as Ed Myers
- Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) as Parker Selfridge (cameo)
- Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 (2024) as H. Silas Pickering
Television Shows
- My Two Dads (1987–1990) as Cory Kupkus
- The Wonder Years (1992–1993) as Jeff Billings
- The X-Files (1995) as Darin Peter Oswald
- Friends (1995–1998, 2003) as Frank Buffay, Jr.
- My Name Is Earl (2005–2008) as Ralph Mariano
- Dads (2013–2014) as Warner Whittemore
- Sneaky Pete (2015–2019) as Pete Murphy / Marius Josipovic
- The Offer (2022) as Joe Colombo (miniseries)
- Waco: The Aftermath (2023) as Dan Cogdell (miniseries)
Awards and Recognitions
Giovanni Ribisi has been recognized for his acting over the years.
- In 1999, he won an Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast for his work in Saving Private Ryan.
- He was also nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble Cast for Saving Private Ryan in the same year.
- In 2002, he won a Golden Arena Award for Best Actor in a Foreign Film for Heaven.
- He received an Emmy Award nomination in 2007 for his guest role in My Name is Earl.
See also
In Spanish: Giovanni Ribisi para niños
