Andy Garcia biography

It was there that a casting agent for the television series Hill Street Blues spotted him. That discovery enabled him to land a role as a gang member in the pilot episode of the show in 1981. That same year, Garcia married Maria Victoria, a Cuban American, with whom he has had three children.

In 1983, Garcia made his film debut in Blue Skies Again, a movie about baseball. That was followed in 1984 with The Mean Season,

while in 1985 Garcia appeared in Eight Million Ways To Die. His big break came in 1987, when he landed a significant role in the blockbuster film The Untouchables, which starred Kevin Costner. Garcia, who played a cop-turned-government agent in the film, received his first critical acclaim for acting. The next year, he appeared in Blood Money: The Story of Clinton and Nadine, an original HBO film. He also appeared in American Roulette, a spy thriller, and the acclaimed film Stand and Deliver.

Defying Stereotypes

Critics have long charged that Hollywood films often place Hispanic Americans into stereotypical roles. Breaking through this stereotype, Stand and Deliver was one of the first Hispanic-controlled films to achieve success in the American mainstream. The film, which starred Edward James Olmos, told the true story of Jaime Escalante, a Bolivian mathematics teacher living in Los Angeles who helped Chicano high school students learn calculus. Hispanics not only appeared in the film, but also controlled the script writing, directing and financing for the film, a unique state of affairs for Hollywood. Garcia's role in the film, while a relatively small one, was his first in a film that explored the cultural identity and struggles of people of his heritage.

In 1989 Garcia made two more films, The Sixth Family and Black Rain, in which he co-starred with Michael Douglas. In 1990, Garcia's portrayal of Vincent Mancini in The Godfather: Part III garnered him widespread critical appreciation and recognition. He received both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor for his performance in the film. That same year, Garcia co-wrote the script for and appeared opposite Richard Gere in Internal Affairs.

In recognition of his work on The Godfather: Part III and Internal Affairs, the National Association of Theater Owners awarded Garcia its Star of the Year prize. He also was awarded the Harvard University Foundation Award for his outstanding contributions to American performing arts and intercultural relations.

Recent Roles

Throughout the 1990s, Garcia solidified his reputation as one of America's leading actors. In 1992, he co-starred with Dustin Hoffman and Geena Davis in Hero. He also appeared in Jennifer 8 as a policeman who protects a blind witness. In 1994, Garcia starred with Meg Ryan in the drama When a Man Loves a Woman and made his directorial debut with the film Cachao ... Como Su Ritmo No Hay Dos (Cachao ... Like His Rhythm There Is No Other). The movie, a documentary about Israel "Cachao" Lopez (a Cuban mambo composer and bass player), received high praise from critics worldwide.