Giancarlo Esposito launched his acting career in 1968 on Broadway, as a child in the musical Maggie Flynn. He secured his breakout role two decades later in Spike Lee’s 1988 film School Daze, which marked a long period of collaboration between the two, including films such as Do the Right Thing, Mo’ Better Blues, and Malcolm X. Over the following years, Esposito built a diverse body of work across TV, films, and theater. He performed in projects such as The Usual Suspects and King of New York while also returning to Broadway in 2008 as Gooper in the revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. His filmography also extends to video games, voicing and providing motion capture for the main antagonist of Ubisoft’s 2021 game Far Cry 6.

Esposito is perhaps best known for his portrayal of drug lord Gustavo “Gus” Fring on AMC’s 16-time Emmy Award–winning series Breaking Bad (2009–2011), which he reprised in the prequel Better Call Saul (2017–2022). His presence and complex performances have propelled him forward, earning him roles in some of the most popular franchises in modern TV, including Stan Edgar in Amazon’s The Boys and Moff Gideon in Disney’s The Mandalorian. With his versatility, longtime acting presence, and screen presence, Esposito is one of the most recognizable and respectable actors working today.