SciFi Diner Podcast Ep. 164 – Our Interview with Giancarlo Esposido (Breaking Bad, Once Upon a Time, and Revolution)

Giancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito (born April 26, 1958) is an American film and television actor and director best known for his roles in such films as Do the Right Thing, The Usual Suspects, and King of New York, and for his portrayal of Gustavo “Gus” Fring on the AMC series Breaking Bad, for which he won the Best Supporting Actor in a Drama award at the 2012 Critics’ Choice Television Awards and was nominated for an Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series award at the 2012 Primetime Emmy Awards. He currently appears in the ABC series Once Upon a Time as the Evil Queen’s magic mirror and “Daily Mirror” reporter Sidney Glass, as well as the NBC post-apocalyptic TV drama Revolution as a captain of the Monroe Militia. In November, 2012 he will be seen as priest “Father Heery” in the motion picture Certainty.

Esposito was born in Copenhagen, Denmark to an Italian father and an African-American mother. His mother was an opera and nightclub singer from Alabama, who once appeared on the same bill asJosephine Baker. His father was from Naples, and worked as a stagehand and carpenter. Esposito lived in Europe, until the family settled in Manhattan when he was six.[edit]Early life

Career

Esposito made his Broadway debut (1966) at age eight playing a slave child opposite Shirley Jones in the short-lived Maggie Flynn. He did not take offense at the play’s racial politics then; he was thrilled. “I had a solo and everything.”

During the 1980s Esposito appeared in films such as Maximum Overdrive, King of New York, and Trading Places and TV shows such as Miami Vice and Spenser: For Hire. He played J.C. Pierce, a cadet in the 1981 movie Taps. In 1988 he landed his breakout role as the leader (‘Dean Big Brother Almighty’) of the black fraternity “Gamma Phi Gamma” in director Spike Lee’s film School Daze. Over the next four years, Esposito and Lee collaborated on three other movies: Do the Right Thing, Mo’ Better Blues, and Malcolm X.

During the 1990s Esposito appeared in the acclaimed indie films Night on Earth, Fresh and Smoke, as well as its sequel Blue in the Face. He also appeared in the mainstream film Reckless with Mia Farrow and Waiting to Exhale starring Whitney Houston and Angela Bassett.

Esposito is known for his portrayal of FBI agent Mike Giardello on the TV crime drama Homicide: Life on the Street. That role reflected both his black and Italian heritage. He played this role from 1998 until the series’ cancellation. The character’s father Al is portrayed as subject to racism, something Esposito’s character practiced in School Daze. Another biracial role was Sergeant Paul Gigante in the television comedy series,Bakersfield P.D. (Fox Broadcasting Company, 1993–1994).

In 1997 Esposito played the role of Darryl in Trouble on the Corner and Charlie Dunt in Nothing to Lose.

Other TV credits include NYPD Blue, Law & Order, The Practice, New York Undercover, and Fallen Angels: Fearless.

Esposito has portrayed drug dealers (Fresh, Breaking Bad, King of New York), cops (The Usual Suspects, Derailed), political radicals (Bob Roberts) and even a demonic version of the Greek God of Sleep Hypnos from another dimension (Monkeybone). He played Cassius Clay, Sr., inAli and Nuyorican poet Miguel Piñero’s friend and collaborator Miguel Algarín in Piñero, both released in 2001.

In 2006 Esposito starred in Last Holiday as Senator Dillings, alongside Queen Latifah and Timothy Hutton. Also in 2006, he played an unsympathetic Detective named Esposito in the 2006 film, Hate Crime, written and directed by first-time director/writer Tommy Stovall and starringSeth Peterson, Bruce Davison, Chad Donella, Cindy Pickett, and Brian J. Smith. The film explores homophobia.

Esposito played Robert Fuentes, a Miami businessman with shady connections, on the UPN television series South Beach. He has appeared inNew Amsterdam and CSI: Miami. He recorded a public service announcement for Deejay Ra’s hip hop literacy campaign to encourage reading about Muhammad Ali.

In Feel the Noise (2007) he played ex-musician Roberto, the Puerto Rican father of Omarion Grandberry’s character, aspiring rap star “Rob”.

Gospel Hill (2008) was Esposito’s directorial debut; he also produced the film and starred in it.

New York theatre credits for Esposito include The Me Nobody Knows, Lost in the Stars, Seesaw, and Merrily We Roll Along. In 2008 he appeared on Broadway as Gooper in an African American production of Tennessee Williams’ Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, directed byDebbie Allen and starring James Earl Jones, Phylicia Rashad, Anika Noni Rose, and Terrence Howard.

Between 2009 and 2011, Esposito appeared in seasons 2 through 4 of the AMC drama Breaking Bad, as Gus Fring, the head of a New Mexico-based methamphetamine drug ring and the show’s primary antagonist in the third and fourth seasons. Esposito received critical acclaim for this role. As noted above, he won the Best Supporting Actor in a Drama award at the 2012 Critics’ Choice Television Awards and was nominated for anOutstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series award at the 2012 Primetime Emmy Awards.

Esposito appears in Rabbit Hole (2010), with Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart.He also appeared in an episode of the series”Leverage” a reunion with his 1981 movie “Taps” co-star Timmothy Hutton.

Esposito appears in the ABC program Once Upon a Time that debuted in the fall of 2011. He portrays the split role of Sidney, a reporter for The Daily Mirror in the town of Storybrooke, Maine, who in actuality is the Magic Mirror, possessed by The Evil Queen in a parallel fairy tale world.

Esposito has also appeared in Community as a guest star for an episode entitled “Digital Estate Planning”. He is set to reappear in the delayed fourth season.

He currently stars on NBC’s Revolution as Captain Tom Neville.

TV News:

Did Moffat just confirm the 11 Doctors will return for the 50th?

Dan Roth

The always-elusive Moff may have just spilled the proverbial beans.

People spoil things about their shows all the time. Not Steven Moffat, though. He’s a crafty sort — likes to lie, torture Doctor Who fans, give a cold stare every now and again. It’s traumatizing! Apparently, though, while at a BBC Drama Commissions event, Moffat actually, gasp, said something about the show’s 50th-anniversary special. A telling something, no less.

Getting the other Doctors involved would be very fitting for the anniversary episode, wouldn’t it?

If that had come from anybody else, we might say, “So what? Big deal!” But this is Steven Moffat we’re talking about, and the man does not say things that are not calculated. So when he says that a multiple-Doctor story would be “fitting,” that means it’s almost definitely happening. He could be lying (as aforementioned, he does that), but it’s hard to imagine anyone, even Moffat, faking out on something that big.

So what do you think? Are we off base here, or did Moffat just confirm that the 11 Doctors is really happening?

Joss Whedon Talks S.H.I.E.L.D. Pilot and Maria Hill’s Return; Says It’s a “Very Hopeful” 

Though we’re still halfway through the current 2012/2013 TV season, many fans are already looking ahead to this coming fall when they hope Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series will be gracing the small screen.  ABC ordered a pilot for the spinoff show that revolves around the ongoings at the titular agency, and the impeccably talented Joss Whedon came onboard to co-write and direct said pilot.  We know that the show takes place after the events of The Avengers and will see the return of Clark Gregg’s Agent Coulson (hopefully not as Ghost Coulson), but beyond brief descriptions of the new cast of characters, the overall premise for the show has been kept tightly under wraps.

Whedon recently spoke a bit about the potential show (ABC would be crazy not to pick the pilot up to series, but they haven’t made a decision just yet), talking about the show’s connection to the Marvel universe and describing it as “very hopeful” in relation to network TV’s other programs.  Whedon also elaborated on a possible appearance by Cobie Smulders‘ Agent Maria Hill and spoke a bit about how Marvel’s cinematic characters fit into the TV show’s universe.  Hit the jump to read on.

Speaking with TV Line, Whedon talked about how the show stands out in a network television landscape filled with grim and violent procedurals:

“I’m excited about the show because it’s a very hopeful show. It’s not about murder, and it’s not about crime, and it’s not people looking into their own belly buttons. It’s about people who are trying to help each other, and that’s one of the things I loved about comic books. They had costumes and the villains were cool [but] they stood for something, and I like doing a show that does that.”

Whedon went on to say that fans shouldn’t expect a ton of familiar faces from the Marvel universe to pop up, but he did admit that “there’s a little bit of talk of that” as the series goes on:

“Right now, I want to involve people in the characters that we’ve created for the show,” Whedon said, “and then we’ll worry about [the other stuff].”

Speaking of which, rumors recently surfaced that Cobie Smulders’ Agent Maria Hill character from The Avengers might be making an appearance on S.H.I.E.L.D.  The actress herself said there are “definite talks” about the prospect, but her commitment to the CBS series How I Met Your Mother means she would only be available for brief appearances on S.H.I.E.L.D.  Whedon confirmed as much when asked about Smulders’ involvement:

Whedon cautions that Smulders’ schedule “will permit very little” involvement, “but if we can get a hold of her anytime, we will.”

As pilot season winds down, we should hear a decision one way or another regarding S.H.I.E.L.D.’s series pickup by ABC soon, but again it’s highly unlikely that the network will pass on the show.  This is an excellent opportunity to capitalize on The Avengers’ massive success, and Whedon’s involvement ensures that the quality of S.H.I.E.L.D. will be up to snuff.

Web Series News

1st footage from S2 of kickass Mortal Kombat web series

Trent Moore

Filmmaker Kevin Tancharoen was given control of the Mortal Kombat franchise after putting together one of the coolest fan films ever. Now, he’s revealed the first look at season two of the web series Legacy.

The first season focused a lot on introducing the characters, while season two looks like it should get into the actual meat of Mortal Kombat. Considering Tancharoen is also preeping a feature length Kombat film about an average joe thrust into the tournament, it’s nice to see he hasn’t lost touch with what got him the gig in the first place.

Here’s the synopsis for season two:

The Mortal Kombat Legacy continues in Season 2 as Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Kenshi, and Ermac join the ranks. The rivalries and histories of these fierce warriors will unfold as Raiden and his recruits clash against the dark forces of Outworld. The epic battle for Earthrealm has finally begun. 

MOVIE NEWS:  

Apes sequel casts new leading man, reveals intriguing plot detailsLooks like there are a couple of big changes coming for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.

For one thing, there’s a new star. Say goodbye to James Franco and say hello to Jason Clarke. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Clarke just nabbed the lead role in the Apes sequel, which will be directed by Cloverfield’s Matt Reeves. Though you might have seen him in flicks like Public Enemies and in the short-lived series The Chicago Code, Clarke is best known these days for his work as a tough CIA interrogator in Kathryn Bigelow’s acclaimed and controversial Zero Dark Thirty. It’s a breakout role that was bound to land Clarke plenty of other acting opportunities, and he’s apparently decided his next big job should be sci-fi.

But that’s not the only big news here. Most of Dawn’s plot will likely remain a secret until we’re a good bit closer to the release, but THR is reporting a few new tantalizing details to go along with the news that Clarke is coming aboard. For one thing, the sequel will be set 15 years after the events of Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and will feature at least two major plotlines. One will include a group of scientists fighting to survive in San Francisco (which, if you’ll recall, took quite a pounding from the apes in the first film), while another will follow ape resistance leader Caesar (Andy Serkis) as he tries to maintain authority over the apes. Where does Clarke fit in? We don’t know yet, but this certainly sounds like a combustible mix of elements.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is expected to begin shooting sometime this spring for (hopefully) a 2014 release date. What do you think? Is Clarke good casting?

Is Harrison Ford’s return as Han Solo already a done deal?

Nathalie Caron

Whoa! Is Harrison Ford’s return to Star Wars: Episode VII as our favorite space smuggler (besides Firefly‘s Captain “Mal” Reynolds, that is) Han Solo a done deal?If we believe the scoop over at Latino Review, Harrison Ford’s return as the roguish Han Solo is apparently a done deal, and the 71-year-old actor WILL reprise one of the roles he is most famous for (the other one being, of course, Indiana Jones). Not only that, but apparently the deal is “big,” though they have no details to give.Just a few months back, Ford was reported to have been quite open to the idea of reprising the role of Han Solo, but only if he got to have a death scene.In early drafts of Return of the Jedi, the character was indeed set to meet his maker, but—as we all know—it never happened.Ford said to ABC back in 2010, “I thought he should have died in the last one to give it some bottom … George [Lucas] didn’t think there was any future in dead Han toys.”So, what do you think of this news? Do you believe that the return of Harrison Ford as Han in the J.J. Abrams-directed Star Wars: Episode VII is truly a done deal? Or do you—like us—prefer to get an official confirmation from Disney before starting up that Coruscant cantina music and doing the happy dance?

TWIST

Go behind the scenes in explosive Star Trek: The Game video

Nathalie Caron

We guess today is Star Trek day, because we already had a brand-new and rather explosive behind-the-scenes featurette, but this time it’s for the upcoming and awesome-looking videogame.

Released by Namco Bandai, the thrilling new featurette titled “Making the Game Part 1” teases the very cool co-op mode for their upcoming videogame.

It also has lots of new footage, and we get some awesome scenes and dialogue between Kirk (voiced by Chris Pine) and Spock (voiced by Zachary Quinto).

As the proverbial cherry on our sundae, it would also appear that we may have samples of Michael Giacchino’s soundtrack for the game. Giacchino scored both Star Trek movies (2009’s Star Trek and the upcoming Star Trek Into Darkness), as well as a bunch of TV shows, including Lost and Fringe.

Trek 2 reveals new footage in ‘relentless’ 1st look featurette

Nathalie Caron

Tue, 02/19/2013

Paramount has released a thrilling official Star Trek Into Darkness first-look featurette that’s so action-packed that you may want to hold on to something.

“The goal for this movie was to up the ante as much we could.” Lofty words from our man, director J.J. Abrams, and from the looks of the trailer and this intense, actiony “first-look featurette” on the highly anticipated Star Trek sequel, it looks like he may very well have succeeded.

The almost one-minute-thirty-second gripping video is chock-full of action scenes and breathtaking sequences, as well as perfectly awesome footage. There’s also a little something for the ladies and the romantics at heart, since we get more smooch time between Spock (Zachary Quinto) and Uhura (Zoe Saldana).

Oh, and we also have Abrams, Quinto, Saldana and Chris Pine talking about the upcoming tentpole movie.

Quinto—fresh from his recent stint on American Horror Story: Asylum—calls it “stunningly beautiful,” while Pine, who plays Capt. Kirk, calls it “relentless.”

Sci Fi 5 in 5

Top Far Point Moments

Miles

5.  Panels. The panels are a lot of fun to talk sci fi in. They offer several.

4. The costumes.  People put a lot effort & money in them.

3. The Klingons. These guys were here to have a good time and if they could entertain the people there.

2. The Guests.

1.  Meeting up with old friends like John & Heather.

honorable mention.  Sticking it to Scot by getting a picture with Felecia Day.