Andy Garcia, born Andrés Arturo García Menéndez, is a Cuban-born American who moved to Miami, Florida, when he was five. Although he had an early passion for playing basketball, Garcia chose acting after he fell ill with mononucleosis in High School. To get him started, Garcia studied under renowned Miami drama teacher Jay W. Jensen.
Garcia is known for several notable, award-winning projects as an actor and director. As a director, he won the 2005 Grammy Awards for Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album. It was a shared award for directing Cachao’s album, ¡Ahora Si! He also directed and starred in the 2005 American drama The Lost City. As an actor, Garcia has starred in over 70 movies, with several upcoming ones. So far, these are the top 10 roles of Andy Garcia.
1. The Untouchables (1987)
Although Andy Garcia’s professional acting career began in 1978, his breakthrough role came nine years later with The Untouchables. Garcia played Italian-American police trainee George Stone. Stone is recruited by Agent Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) and Agent James Malone (Sean Connery) to help bring to justice the notorious gangland kingpin Al Capone (Robert de Niro). The Untouchables received four nominations at the Academy Awards and a win for Sean Connery (for Best Supporting Actor). The movie was a commercial success, grossing $106.2 million on a $25 million budget.
2. Black Rain (1989)
Andy Garcia again plays a law enforcement officer in Ridley Scott’s neo-noir action thriller Black Rain. Like in The Untouchables, Garcia’s character, NYPD Detective Charlie Vincent, doesn’t make it to the film’s end. Yet, he delivers an amazing performance as detective partner to Michael Douglas‘s NYPD Detective Nick Conklin. After Charlie and Nick witness a murder, they’re charged with escorting the killer, Sato, to Osaka, Japan. The movie mostly received positive reviews from critics, especially the performances. Black Rain is easily recognized as one of Hollywood’s cult films and a Box Office success.
3. The Godfather Part III (1990)
The actor joined the cast of The Godfather franchise in its third and final installment. Garcia played Vincent Mancini, the illegitimate son of Sonny Corleone and his mistress Lucy Mancini. Though he was a supporting character, Garcia takes center stage when Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) brings him into the fold. In fact, he eventually becomes his successor and the new Don of the Corleone family. With a reputation for playing Italian characters, Garcia easily embodies the role of Vincent. Until the movie’s release in 1990, Vincent Mancini was by far Garcia’s best role in film.
4. When A Man Loves A Woman (1994)
Away from playing an Italian mafia, Andy Garcia is the supportive husband in Luis Mandoki‘s 1994 romantic drama When a Man Loves a Woman. Garcia starred alongside Meg Ryan, who plays Alice Green, an alcoholic school counselor. Michael Green is an airline pilot. Altogether, he received a nomination for his performance at the 1995 MTV Movie Awards for Most Desirable Male.
5. Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
Andy Garcia joined the cast of Ocean’s Eleven, one of Hollywood’s most successful heist comedy film franchises. In the franchise’s first installment in 2001, Garcia plays the movie’s main antagonist Tony Benedict. Benedict is a casino owner and Tess Ocean’s lover. In the film franchise, Benedict is the first target of the Ocean’s heist gang. Garcia reprises this role in the film’s sequels, Ocean’s Twelve and Ocean’s Thirteen. The movies collectively grossed $1.125 billion at the Box Office.
6. Smokin’ Aces (2006)
In Joe Carnahan‘s 2006 action comedy Smokin’ Aces, Andy Garcia played Deputy Director of the FBI, Stanley Locke. Locke is the agent in charge of the case against the ailing Las Vegas mob boss Primo Sparazza. Although the movie only has a 31% on Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer, it was a commercial success. Garcia starred alongside some big names like Ben Affleck, Ryan Reynolds, Chris Pine, Alicia Keys, and Taraji P. Henson, among others.
7. City Island (2009)
Andy Garcia stepped away from his regular roles as a law enforcement officer to play the father of a dysfunctional family in the comedy-drama City Island. Garcia is also credited as a producer of the movie. He plays Vince Rizzo, head of the Rizzo family, who works as a prison guard. The entire family has a secret they keep away from each other. Altogether, he delivers yet another stellar performance, even as a comic character. Reviews were generally positive, with moderate success at the Box Office.
8. Book Club (2018)
Although Andy Garcia only plays a supporting role, his presence adds to the movie’s dynamics. Book Club is a romantic comedy that follows the lives of four female friends. They have been in the same book club for about 40 years. Each seeks change and adventure after reading “Fifty Shades of Grey” and Garcia plays Mitchell, one of the four women’s love interest. Although the movie was received with mixed reviews, it was highly successful. Garcia reprised his role as Mitchell in its sequel, Book Club: The Next Chapter (2023).
9. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018)
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is one of the most popular musical films of the last decade. With an amazing cast of fantastic actors, Garcia is cast as Señor Fernando Cienfuegos. The character is Hotel Bella Donna’s Mexican hotel manager. Cienfuegos also had an affair with Donna’s mother, Ruby, in 1959. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again was an instant hit among critics and musical audiences. Produced with a $75 million budget, the movie grossed $402.3 million at the Box Office. Some of its top cast include Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, and Cher.
10. Father of the Bride (2022)
Andy Garcia executive produced and starred in Gaz Alazraki‘s romantic comedy Father of the Bride (2022). Garcia is the patriarch of the Cuban-American Herrara family. While the story follows the typical pre-wedding disagreements between families from a different heritage, it stands out with certain uniqueness and performances from the actors. The movie received generally favorable reviews. With his ease of playing a wide range of roles, Andy Garcia easily becomes one of the most talented actors in film.
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