Anthony LaPaglia Biography

ANTHONY LAPAGLIA

Date of Birth: January 31, 1959

Born in Adelaide, Australia, Anthony LaPaglia's first career choice was to be a teacher, but after three months on the job, he realized his heart wasn't in it. Instead, he moved to New York to become an actor. At first, he found it difficult to get work, because at auditions, after demonstrating for the casting people his American accent, they would say they could still hear that he was Australian. From then on, he told people he was from Brooklyn and would walk in speaking with an American accent. After that, he began landing numerous roles requiring a native New Yorker of Italian descent. LaPaglia's career started off in the theater, where he gained valuable experience.

LaPaglia's brooding, intense qualities transferred well onto the screen after making appearances on television shows such as Amazing Stories, Magnum, P.I., Hunter and Trapper John, M.D., he landed the title role in the TV movie Frank Nitti: The Enforcer (1988), followed by principal roles in feature films such as Betsy's Wedding (1989), in which he played a charming, polite mobster opposite Alan Alda.

LaPaglia has worked steadily ever since, appearing in three to seven films and TV movies per year. In 2000, he returned to Australia to play the lead role in the feature Lantana (2001). LaPaglia likes to research his roles, and to play Detective Leon Zat in the film, he spent 48 hours with two Sydney detectives, sitting in the back of their car while they were on duty. The film won awards from filmmaking societies and festivals around the world, and LaPaglia won the "Best Actor in a Leading Role" award from the Australian Film Institute for his part in the production.

LaPaglia has also won many awards for his stage work, including a Theatre World Award in 1995 for The Rose Tatoo; and an Outer Critics Circle award, a Drama Desk award and a Tony for his performance in Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge in 1998. As well, he won an Emmy for "Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series" for his work on the popular sitcom Frasier.

In 2002, he landed a lead role in the CBS TV series Without a Trace, playing FBI agent Jack Malone. It was a series he would work on until 2009, appearing in 160 episodes. For his work in the drama series, he won a Golden Globe in 2004. Also in 2002, he appeared in the drama The Guys with Sigourney Weaver.

The remainder of the 2000s held work for Anthony in projects including the family drama Winter Solstice (2004) with Allison Janney, the drama The Architect (2006) with Viola Davis and Isabella Rossellini

, and the Oscar-winning animated comedy Happy Feet (2006) with Robin Williams and Nicole Kidman, among others.

Moving into the next decade, Anthony lent his voice to the animated action adventure Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010) and the sequel to Happy Feet, titled Happy Feet 2 (2011). He acted in the biopic drama Underground: The Julian Assange Story (2012) with Rachel Griffiths, the thriller A Good Marriage (2014) with Joan Allen, and the TV movie The Eichmann Show (2015) with Martin Freeman.

Anthony's latest credits include the action thriller The Assignment (2017) with Sigourney Weaver and Michelle Rodgriguez, and the thriller Annabelle: Creation (2017).

LaPaglia was married to Australian actress Gia Carides from 1998-2016. They have one child together.

Filmography:

Annabelle: Creation (2017)
The Assignment (2017)
Newcomer (2015)
A Month of Sundays (2015)
Holding the Man (2015)
This Isn't Funny (2015)
Big Stone Gap (2014)
A Good Marriage (2014)
Crazy Kind of Love (2013)
Underground: The Julian Assange Story (2012)
Mental (2012)
Overnight (2012)
Happy Feet 2 (2011)
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010)
Balibo (2009)
Happy Feet (2006)
Played (2006)
The Architect (2006)
Winter Solstice (2004)
Spinning Boris (2003)
Happy Hour (2003)
Manhood (2003)
Analyze That (2002)
The Guys (2002)
I'm with Lucy (2002)
Dead Heat (2002)
Road to Perdition (2002)
The Salton Sea (2002)
The Bank (2001)
Lantana (2001)
Jack the Dog (2001)
Autumn in New York (2000)
The House of Mirth (2000)
Looking for Alibrandi (2000)
Company Man (2000)
Sweet and Lowdown (1999)
Summer of Sam (1999)
Phoenix (1998)
Commandments (1997)
Brilliant Lies (1996)
Trees Lounge (1996)
Empire Records (1995)
Chameleon (1995)
Mixed Nuts (1994)
Paperback Romance (1994)
The Client (1994)
Killer (1994)
The Custodian (1993)
So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993)
Innocent Blood (1992)
Whispers in the Dark (1992)
29th Street (1991)
One Good Cop (1991)
He Said, She Said (1991)
Betsy's Wedding (1990)
Mortal Sins (1989)
Slaves of New York (1989)
Cold Steel (1987)