Andy Garcia is revered as one of the greatest actors of his generation. The Cuban actor is not only a master of his craft in front of the camera, but has also delved into directing, producing and even contributing to the soundtracks of his movies.
Garcia began his career in the late '70s with minor roles in series like Murder, She Wrote and Hill Street Blues, before landing his big break opposite Robert De Niro in 1987's The Untouchables. Since then, the Oscar-nominated actor has starred as a crime boss, jazz musician, pilot, casino owner and even an animated macaw in Rio 2. His latest is the title role in the rebooted Father of the Bride, starring an all-Latinx cast.
Below, A.frame is revisiting the best of the actor's resume.
After almost a decade in the industry, Garcia had his breakthrough performance in the crime drama opposite Kevin Costner, Sean Connery and Robert De Niro. In the Prohibition era-set film, an agent assembles a team to take down Al Capone. Garcia portrayed George Stone, an Italian American trainee known for his marksmanship. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, with Connery taking home the Best Supporting Actor Oscar.
Directed by Ridley Scott, the neo-noir action film saw Garcia as Detective Charlie Vincent, who — along with Michael Douglas' Nick Conklin — arrests and escorts a Yakuza member to Japan after he's extradited. The film was Oscar-nominated for Best Sound and Best Sound Editing.
Garcia earned his first Best Supporting Actor nomination for his performance as Vincent Corleone, the illegitimate son of Sonny Corleone and eventual successor to the great Michael Corleone's empire. The Godfather: Part III would go on to be nominated for a total of seven Oscars. "The reason why I became an actor was because of The Godfather: Part I," Garcia has said. "That movie changed my life. I wanted to desperately be a part of it like all actors of my generation."
Switching gears from crime thrillers, Garcia starred in this romantic drama opposite Meg Ryan. He plays Michael, a pilot and husband grappling with his wife Alice's alcoholism. After Alice returns from rehab, their marriage is put to the test when the couple realizes they might not be the best match for one another.
As part of a star-studded cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon, Garcia portrayed multimillionaire Terry Benedict in this casino caper. Terry's casinos become the target of Danny Ocean and his team's money heist. Complicating matters, the businessman also happens to be dating Danny's ex-wife, Tess, played by Julia Roberts. "I know everything that's happening in my hotels," Terry famously says in the film. Garcia would end up co-starring in the two sequels, Ocean's Twelve and Ocean's Thirteen.
Garcia embodied the Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani in this passion project, on which he also served as an executive producer. The drama centers on Modigliani's rivalry with Pablo Picasso (Omid Djalili) and his romance with the French painter Jeanne Hébuterne (Elsa Zylberstein).
Garcia made his feature film directorial debut with this political drama. The actor, who also served as an executive producer, starred as Fico Fellove, a Havana club owner who gets tied up in Fidel Castro's Communist Revolution as it sweeps through the streets of Cuba.
Fans couldn't get enough of Garcia's Señor Fernando Cienfuegos in the sequel to the musical Mamma Mia! The actor portrayed a hotel manager and former love of Ruby (the mother of Meryl Streep's character played by CHer) and capped off the film with a performance of one of ABBA's greatest hits, "Fernando," opposite pop icon.
Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen headline this hilarious rom-com about four friends whose lives are turned upside down when they read Fifty Shades of Grey in their book club. Garcia's Mitchell is the leading man, who strikes up a relationship with Keaton's reluctant widower. A sequel, Book Club 2 — The Next Chapter is coming in 2023, with all of the original stars returning for the follow-up, Garcia included.
The Garciassance continued with a scene-stealing cameo in Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo's over-the-top comedy about best friends who leave the Midwest behind on a vacation to Vista Del Mar, Florida, where they find themselves at the center of a villain's evil scheme. Garcia pops up as Tommy Bahama — yes, that Tommy Bahama — to provide some sage advice for Mumolo's Barb. (The actor is even listed in the credits as Tommy Bahama.)
