Andy Garcia

Early life

Andy García was born Andrés Arturo García Menéndez in Havana, Cuba. His mother, Amelie Menéndez, was an English teacher and his father, René García, was an attorney in Cuba. García has two older siblings, a sister named Tessi and a brother named René. When he was five years old, his family moved to Miami, Florida after the failed 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion. Over a period of several years, they built up a million-dollar perfume/fragrance company. García stated that his family tree is of Spanish descent. He was raised as a Catholic and attended Miami Beach Senior High School, where he played on the basketball team. During his senior year of high school, he became ill with mononucleosis, which convinced him to pursue a career in acting. He began his acting career that year by taking a drama class with Jay W. Jensen. He graduated from Florida International University.

Career

1980s

García began acting at Florida International University but soon went to Hollywood. He had a short role alongside Angela Lansbury in "The Murder of Sherlock Holmes", the first episode of Murder, She Wrote as "1st White Tough", in 1984. He played the role of a gang member in "Hill Street Station", the first episode of TV series Hill Street Blues. He appeared in a supporting role in The Mean Season in 1985, alongside Kurt Russell.

In 1987, García received an acting breakthrough in Brian De Palma's crime drama The Untouchables. The film starred Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Charles Martin Smith, Patricia Clarkson, and Robert De Niro. The film follows Eliot Ness as he forms the Untouchables law enforcement team to bring Al Capone to justice during the Prohibition era. It received widespread critical acclaim and was a financial success.

In 1989, García acted in the Ridley Scott action thriller Black Rain with Michael Douglas as Detective Charlie Vincent. The film received mixed reviews from critics but was a financial success, earning $134 million.

1990s

In 1989, Francis Ford Coppola cast García as Vincent Mancini, the illegitimate son of Sonny Corleone (James Caan), in The Godfather Part III (1990). The film stars Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, and Eli Wallach. The film concludes the story of Michael Corleone (Pacino), the patriarch of the Corleone family, who attempts to legitimize his criminal empire. For his performance, García earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the 63rd Academy Awards, as well as a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the 48th Golden Globe Awards.

In the 1990s, García appeared in the Mike Figgis film Internal Affairs, in which his character Raymond Avilla engages in a battle of wits with a corrupt fellow police officer Dennis Peck, played by Richard Gere. In 1992, he played John Bubber, a cynical everyman in Stephen Frears' Hero starring Dustin Hoffman, Geena Davis, and Joan Cusack. That same year, he co-starred with Uma Thurman in the thriller Jennifer 8. In 1994, he played Michael Green, the enabling husband of Alice, an alcoholic played by Meg Ryan in When a Man Loves a Woman. In 1995, he portrayed Jimmy "The Saint" Tosnia, a tragic criminal in Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead alongside Christopher Lloyd, Steve Buscemi, and Christopher Walken. He starred as Sean Casey, a hotshot lawyer in the 1996 Sidney Lumet drama Night Falls on Manhattan alongside Richard Dreyfus, and James Gandolfini. He played mobster Lucky Luciano in Hoodlum (1997) alongside Tim Roth, and Laurence Fishburne. He portrayed a Detective Frank Conner, cop trying to save his gravely ill son Matthew (Joseph Cross) in the 1998 action thriller Desperate Measures starring Michael Keaton and Marcia Gay Harden.

2000s

In 2000, García starred and produced the HBO film, For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story. The film is about Cuba's jazz scene and the life of trumpeter and composer Arturo Sandoval. It starred Gloria Estefan as Emilia, and Charles S. Dutton as jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie. For his performance, García received nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie at the 53rd Primetime Emmy Awards and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film at the 58th Golden Globe Awards.

García portrayed the arrogant Las Vegas casino owner Terry Benedict in Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's Eleven (2001), a remake of the 1960 Rat Pack caper movie starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Julia Roberts. The film was a massive commercial success earning $450 million at the box office. He also appeared in the sequels Ocean's Twelve (2004), and Ocean's Thirteen (2007).

García co-wrote, directed, and starred in The Lost City alongside Dustin Hoffman and Bill Murray. In 2005, he appeared in the last two episodes of the Turkish TV series Valley of the Wolves, along with Sharon Stone. In 2008, he starred in the first segment of New York, I Love You which was directed by Jiang Wen starring Hayden Christensen and Rachel Bilson.

Since 2009, García has been slated to direct the film Hemingway & Fuentes about writer Ernest Hemingway, co-written by García and Hemingway's niece Hilary Hemingway. They secured financing for the film in 2012, and García himself, Anthony Hopkins, and Annette Bening were announced as stars. Filming was originally to have begun in January 2013, but due to delays, Hopkins left the project in 2014 and was replaced by Jon Voight.

2010s

Towards the end of the 2010s, García had a career resurgence. He starred in four films in 2018. He appeared as Fernando Cienfuegos in the critical and commercial success Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again alongside Cher, Amanda Seyfried, Lily James, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, and Pierce Brosnan. When asked about singing with Cher, García told NBC's Today show, "It was sublime. One thing is to act with Cher who is a great actress and then to be asked to sing with her".

García also starred in the Paramount romantic comedy, Book Club, alongside Diane Keaton, Candice Bergen, Jane Fonda, and Mary Steenburgen. The film was a box office success grossing over $89 million worldwide against its $10 million budget. He also starred in Clint Eastwood's drama film, The Mule alongside Eastwood, Bradley Cooper, Dianne Wiest, Laurence Fishburne and Michael Peña. It grossed $174.8 million and received positive reviews from critics. García appeared in the HBO movie My Dinner with Hervé alongside Peter Dinklage and Jamie Dornan. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, and received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Television Movie.

2020s

In 2020, García starred in Charles McDougall's comedic film Ana. Also that year, he starred in Thor Freudenthal's critically acclaimed coming of age drama Words on Bathroom Walls. The following year, he made an uncredited cameo in the comedy film Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar starring Kirsten Wiig and Jamie Dornan. That same year, he starred in the action films Redemption Day and the Guy Ritchie film Wrath of Man.

In 2022, he starred in the comedy Big Gold Brick. He also starred opposite Gloria Estefan again in the romantic comedy HBO Max film Father of the Bride. It is the third filmed version of the 1949 novel of the same name by Edward Streeter.Time praised García on his comedic turn writing, "Garcia carries the film ably with his gruff elegance".

García appeared in the 2023 action comedy film Expend4bles as Marsh, a CIA agent who is also a double agent and the main antagonist of the film.

Personal life

Garcia met his now wife, Marivi Lorido, when they were both students at Florida International University during the mid-'70s when they first saw each other in a Miami nightclub. The couple dated for seven years before tying the knot on September 24, 1982. They had their honeymoon in Spain. The family divides their time between Toluca Lake, Los Angeles, and Key Biscayne, Florida.

They have four children: Dominik García-Lorido, Daniella, Alessandra, and Andrés. Dominik was born on August 16, 1983, in Miami, Florida. She is married to Michael Doneger. Daniella was born on January 3, 1988, in Los Angeles, California. She is married to actor Stephen Borrello and the couple has a daughter named Violette Rose. Alessandra was born on June 20, 1991, in Los Angeles. The fourth child and only son, Andrés, was born on January 28, 2002. He has gone on to become an established DJ across Los Angeles and Miami.

García has often expressed his distaste for the communist regime that has ruled Cuba since the revolution. Following Fidel Castro's death in November 2016, García criticized his legacy, stating: "It is necessary for me to express the deep sorrow that I feel for all the Cuban people...that have suffered the atrocities and repression caused by Fidel Castro and his totalitarian regime."

Following the October 7 attacks in 2023 that killed 1,200, García signed an open letter by Creative Community for Peace condemning the killings and calling for the world to "stand with Israel as it defends itself against a terrorist regime in Gaza that seeks Israel’s destruction."

García is Catholic, and a naturalized citizen of the United States.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

Miscellaneous awards

Other honors

• 1995: Received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
• 2002: Desert Palm Achievement Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival
• 2006: Received the Anthony Quinn Award for Achievement in Motion Pictures from The American Latino Media Arts Award
• 2019: Medalla de Oro al Mérito en las Bellas Artes

References

References

1. "Andy Garcia Biography".
2. "Andy Garcia: Biography". Net Glimpse.
3. "Andy Garcia". [[The Recording Academy]].
4. "Andy García". [[The Latin Recording Academy]].
5. Blau, Eleanor. (July 24, 1987). "New Face; A Fervor For Film Pays Off: Andy Garcia". The New York Times.
6. "Tessi Garcia Website".
7. (24 April 2024). "Andy García on his love for Spain, overcoming obstacles in his career, and the joy of family".
8. Drake, Tim. (April 13, 2012). "Actor Andy Garcia Fights for Religious Freedom in 'For Greater Glory'". [[National Catholic Register]].
9. Aitkenhead, Decca. (July 19, 2010). "Andy Garcia: 'The problem with producing movies? You get paid last'". [[guardian.co.uk]].
10. "Andy Garcia Biography".
11. (February 14, 1985). "Movie Review: 'The Mean Season' Gets Down to Human Nature".
12. "Andy Garcia, a Gunslinger on the Right Side of The Untouchables, Who Turns Out to Be a Hit, Man".
13. "Black Rain".
14. Russell, Candice. (December 25, 1990). "Characters Power Strong Story of 'Godfather III'".
15. Wuntch, Philip. (May 27, 1994). "Andy Garcia is equal parts leading man and family Man".
16. "The Lost City (2005)".
17. Chitwood, Adam. (May 16, 2012). "Hemningway & Fuentes Finally Moving Forward with Anthony Hopkins, Annette Bening, and Andy Garcia". Collider.
18. Kit, Borys. (May 16, 2012). "Cannes 2012: Anthony Hopkins and Andy Garcia to Film 'Hemingway & Fuentes'". The Hollywood Reporter.
19. staff. (January 29, 2014). "Sir Anthony Hopkins exits Andy Garcia's Ernest Hemingway movie". [[Daily Express.
20. Molina, Melissa. (February 4, 2014). "Interview: Andy Garcia Talks About 'At Middleton,' 'Hemingway & Fuentes'". Screen Crave.
21. "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018)".
22. Diaz, Johnny. (July 18, 2018). "Miami's Andy Garcia talks about playing 'Fernando' and singing with Cher in 'Mamma Mia' sequel".
23. "My Dinner with Hervé (2018)".
24. "A New Father of the Bride Proves There's Life Left in an Old Concept".
25. "Who Is Andy García's Wife? All About Marivi Lorido García".
26. (24 April 2024). "Andy García on his love for Spain, overcoming obstacles in his career, and the joy of family".
27. (February 12, 2005). "His Homeland, His Obsession". The New York Times.
28. (September 25, 2011). "Andy Garcia's House in Key Biscayne, FL (Google Maps) (#3)".
29. "Andy Garcia's 4 Children: All About Dominik Cristina, Daniella, Alessandra and Andrés".
30. (November 27, 2016). "Andy Garcia condemns late Fidel Castro's 'totalitarian' regime". [[Belfast Telegraph]].
31. Ojito, Mirta. (February 12, 2005). "His Homeland, His Obsession". [[The New York Times]].
32. Strauss, Bob. (January 28, 2014). "Andy Garcia lightens up in rom-com 'At Middleton'". [[Los Angeles Daily News]].
33. CCFPeace. (2023-10-12). "Israel Under Attack – Open Letter".
34. (April 13, 2012). "Actor Andy Garcia Fights for Religious Freedom in 'For Greater Glory'". National Catholic Register.
35. (July 7, 2009). "Celebrity Circuit". CBS News.
36. Sullivan, Kevin. (July 6, 2015). "Ghostbusters adds Andy Garcia and Michael K. Williams to the cast". [[Entertainment Weekly]].
37. [http://www.polishbrothersandassociates.com/headlock.php Polish brothers: ''Headlock''] {{webarchive. link. (July 14, 2014)
38. Ebiri, Bilge. (February 11, 2021). "Barb & Star Go to Vista del Mar Arrives Preordained for Cult Status".
39. Grobar, Matt. (October 18, 2021). "Sylvester Stallone Announces Exit From 'Expendables' Franchise As He Wraps Production On Fourth Installment".
40. [https://deadline.com/2024/06/hunter-biden-movie-the-prince-casts-nicolas-cage-giancarlo-esposito-more-1235971590/ Hunter Biden-Inspired Addiction Pic ‘The Prince’ In Works From Cameron Van Hoy & David Mamet; Scott Haze, Nicolas Cage, J.K. Simmons, Giancarlo Esposito & Andy Garcia To Star]
41. [https://deadline.com/2025/10/andy-garcia-diamond-brendan-fraser-dustin-hoffman-bill-murray-1236584435/ Andy Garcia Returns To Directing With ‘Diamond’ Starring Brendan Fraser, Dustin Hoffman, Bill Murray, Demián Bichir, Vicky Krieps & More]
42. (December 23, 2017). "Andy García recibe Medalla de Oro al Mérito en las Bellas Artes del Gobierno español". [[Diario Las Américas]].