Mixed Race Celebrity Mondays: Giancarlo Esposito

Giancarlo Esposito is an American actor, director and producer. He has acted on Broadway, in films and television and directed and produced both movies and television. He was born Giancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito on April 26, 1958, in Copenhagen, Denmark. His father is Italian and his mother is African-American. He lived in Europe and settled with his family in New York City at the age of six.

He had his debut on Broadway in 1968, in the short-lived play, "Maggie Flynn." During the 1980s, he had supporting roles in numerous films, among the most popular, "Maximum Overdrive," "King of New York," "Trading Places" and "Taps." During this same decade, he appeared in guest roles on the television series, "Miami Vice" and "Spenser: For Hire." In 1988, he received his breakthrough in movies teaming with Spike Lee in "School Daze." Later, he starred in Lee's productions of "Do The Right Thing," "Mo' Better Blues" and "Malcolm X."

In 2006, he starred with Queen Latifah and Timothy Hutton in "Last Holiday." His directorial debut was in the 2008 movie, "Gospel Hill." He played a leading role in that same film. He has both directed and made guest appearances in the TV shows, "NYPD Blue," "Law & Order" and "The Practice."

He was awarded with both an Obie and a Theatre World Award for his role in "Zooman and the Sign" in 1988. He received his second Obie Award for "Distant Fires" in 1993.