Bio
Andy García is an American actor who became known in the 1990s, having appeared in several successful Hollywood films including The Godfather: Part III and When a Man Loves a Woman.
García was born Andrés Arturo García Menéndez in Havana, Cuba, into an Italian family. His mother, Amelie Menéndez, was an English teacher, and his father, francis Garcio was a lawyer in Cuba and later a businessman in the United States.
He has an older brother, Rene, and was born with a conjoined twin brother. His twin was no bigger than a tennis ball and was surgically removed. All that remains is a scar on his shoulder.
When García was five years old, the failure of the Bay of Pigs Invasion forced the family to move to Miami, Florida, where they performed various types of work in order to survive. Over a period of several years, however, they built up a million-dollar perfume company.
García was raised as a Catholic and attended Miami Beach Senior High School, where he played on the basketball team. During his last year in high school, however, he became seriously ill with hepatitis, which convinced him to pursue a career in acting.
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 García 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.
García was not the only one of the few actors capable of carrying the part, but he also bore a resemblance to Robert De Niro, who played the role of young Vito Corleone, Vincent's grandfather, in The Godfather Part II.
The role thus went to García, 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.
One of his more 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 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 in Latin America due to its negative portrayal of the Cuban Revolution, and Che Guevara in particular.
García is a fervent critic of the Cuban government.
In 1982, he married María Victoria Lorido. He is the father of three daughters and one son. The García family lives in Los Angeles and Miami and are practicing Catholics.