The Empire Club of Canada
Friday, November 29, 2024
A collaboration between the Italian Contemporary Film Festival (ICFF) and the Empire Club of Canada – In Conversation with Giancarlo Esposito
On November 29, the Empire Club of Canada is proud to partner with the Italian Contemporary Film Festival (ICFF) for an unforgettable evening with the legendary Giancarlo Esposito! Known for his iconic role as ‘Gus Fring’ in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, and now captivating audiences in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Megalopolis, Esposito will share exclusive insights into his storied career and his rich Italian heritage.
The night begins with an engaging conversation between Esposito and award-winning director Matt Johnson (BlackBerry), as we dive into his famous roles in Breaking Bad, The Mandalorian, Captain America: Brave New World and The Gentlemen.
*The content presented is free of charge but please note that the Empire Club of Canada retains copyright. Neither the speeches themselves nor any part of their content may be used for any purpose other than personal interest or research without the explicit permission of the Empire Club of Canada.*
*Views and Opinions Expressed Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the speakers or panelists are those of the speakers or panelists and do not necessarily reflect or represent the official views and opinions, policy or position held by The Empire Club of Canada.*
Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to hear from one of Hollywood’s finest — buy your tickets now and join us for an evening you won’t forget!
Giancarlo Esposito is an American actor, director, and producer. He was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, to an Italian carpenter and stagehand father from Naples, Italy, and an African American opera singer mother from Alabama.
He is well known by television audiences for his iconic portrayal of drug kingpin ‘Gustavo “Gus” Fring’ in AMC’s critically acclaimed BREAKING BAD, for which he won the 2012 Critics’ Choice Award and earned a 2012 Emmy nomination.
Esposito can be seen reprising his role of ‘Gus Fring’ on AMC’s BETTER CALL SAUL, which has earned him a 2019 and 2020 Emmy Award nomination in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series as well as a 2023 Critics’ Choice Award win in the category of Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. The show has been nominated in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2022 for an Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Drama Series and for the 2019, 2021, and 2023 Screen Actors Guild Awards in the category of Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Award. The show was also nominated for a 2023 Golden Globe Award in the category of Best Television Series – Drama. The sixth and final season of the series concluded airing in 2022 and includes Esposito’s television directorial debut for episode 606 for which he won a 2023 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series.
Esposito will next be seen starring in Francis Ford Coppola’s alternate-history sci-fi epic MEGALOPOLIS, which premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival and will release theatrically on September 27, 2024. He will also be seen in the upcoming Netflix and Russo Brothers’ film THE ELECTRIC STATE as well as joining the Marvel Universe in CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, out February 14, 2025.
He can currently be seen in theaters in A24’s MAXXXINE, the third installment of the X trilogy from writer-director Ti West, opposite Mia Goth, which released on July 5, 2024.
Esposito was most recently seen in AMC’s PARISH, where he is also an executive producer. The series centers on ‘Gracián ‘Gray’ Parish’ (Esposito), a family man and proud owner of a luxury car service in New Orleans. After his son is violently murdered and his business collapses, an encounter with an old friend from his days as a wheelman resurfaces old habits, sending Gray on a high-stakes collision course with a violent criminal syndicate. The series premiered on March 31, 2024, on AMC and is available to stream on AMC+.
Recently, he was seen in Universal’s monster thriller film ABIGAIL as well as opposite Theo James and Kaya Scodelario in Netflix and Guy Ritchie’s THE GENTLEMEN series, a follow up to Ritchie’s 2019 film of the same name.
He recently wrapped production on THE PRINCE, a drama feature from director Cameron Van Hoy, starring alongside Scott Haze, Nicolas Cage, J.K. Simmons, and Andy Garcia as well as Netflix’s upcoming mystery-drama series, THE RESIDENCE, which revolves around an eccentric detective who arrives at the White House to solve a murder which happened during a state dinner.
Esposito was also seen leading the cast of Netflix’s heist drama series KALEIDOSCOPE. The series takes on a nonlinear approach to storytelling, consisting of eight parts ranging from 24 years before the heist to one-year post-heist. The series claimed the number on spot on Netflix’s top 10 list after releasing on January 1, 2023.
In 2023, he was also seen in the third season of the EPIX series GODFATHER OF HARLEM, where he stars as ‘Adam Clayton Powell Jr’ and was nominated for a 2020, 2022, and 2024 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.
Esposito stars as ‘Moff Gideon’ in the critically acclaimed Disney+ Star Wars universe series THE MANDALORIAN for which he was nominated for a 2020 Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series and a 2021 Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. The third season premiered on March 1, 2023, where he was nominated for a 2024 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama or Comedy Series.
Esposito stars in Amazon Prime’s critically acclaimed series THE BOYS, which premiered its fourth season in June 2024. Esposito had a recurring role as the Narrator in all three seasons of Netflix’s DEAR WHITE PEOPLE. Additional TV credits include WESTWORLD, ONCE UPON A TIME, THE GET DOWN, DRUNK HISTORY, and COMMUNITY.
He can also be seen in films such as BEAUTY, STARGIRL, OKJA, CODA, MAZE RUNNER: THE DEATH CURE, MAZE RUNNER: THE SCORCH TRIALS, RABBIT HOLE, THE USUAL SUSPECTS, SMOKE, THE LAST HOLIDAY, and Spike Lee’s films DO THE RIGHT THING, MO’ BETTER BLUES, SCHOOL DAZE and MALCOLM X. Esposito’s additional film credits include THE JUNGLE BOOK, MONEY MONSTER, STUCK, POKER NIGHT, ALEX CROSS, SHERRYBABY, ALI, NOTHING TO LOSE, WAITING TO EXHALE, BOB ROBERTS, KING OF NEW YORK, and COTTON CLUB.
Esposito began his career working in theater, making his Broadway debut in the 1968 musical MAGGIE FLYNN, starring opposite Shirley Jones. He also starred in the original cast of the Stephen Sondheim-Harold Prince production MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG. His other stage credits include CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, SACRILEGE, and DON’T GET GOD STARTED, among others.
Matt Johnson is a Canadian filmmaker and actor known for his innovative storytelling, blending comedy, documentary-style filmmaking, and sharp cultural commentary. He is best recognized for directing “BlackBerry” (2023), the critically and commercially acclaimed biographical drama about the rise and fall of the iconic smartphone, which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and won 14 Canadian Screen Awards.
