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Roberto Michael Cannavale (; born May 3, 1970) is an American actor. He is best known for various television roles, including leading roles in '' Third Watch'', '' Vinyl'', and ''
Mr. Robot ''Mr. Robot'' is an American drama thriller television series created by Sam Esmail for USA Network. It stars Rami Malek as Elliot Alderson, a cybersecurity engineer and hacker with social anxiety disorder, clinical depression and dissociati ...
'', as well as recurring roles in '' Will & Grace'', which won him the 2005 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, and ''
Boardwalk Empire ''Boardwalk Empire'' is an American period crime drama television series created by Terence Winter and broadcast on the premium cable channel HBO. The series is set chiefly in Atlantic City, New Jersey, during the Prohibition era of the 1920 ...
'', for which he won the 2013
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. In early Primetime Emmy Award ceremonies, the supporting categories were not always genre, or even gender, specific. Beginning ...
. From 2018 to 2020, Cannavale portrayed Colin Belfast in the Amazon Prime Video psychological thriller series ''
Homecoming Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States, Canada and Liberia. ...
'' (2018–2020). In 2021, he had a role in the
Hulu Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television series ...
miniseries, '' Nine Perfect Strangers'', based on the novel of the same name by
Liane Moriarty Liane Moriarty (born 15 November 1966) is an Australian author. She has written nine novels, including the ''New York Times'' best sellers '' Big Little Lies'' and '' Nine Perfect Strangers'', which were adapted into television series for HBO an ...
. Cannavale is also known for his roles in theater and film. For his roles in the plays ''
Mauritius Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label= Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It ...
'' and '' The Motherfucker with the Hat'', Cannavale was nominated for the
Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play The Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play is an honor presented at the Tony Awards, a ceremony established in 1947 as the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, to actors for quality supporting roles in a Broadway play. Honors ...
and the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play, respectively. In film, he has starred in Tom McCarthy's '' The Station Agent'' (2003) and '' Win Win'' (2011),
Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...
's '' Blue Jasmine'' (2013), '' Annie'' (2014), Paul Feig's '' Spy'' (2015), Marvel's '' Ant-Man'' (2015), '' I, Tonya'' (2017), '' Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle'' (2017),
Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of many major accolades, incl ...
's ''
The Irishman ''The Irishman'' (subtitled onscreen as ''I Heard You Paint Houses'') is a 2019 American epic gangster film directed and produced by Martin Scorsese and written by Steven Zaillian, based on the 2004 nonfiction book ''I Heard You Paint Hou ...
'' (2019), '' Sing 2'' (2021), and '' Blonde'' (2022).


Early life

Cannavale was born on May 3, 1970. He grew up in Union City, New Jersey, the son of Isabel and Salvatore "Sal" Cannavale. His father is of Italian descent, while his mother is
Cuban Cuban may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Cuba, a country in the Caribbean * Cubans, people from Cuba, or of Cuban descent ** Cuban exile, a person who left Cuba for political reasons, or a descendant thereof * Cuban citizen, a pers ...
and moved to the U.S. in 1960. He was raised
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and attended St. Michael's Catholic School, where he participated in a number of extracurricular activities, including being an altar boy and member of the chorus. When he was 8, Cannavale secured the plum role of the lisping boy, Winthrop, in his school's production of ''
The Music Man ''The Music Man'' is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments ...
'' and later played a gangster in ''
Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on " The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also b ...
'', which cemented his love for performing. Cannavale's parents divorced when he was 13 and his mother moved the family to
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...
. After two years in the American territory, they settled in Margate, Florida. From 1983 to 1986, Cannavale attended
Coconut Creek High School Coconut Creek High School is a high school located in Coconut Creek, Florida, which teaches grades 9–12. Coconut Creek High serves: southern Coconut Creek, and parts of Margate, North Lauderdale, and Pompano Beach. The school is a part of the ...
, but during his senior year, he was expelled “for being a cutup.” He then returned to New Jersey to live with his grandmother, in order to be closer to New York to launch his acting career and went to summer school to earn a diploma from Union Hill High School.


Career

Cannavale began his acting career in the theater – with no acting training – and gained early film roles in ''
Night Falls on Manhattan ''Night Falls on Manhattan'' is a 1996 American crime drama film written and directed by Sidney Lumet based on the novel ''Tainted Evidence'' by Robert Daley. The film centers on a newly elected district attorney played by Andy García, who is ...
'' (1997) and '' The Bone Collector'' (1999), Cannavale became well known when he starred as
Bobby Caffey ''Third Watch'' is an American television drama series which first aired on NBC from 1999 to 2005 and followed the lives of an ensemble cast of characters portraying police officers of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and firefigh ...
for two seasons on '' Third Watch''. Following this, in 2001, he starred with Alan Arkin in ''
100 Centre Street ''100 Centre Street'' is an American legal drama created by Sidney Lumet and starring Alan Arkin, Val Avery, Bobby Cannavale, Joel de la Fuente and Paula Devicq. Premise The show takes its name for the Manhattan street address of the New York C ...
'' – which was written and directed by Sidney Lumet, his then-father-in-law. In 2002, he joined the cast of '' Ally McBeal'' for the last five episodes, but the show was then cancelled. Following this, he starred with Yancey Arias and Sheryl Lee in the miniseries '' Kingpin''. In 2003, Cannavale briefly appeared on the last two episodes of '' Oz''. He also appeared in the film '' The Station Agent'' as a man who befriends a little person removed from society. From 2004 to 2006, he had a recurring guest role on '' Will & Grace'' as Vince D'Angelo, the boyfriend (and eventual
husband A husband is a male in a marital relationship, who may also be referred to as a spouse. The rights and obligations of a husband regarding his spouse and others, and his status in the community and in law, vary between societies and cultures ...
) of Will Truman ( Eric McCormack). However, in the reboot, they are revealed not to be married. For this role, he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series in 2005. He has also appeared in the films '' The Guru'' (2002), '' Shall We Dance?'' (2004), ''
Romance & Cigarettes ''Romance & Cigarettes'' is a 2005 American musical romantic comedy film written and directed by John Turturro. The film stars an ensemble cast which includes James Gandolfini, Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet, Steve Buscemi, Bobby Cannavale, Mand ...
'' (2005) and '' Snakes on a Plane'', and guest-starred in '' Sex and the City'', '' Six Feet Under'', '' Oz'', '' Law & Order'' – and its spin-off series '' Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' and '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit''. He appeared in '' The Take'' (2007) as Agent Steve Perelli, alongside
John Leguizamo John Alberto Leguizamo Peláez (; ; born July 22, 196013:04) is an American actor, comedian, and film producer. He has appeared in over 100 films, produced over 20 films and documentaries, made over 30 television appearances, and has produced ...
and Tyrese Gibson. Cannavale serves as the voice of Corado R. Ciarlo, known as "Babe", in the Ken Burns PBS film series '' The War'' (the story of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
) from the perspective of the men who fought in combat and their loved ones at home. He also read the audiobook versions of Richard Price's 2008 novel '' Lush Life'' and Ed Falco's 2012 novel ''
The Family Corleone ''The Family Corleone'' is a 2012 novel by Ed Falco, based on an unproduced screenplay by Mario Puzo, who died in 1999. It is the prequel to Puzo's ''The Godfather''. It was published by Grand Central Publishing and released May 8, 2012. It is th ...
''. On August 25, 2008, ABC ordered his pilot ''
Cupid In classical mythology, Cupid (Latin Cupīdō , meaning "passionate desire") is the god of desire, lust, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus (mythology), Venus and the god of war Mar ...
'', a remake of the 1998 program which had starred Jeremy Piven and Paula Marshall, to series. In the new version of the series, Cannavale starred opposite Sarah Paulson with script development overseen by original series creator Rob Thomas. ABC debuted ''Cupid'' on March 31, 2009, but cancelled the series after less than two months, on May 19, 2009. In 2008, he received a
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...
nomination for his role as Dennis in the
Broadway play Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...
, ''
Mauritius Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label= Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It ...
''. In 2009, CBS announced Cannavale would reprise his role of Det. Eddie Saccardo on the television show, '' Cold Case'', for three episodes, starting with the third episode of Season 7. Cannavale was in the film '' The Other Guys'' (2010), and played the role of Terry Delfino in the film '' Win Win'' (2011). He later starred in the Broadway play '' The Motherfucker with the Hat'' alongside Chris Rock and Annabella Sciorra. On May 3, 2011 (his 41st birthday), he was nominated for a Tony Award for his leading role in that production. In 2012 and 2013, he guest-starred in the fourth and fifth season of Showtime's '' Nurse Jackie'', for which he was nominated twice again for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series in 2012 and 2013, as well as joining the cast of HBO's ''
Boardwalk Empire ''Boardwalk Empire'' is an American period crime drama television series created by Terence Winter and broadcast on the premium cable channel HBO. The series is set chiefly in Atlantic City, New Jersey, during the Prohibition era of the 1920 ...
'', portraying the psychopathic Sicilian gangster
Gyp Rosetti Giuseppe Colombano "Gyp" Rosetti is a character in the HBO TV series ''Boardwalk Empire'', portrayed by Bobby Cannavale. Rosetti is a New York City gangster who works for Joe Masseria (Ivo Nandi). Hot-headed, easily offended and prone to bouts of e ...
in the third season. His performance on ''Boardwalk Empire'' won critical acclaim, earning him the
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. In early Primetime Emmy Award ceremonies, the supporting categories were not always genre, or even gender, specific. Beginning ...
in 2013. That same year he also played Lewis, a vengeful clown on '' Modern Family'' during the third season, for which he was nominated for Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series at the 2nd Critics' Choice Television Awards in 2012. ''
TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news. The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008. Corporat ...
'', in its "Cheers & Jeers 2012" issue, praised Cannavale for this "trifecta of great performances", commenting, "This guy is so good at playing bad, it's scary." He played what
Matt Zoller Seitz Matt Zoller Seitz (born December 26, 1968) is an American film and television critic, author and film-maker. Career Matt Zoller Seitz is editor-at-large at RogerEbert.com, and the television critic for ''New York'' magazine and Vulture.com, as w ...
of RogerEbert.com called a "heroically moving" lead role in '' Danny Collins'' in 2015. Since 2015, Cannavale has been involved with voice-over work for Playing On Air, a non-profit organization that "records short plays or public radio and podcastwritten by top playwrights and performed by outstanding actors." He has starred in three short plays, including ''Crazy Eights'' by David Lindsay-Abaire, co-starring Rosie Perez and
John Leguizamo John Alberto Leguizamo Peláez (; ; born July 22, 196013:04) is an American actor, comedian, and film producer. He has appeared in over 100 films, produced over 20 films and documentaries, made over 30 television appearances, and has produced ...
; ''Mere Mortals'' by David Ives; and ''2 Dads'' by
David Auburn David Auburn (born 30 November 1969) is an American playwright, screenwriter and theatre director. He is best known for his 2000 play '' Proof'', which won the 2001 Tony Award for Best Play and Pulitzer Prize for Drama. He also wrote the scre ...
. In January 2020, Cannavale appeared with his real-life partner Rose Byrne in the play ''Medea'', written and directed by
Simon Stone Simon Stone (born 19 August 1984) is an Australian film and theatre director, writer and actor. Early life Stone is Australian, but was born in Basel and grew up in Cambridge and Melbourne. His father, Stuart Stone, was a biochemist and his mot ...
. In 2021, Cannavale played Tony Hogburn in the Nicole Kidman led
Hulu Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television series ...
miniseries, '' Nine Perfect Strangers'', based on the novel of the same name by
Liane Moriarty Liane Moriarty (born 15 November 1966) is an Australian author. She has written nine novels, including the ''New York Times'' best sellers '' Big Little Lies'' and '' Nine Perfect Strangers'', which were adapted into television series for HBO an ...
, of which also featured Melissa McCarthy, Michael Shannon, Luke Evans, Samara Weaving, and Asher Keddie. In 2022, Cannavale can be seen portraying Dean Braddock in the 2022 Netflix series, '' The Watcher''.


Personal life

From 1994 to 2003, Cannavale was married to actress/screenwriter Jenny Lumet – director Sidney Lumet's daughter and performer Lena Horne's granddaughter – with whom he has a son, actor Jake Cannavale. Cannavale and Jake were cast as father and son in season four of '' Nurse Jackie''. Cannavale has been in a relationship with Australian actress Rose Byrne since 2012. Their first child was born in 2016, and a second child in 2017.Cannavale in


Filmography


Film


Television


Stage


Awards and nominations


Primetime Emmy Awards


Tony Awards


Other awards


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cannavale, Bobby 1970 births Living people 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors American entertainers of Cuban descent American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors American male voice actors American people of Cuban descent American people of Italian descent Audiobook narrators Drama Desk Award winners Hispanic and Latino American male actors Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute alumni Lumet family Male actors from New Jersey Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Primetime Emmy Award winners People from Margate, Florida People from Union City, New Jersey Union Hill High School alumni