Andy Garcia Bio

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Andy Garcí­a (born April 12, 1956) is an Academy Award-nominated 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.

Andy Garcia: Early life

Garcí­a was born Andrés Arturo Garcí­a in Bejucal, La Habana Province, 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. 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, which convinced him to pursue a career in acting.

Andy Garcia: Career

Andy Garcí­a at the Incirlik flight line tower, Incirlik Air Base Turkey, December 7, 2001.

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. 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 Garcia a popular Hollywood actor. In 1989, Francis Ford Coppola was casting The Godfather Part III. The character Vincent Corleone, the illegitimate son of Sonny Corleone, was an exceptional part which many actors wanted. Garcia was not the only one of the few actors capable of carrying the part, but he also bore a resemblance to Al Pacino. The role thus went to Garcia, who earned an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his performance and became an internationally acclaimed star.

In the following years, Garcí­a has performed in a wide variety of films. He has appeared also in several TV films. While not in the same vein of movie stars dominating the box office, Garcia has remained equally strong in both leading and supporting roles. One of his most well-known films was the 2001 remake of Ocean's Eleven, in which he played Terry Benedict, the ruthless Las Vegas mogul who just happens to be seeing the estranged wife (Julia Roberts) of George Clooney's character. Garcí­a reprised the role in the 2004 sequel, although many noted that the part was significantly smaller than the one he played in the first film. He also starred as a much larger role than in the second but smaller than the first in Ocean's Thirteen (2007). He has finished and released The Lost City which he co-wrote, directs, and stars 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 Che Guevara in particular, who continues to have substantial popularity in Latin America.

Andy Garcia: Personal life

Julianna Margulies, Garcí­a, and his daughter Dominik Garcia-Lorido, at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival.

In 1982, Garcia married Marí­a Victoria Lorido. He is the father of three daughters and one son: Dominik (b. 16 August 1983), Daniella (b. 3 January 1988), Alessandra (b. 20 June 1991) and Andres (b. 28 January 2002). The Garcí­a family lives in Los Angeles and Miami.

Garcia'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. Garcia 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. Garcia is the most famous conjoined twin, as stated in the Guinness Book of World Records.