Andy García

Andrés Arturo García Menéndez, professionally known as Andy García, is an accomplished American actor who gained prominence for his roles in several notable films. He first made a significant impact in Brian De Palma's "The Untouchables" (1987), where he starred alongside Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, and Robert De Niro. This role helped propel his career forward, leading to further opportunities in Hollywood.
García continued to impress audiences with his performances in films such as "Stand and Deliver" (1988) and "Internal Affairs" (1990). However, it was his portrayal of Vincent Mancini in Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather Part III" (1990) that earned him widespread recognition and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Throughout his career, García has demonstrated his versatility by tackling a variety of roles in different genres. He appeared in Stephen Frears' "Hero" (1992), the romantic drama "When a Man Loves a Woman" (1994), and the action thriller "Desperate Measures" (1998). In addition to acting, García ventured into producing and received critical acclaim for his work in the HBO television film "For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story" (2000), earning Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe Award nominations.


García also made appearances in blockbuster films like Steven Soderbergh's "Ocean's Eleven" (2001) and its sequels, "Ocean's Twelve" (2004) and "Ocean's Thirteen" (2007). In 2005, he showcased his talents as both a director and actor in the film "The Lost City," starring alongside Dustin Hoffman and Bill Murray.
His career continued to flourish with roles in "New York, I Love You" (2008), "City Island" (2009), "At Middleton" (2013), and "Kill the Messenger" (2014). García also made notable supporting appearances in films such as "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again," "Book Club," "The Mule," and the HBO television movie "My Dinner with Hervé," all released in 2018. Additionally, he took on the title role in the remake of "Father of the Bride" in 2022.
Beyond his achievements in film, García's contributions to music were recognized when he won a Latin Grammy for Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album for producing Cuban musician Cachao's record "Ahora sí" in 2005.

Andrés Arturo García Menéndez, known as Andy García, was born in Havana, Cuba, to parents Amelie Menéndez and René García. His mother was an English teacher, and his father worked as an attorney in Cuba. García grew up with two older siblings, a sister named Tessi and a brother named René.
When García was five years old, his family relocated to Miami, Florida, following the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion in 1961. In Miami, they established a successful perfume/fragrance company, gradually building it into a million-dollar enterprise. García was brought up in the Catholic faith and attended Miami Beach Senior High School, where he was active on the basketball team. However, during his senior year, he fell ill with mononucleosis, which led him to reconsider his career path.
Inspired by his illness and newfound perspective, García decided to pursue acting. He took a drama class with Jay W. Jensen and began his journey into the world of acting. After graduating from Miami Beach Senior High School, García went on to attend Florida International University, further honing his skills and passion for acting.

Andy García's acting career began to take shape while he was studying at Florida International University, but he soon ventured into Hollywood. His early roles included a short appearance alongside Angela Lansbury in the first episode of "Murder, She Wrote" in 1984, where he played the character "1st white tough." He also portrayed a gang member in the first episode of the TV series "Hill Street Blues." In 1985, he had a supporting role in the film "The Mean Season," starring alongside Kurt Russell.
However, García's breakthrough came in 1987 when he starred in Brian De Palma's crime drama "The Untouchables." The film, which also featured Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Charles Martin Smith, Patricia Clarkson, and Robert De Niro, received critical acclaim and was a commercial success. It followed the story of Eliot Ness as he formed the Untouchables law enforcement team to bring Al Capone to justice during the Prohibition era.
In 1988, García took on the main role in the music video for the British boyband Breathe's song "How Can I Fall." The song reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that year.
The following year, García appeared in the Ridley Scott action thriller "Black Rain" alongside Michael Douglas, portraying Detective Charlie Vincent. While the film received mixed reviews from critics, it performed well at the box office, earning $134 million.

In 1989, Andy García received a significant role when Francis Ford Coppola cast him as Vincent Mancini, the illegitimate son of Sonny Corleone, in "The Godfather Part III" (1990). The film, which also stars Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, and Eli Wallach, concludes the saga of Michael Corleone as he attempts to legitimize his family's criminal empire. García's portrayal earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and a Golden Globe Award nomination.
Throughout the 1990s, García continued to showcase his talent in various films. In the Mike Figgis-directed "Internal Affairs" (1990), he engaged in a battle of wits with a corrupt police officer played by Richard Gere. In Stephen Frears' "Hero" (1992), he portrayed a cynical everyman alongside Dustin Hoffman, Geena Davis, and Joan Cusack. García played the enabling husband of an alcoholic, portrayed by Meg Ryan, in "When a Man Loves a Woman" (1994).
In "Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead" (1995), García depicted a tragic criminal alongside Christopher Lloyd, Steve Buscemi, and Christopher Walken. He starred as a hotshot lawyer in Sidney Lumet's "Night Falls on Manhattan" (1996), alongside Richard Dreyfuss and James Gandolfini. García portrayed mobster Lucky Luciano in "Hoodlum" (1997), appearing alongside Tim Roth and Laurence Fishburne. He also played a cop trying to save his gravely ill son in the action thriller "Desperate Measures" (1998), co-starring Michael Keaton and Marcia Gay Harden.

References

1.  "Andy Garcia Biography". Biography.com (FYI/A&E Networks). Retrieved May 17, 2021.
2. a b "Celebrity Circuit". CBS News. July 7, 2009. Retrieved April 24, 2021. Actor Andy Garcia, a naturalized citizen from Cuba, fights back tears while watching others take part in a mass naturalization ceremony at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., July 3, 2009. Garcia was the keynote speaker as more than 1,000 immigrants gathered in front of Cinderella's Castle for the naturalization ceremony to become American citizens.
3. a b "Andy Garcia: Biography". Net Glimpse. Retrieved December 19, 2010.
4. ^ "Latin Recording Academy". Retrieved March 28, 2023.
5. ^ Blau, Eleanor (July 24, 1987). "New Face; A Fervor For Film Pays Off: Andy Garcia". The New York Times. Retrieved April 25, 2010.
6. ^ "Tessi Garcia Website". tessigarcia.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved 2015-03-13.
7. ^ Drake, Tim (April 13, 2012). "Actor Andy Garcia Fights for Religious Freedom in 'For Greater Glory'". National Catholic Register. Retrieved August 2, 2018.