Bobby Cannavale (; born May 3, 1970) is an American actor. His breakthrough came with the leading role as
FDNY Paramedic Roberto "Bobby" Caffey in the
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
series ''
Third Watch
''Third Watch'' is an American crime drama television series created by John Wells and Edward Allen Bernero that aired on NBC from September 23, 1999, to May 6, 2005, with a total of 132 episodes spanning over six seasons. It was produced ...
'', which he played from 1999 to 2001.
Cannavale received the
for ''
Will & Grace
''Will & Grace'' is an American television sitcom created by Max Mutchnick and David Kohan. Set in New York City, the show focuses on the friendship between best friends Will Truman (Eric McCormack), a Gay men, gay lawyer, and Grace Adler (Debra ...
'' in 2005, and received nominations for his recurring role on ''
Nurse Jackie'' (2012, 2013). He won the
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for portraying
Gyp Rosetti in ''
Boardwalk Empire'' in 2013. Other television roles include ''
Vinyl
Vinyl may refer to:
Chemistry
* Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer
* Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation
* Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry
* Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl ...
'', ''
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 dissoci ...
'', ''
Blue Bloods'' and ''
Master of None
''Master of None'' is an American comedy drama television series, which was released for streaming on November 6, 2015, on Netflix. The series was created by Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang, with the first two seasons starring Ansari in the lead rol ...
''. He has also starred in the
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime (styled as prime) is a paid subscription service of Amazon which is available in many countries and gives users access to additional services otherwise unavailable or available at a premium to other Amazon customers. Services inclu ...
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 and Canada.
United St ...
'' (2018–20), the
Hulu
Hulu (, ) is an American Subscription business model, subscription streaming media service owned by Disney Streaming, a subsidiary of the Disney Entertainment segment of the Walt Disney Company. It was launched on October 29, 2007, initially as ...
series ''
Nine Perfect Strangers'' (2021), and Netflix's ''
The Watcher'' (2022).
Cannavale made his
Broadway debut in the
Theresa Rebeck's 2008 play ''
Mauritius
Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...
'' for which he earned a nomination 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 theatre, Broa ...
. In 2011 he starred in
Stephen Adly Guirgis comedic play ''
The Motherfucker with the Hat'' earning a
Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play nomination. He portrayed
Richard Roma in the 2012 revival of
David Mamet
David Alan Mamet (; born November 30, 1947) is an American playwright, author, and filmmaker.
He won a Pulitzer Prize and received Tony Award, Tony nominations for his plays ''Glengarry Glen Ross'' (1984) and ''Speed-the-Plow'' (1988). He first ...
's ''
Glengarry Glen Ross''.
Cannavale has acted in the dramatic films ''
The Station Agent'' (2003), ''
Win Win'' (2011), ''
Blue Jasmine
''Blue Jasmine'' is a 2013 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen. The film tells the story of a rich Manhattan socialite (Cate Blanchett) who falls on hard times and has to move into her working-class sister's (Sally Hawk ...
'' (2013), ''
I, Tonya'' (2017), ''
Motherless Brooklyn'' (2019), ''
The Irishman'' (2019), and ''
Blonde
Blond () or blonde (), also referred to as fair hair, is a human hair color characterized by low levels of eumelanin, the dark pigment. The resultant visible hue depends on various factors, but always has some yellowish color. The color can be ...
'' (2022). He has also been in comedic films, such as ''
Paul Blart: Mall Cop'' (2009), ''
The Other Guys
''The Other Guys'' is a 2010 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Adam McKay, who co-wrote it with Chris Henchy. It stars Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg with Eva Mendes, Michael Keaton, Steve Coogan, Ray Stevenson, Samu ...
'' (2010), ''
Annie'' (2014), ''
Spy'' (2015), and ''
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle'' (2017). He entered the
Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) portraying Jim Paxton in ''
Ant-Man'' (2015) and ''
Ant-Man and the Wasp'' (2018). He has voiced recurring roles for the animated
Netflix
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
series ''
BoJack Horseman
''BoJack Horseman'' is an American adult animation, adult animated tragicomedy television series created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg. It stars the voices of Will Arnett, Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, Paul F. Tompkins, and Aaron Paul. Set primarily in ...
'' and ''
Big Mouth,'' And provided
voice acting
Voice acting is the art of performing a character or providing information to an audience with one's voice. Performers are often called voice actors/actresses in addition to other names. Examples of voice work include animated, off-stage, off-sc ...
work for ''
The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature,
Ferdinand
Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "courage" or "ready, prepared" related to Old High German "to risk, ventu ...
'' (both 2017)'',
Tom & Jerry,
Sing 2
''Sing 2'' is a 2021 American animated jukebox musical comedy film produced by Universal Pictures and Illumination (company), Illumination, and distributed by Universal. The sequel to ''Sing (2016 American film), Sing'' (2016), it was written ...
'' (both 2021)'','' And ''
Under the Boardwalk'' (2023).
Early life
Cannavale was born on May 3, 1970, in
Union City, New Jersey
Union City is a City (New Jersey), city in the North Hudson, New Jersey, northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the city was List of municipalities in Ne ...
, where he grew up, the son of Isabel and Salvatore "Sal" Cannavale. His father is of
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
descent, while his mother is
Cuban and moved to the U.S. in 1960.
He was raised
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
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 eight, 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 theatre, musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns a confidence trick, con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and ...
'' and later played a gangster in ''
Guys and Dolls
''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical theater, 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 Run ...
'', which cemented his love for performing. Cannavale's parents divorced when he was 14 and his mother moved the family to
Puerto Rico
; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
. After two years in the American territory, they settled in
Margate, Florida
Margate is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. The city of Margate is part of the Miami metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 58,712.
History
Margate was founded in the ...
. From 1983 to 1986, Cannavale attended
Coconut Creek High School, 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 plot centers on a newly elected district attorney played by Andy García, who i ...
'' (1997) and '' The Bone Collector'' (1999), Cannavale became well known when he starred as Bobby Caffey for two seasons on ''Third Watch
''Third Watch'' is an American crime drama television series created by John Wells and Edward Allen Bernero that aired on NBC from September 23, 1999, to May 6, 2005, with a total of 132 episodes spanning over six seasons. It was produced ...
''. Following this, in 2001, he starred with Alan Arkin
Alan Wolf Arkin (March 26, 1934 – June 29, 2023) was an American actor, filmmaker and musician. In a career spanning seven decades, he received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Tony A ...
in '' 100 Centre Street'' – which was written and directed by Sidney Lumet
Sidney Arthur Lumet ( ; June 25, 1924 – April 9, 2011) was an American film director. Lumet started his career in theatre before moving to film, where he gained a reputation for making realistic and gritty New York City, New York dramas w ...
, his then-father-in-law.
In 2002, he joined the cast of ''Ally McBeal
''Ally McBeal'' is an American legal comedy-drama television series created by David E. Kelley that originally aired on Fox from September 8, 1997, to May 20, 2002. It revolves around Calista Flockhart in the title role as a lawyer working ...
'' 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
''Will & Grace'' is an American television sitcom created by Max Mutchnick and David Kohan. Set in New York City, the show focuses on the friendship between best friends Will Truman (Eric McCormack), a Gay men, gay lawyer, and Grace Adler (Debra ...
'' as Vince D'Angelo, the boyfriend (and eventual husband
A husband is a man involved in a marital relationship, commonly referred to as a spouse. The specific rights, responsibilities, and societal status attributed to a husband can vary significantly across different cultures and historical perio ...
) of Will Truman (Eric McCormack
Eric James McCormack (born April 18, 1963) is a Canadian and American actor known for his roles as Will Truman in the NBC sitcom ''Will & Grace'', Grant MacLaren in Netflix's ''Travelers (TV series), Travelers'', and Dr. Daniel Pierce in the T ...
). However, in the reboot, they are revealed not to be married. For this role, he won the in 2005. He has also appeared in the films '' The Guru'' (2002), '' Shall We Dance?'' (2004), '' Romance & Cigarettes'' (2005) and '' Snakes on a Plane'', and guest-starred in ''Sex and the City
''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy, romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO, based on Sex and the City (newspaper column), the newspaper column and 1996 book by Candace Bushnell. It premiered in th ...
'', '' Six Feet Under'', '' Oz'', ''Law & Order
''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television, launching the ''Law & Order'' franchise.
''Law & Order'' aired its entire ...
'' – 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, 1960 or 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and film producer. He has appeared in more than 100 films, produced more than 20 films and documentaries, made more than 30 televisio ...
and Tyrese Gibson.
Cannavale serves as the voice of Corado R. Ciarlo, known as "Babe", in the Ken Burns
Kenneth Lauren Burns (born July 29, 1953) is an American filmmaker known for his documentary films and television series, many of which chronicle American history and culture. His work is often produced in association with WETA-TV or the Nati ...
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
film series '' The War'' (the story of World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
) from the perspective of the men who fought in combat and their loved ones at home. He also read the audiobook
An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements.
Spoken audio has been available in sch ...
versions of Richard Price
Richard Price (23 February 1723 – 19 April 1791) was a British moral philosopher, Nonconformist minister and mathematician. He was also a political reformer and pamphleteer, active in radical, republican, and liberal causes such as the F ...
's 2008 novel '' Lush Life'' and Ed Falco's 2012 novel '' The Family Corleone''. On August 25, 2008, ABC ordered his pilot ''Cupid
In classical mythology, Cupid ( , meaning "passionate desire") is the god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus and the god of war Mars. He is also known as Amor (Latin: ...
'', a remake of the 1998 program which had starred Jeremy Piven and Paula Marshall
Paula Marshall (born June 12, 1964) is an American actress.
Career
In 1990, Marshall had a guest role as Iris West, the love interest of Flash (Barry Allen) in the pilot episode on ''The Flash''. In 1991, she guest-starred on ''Superboy'' with ...
, 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 a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
nomination for his role as Dennis in the Broadway play, ''Mauritius
Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...
''. In 2009, CBS announced Cannavale would reprise his role of Det. Eddie Saccardo on the television show, ''Cold Case
''Cold Case'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series. It ran on CBS from September 28, 2003, to May 2, 2010. The series revolved around a fictionalized Philadelphia Police Department division that specializes in invest ...
'', for three episodes, starting with the third episode of Season 7. Cannavale was in the film ''The Other Guys
''The Other Guys'' is a 2010 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Adam McKay, who co-wrote it with Chris Henchy. It stars Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg with Eva Mendes, Michael Keaton, Steve Coogan, Ray Stevenson, Samu ...
'' (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 seasons 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
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
's '' Boardwalk Empire'', portraying the psychopathic Sicilian gangster Gyp Rosetti 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 in 2013. That same year he also played Lewis, a vengeful clown on ''Modern Family
''Modern Family'' is an American television sitcom, created by Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd, that aired on ABC for 11 seasons from September 23, 2009, to April 8, 2020. The series follows the lives of three diverse but interrelated fa ...
'' 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
In mass communication, digital media is any media (communication), communication media that operates in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. Digital content can be created, vi ...
'', 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 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, 1960 or 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and film producer. He has appeared in more than 100 films, produced more than 20 films and documentaries, made more than 30 televisio ...
; ''Mere Mortals'' by David Ives; and ''2 Dads'' by David Auburn.
In January 2020, Cannavale appeared with his real-life partner Rose Byrne
Mary Rose Byrne (born 24 July 1979) is an Australian actress. She made her screen debut in the film ''Dallas Doll'' (1994)
, and continued to act in Australian film and television throughout the 1990s. She gained her first leading film role in ...
in the play ''Medea
In Greek mythology, Medea (; ; ) is the daughter of Aeëtes, King Aeëtes of Colchis. Medea is known in most stories as a sorceress, an accomplished "wiktionary:φαρμακεία, pharmakeía" (medicinal magic), and is often depicted as a high- ...
'', 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, Switzerland and grew up in Cambridge and Melbourne. His father, Stuart Stone, was a biochemis ...
.
In 2021, Cannavale played Tony Hogburn in the Nicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an Australian and American actress and producer. Known for Nicole Kidman on screen and stage, her work in film and television productions across many genres, she has consistently ranked among the world ...
led Hulu
Hulu (, ) is an American Subscription business model, subscription streaming media service owned by Disney Streaming, a subsidiary of the Disney Entertainment segment of the Walt Disney Company. It was launched on October 29, 2007, initially as ...
miniseries '' Nine Perfect Strangers'' (based on the novel of the same name by Liane Moriarty), which also featured Melissa McCarthy
Melissa Ann McCarthy (born August 26, 1970) is an American actress, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. She is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Melissa McCarthy, numerous accolades, including two Primetime Emmy Award ...
, Michael Shannon
Michael Corbett Shannon (born August 7, 1974) is an American actor. Shannon received two Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor nominations, for '' Revolutionary Road'' (2008), and '' Nocturnal Animals'' (2016). He received Screen Actors Guil ...
, Luke Evans, Samara Weaving, and Asher Keddie.
In 2022, Cannavale was 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
Jenny Lumet (born February 2, 1967) is an American actress and screenwriter. She is the daughter of director Sidney Lumet and granddaughter of Lena Horne. Lumet wrote the original screenplay of the 2008 Jonathan Demme film '' Rachel Getting Marr ...
– director Sidney Lumet
Sidney Arthur Lumet ( ; June 25, 1924 – April 9, 2011) was an American film director. Lumet started his career in theatre before moving to film, where he gained a reputation for making realistic and gritty New York City, New York dramas w ...
's daughter and performer Lena Horne
Lena Mary Calhoun Horne (June 30, 1917 – May 9, 2010) was an American singer, actress, dancer and civil rights activist. Horne's career spanned more than seventy years and covered film, television and theatre.
Horne joined the chorus of the C ...
'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''.
From 2004 to 2007, he was in a relationship with Annabella Sciorra.
Cannavale has been in a relationship with Australian actress Rose Byrne
Mary Rose Byrne (born 24 July 1979) is an Australian actress. She made her screen debut in the film ''Dallas Doll'' (1994)
, and continued to act in Australian film and television throughout the 1990s. She gained her first leading film role in ...
since 2012. Their first son was born in 2016, and a second son in 2017.[Cannavale in ]
Filmography
Film
Television
Stage
Awards and nominations
Primetime Emmy Awards
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
Tony Awards
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cere ...
Other awards
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cannavale, Bobby
1970 births
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
Actors from Union City, New Jersey
American entertainers of Cuban descent
American male film actors
American male stage actors
American male television actors
American male voice actors
American people of Italian descent
Audiobook narrators
Drama Desk Award winners
Hispanic and Latino American male actors
Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute alumni
Living people
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
Union Hill High School alumni