From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|
Andy García |

García at the 2009 Deauville American Film
Festival |
| Born |
Andrés Arturo García Menéndez
April 12, 1956 (1956-04-12) (age 53)
Havana, Cuba |
| Occupation |
Actor |
| Years active |
1978–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Marivi Lorido García (1982–present) |
Andrés Arturo García Menéndez, known as
Andy García (born April 12, 1956) is a
Cuban-American actor. He became known in the late 1980s and 1990s,
having appeared in several successful Hollywood films,
including The Godfather: Part III, The
Untouchables and When a Man Loves a
Woman. More recently, he has starred in Ocean's Eleven and its
sequels, Ocean's
Twelve and Ocean's Thirteen, and The Lost City.
García was nominated for the Academy Award for
Best Supporting Actor for his role as Vincent Mancini in The
Godfather Part III.
Early
life
García was born Andrés Arturo García Menéndez in Havana, Cuba. His mother, Amelie Menéndez,
was an English teacher, and his father, René García Núñez, was an
avocado farmer and attorney
in Cuba and later owned a
fragrance business in the United States.[1][2] García
has an older brother, René. When Garcia was five years old, the
family moved to Miami, Florida after the failed Bay of
Pigs Invasion. Over a period of several years they built up a
million-dollar perfume
company. García was raised as a Roman Catholic and
attended Miami Beach Senior High
School, where he played on the basketball team. During his last year in
high school he became ill with mononucleosis,[3] which
convinced him to pursue a career in acting. He began his acting
career taking a drama class with Jay W. Jensen in his senior year at Miami Beach Senior High
School.
Career
García began acting at Florida International
University, but soon went to Hollywood. He started to
perform in very short roles, working part-time as waiter and in a
warehouse. His chance arose when he was offered a role as a gang
member in the first episode of the popular TV series Hill Street
Blues. His solid supporting role in 1985's The Mean
Season alongside Kurt Russell brought Garcia wider
visibility, although the film fared poorly at the box office.
Director Brian De
Palma liked his performance in the 1986 movie 8
Million Ways to Die and engaged him the following year for
The
Untouchables, which made García a popular Hollywood
actor.
In 1989, Francis Ford Coppola was casting
The Godfather Part III. The
character of Vincent, the illegitimate son of Sonny Corleone,
was an exceptional part in a highly anticipated film. García was
one of many capable actors who wanted to be cast, but he also bore
a resemblance to the young Al Pacino. He won the part, earned an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting
Actor for his performance and became an internationally
acclaimed star.
Garcia followed that with films such as 1990's Internal Affairs, in which
he engages in a war of wills with a corrupt fellow police officer
played by Richard
Gere. In the years to come, he performed in a wide variety of
theatrical and TV films. He has remained equally strong in both
leading and supporting roles.
He played a conflicted good samaritan in Hero (1992), the enabling husband of an
alcoholic woman in When a Man Loves a
Woman (1994), a doomed criminal called Jimmy the Saint in
the offbeat Things to Do in
Denver When You're Dead (1995), a crusading lawyer in the
drama Night Falls on Manhattan
(1997) and a cop trying to save his gravely ill son in the action
thriller Desperate Measures (1998).
One of his most well-known performances came as Terry Benedict,
a Las
Vegas hotel owner whose casino is robbed in 2001's Ocean's Eleven, a
remake of the 1960 Rat
Pack caper movie. García reprised the role for the 2004
sequel, although the part was significantly smaller than the
one in the first film. He also appeared briefly in Ocean's
Thirteen (2007).
In 2005, he released The Lost City, which he
co-wrote, directs, and starred in, alongside Dustin Hoffman
and Bill Murray.
Upon its release, The Lost City sparked controversy among
many in Latin America due to its negative portrayal of the Cuban
Revolution, and in particular Che Guevara, who continues to have
substantial popularity there. He was also present at the Cannes
festival for his role in this movie.
Personal
life
In 1982, García married María Victoria Lorido.[4] He is
the father of three daughters and one son: Dominik (b. August 16,
1983), Daniella (b. January 3, 1988), Alessandra (b. June 20, 1991)
and Andres (b. January 28, 2002).[5][6] The
García family lives in Los Angeles and Miami.
García's niece Jackie was the longtime girlfriend of the late Washington
Redskins safety Sean Taylor, who was
shot by intruders in their Miami-area home on November 26, 2007 and
who died from his wounds on November 27, 2007. The two were home
with their 18-month old daughter Jackie when the incident took
place. García attended Taylor's funeral, and released a statement
to the Miami Herald calling Taylor a hero for
saving the life of his niece and their infant daughter.
Filmography
Other awards and
nominations
ALMA Awards
- 2001: Nominated, "Outstanding Host of a Variety or Awards
Special" - 1st Annual Latin Grammy Awards (shared
w/Gloria
Estefan, Jennifer Lopez & Jimmy
Smits)
- 2006: Won, "Anthony Quinn Award for
Achievement in Motion Pictures"
Nostros Golden Eagle Awards
- 1997: Won, "Outstanding Performer in
Film"
References
External
links