Bobby Cannavale Biography

Bobby Cannavale

Date of Birth: May 3, 1970

Born and raised in Union City, New Jersey, Bobby Cannavale is of Italian and Cuban descent. As a child, he was deeply involved in the church, attending a Catholic school and serving as an altar boy. Bobby appeared in his first plays in church, cementing his passion for the arts.

Bobby's parents divorced when he was just five years of age. When his mother remarried, he moved with her and his new stepfather to Puerto Rico, but missed his father tremendously. Eventually he had the opportunity to move back to the States to live with his father and it was not long until his mother relocated to the States. Bobby moved with his mother to Florida and attempted to complete high school, but was kicked out in his senior year. At this point, he was determined to be an actor and moved back to New Jersey to be with his father and it was there that he finally completed his studies. While trying to break into theatre, Bobby lived with his grandmother and supported himself working as a doorman.

In 1994, Bobby’s life changed in two major ways. Though he had no formal acting experience or training, he was cast in The Normal Heart, leading to a breakthrough at the Circle Repertory Theatre. Bobby also met and fell in love with Jenny Lumet. Jenny descended from Hollywood royalty – her father, Sidney Lumet, was an American director, producer and screenwriter. Jenny’s maternal grandmother was the legendary singer, dancer, actress and civil-rights activist Lena Horne. Bobby and Jenny were married shortly after the closing show of The Normal Heart and their son, Jacob, was born the following May.

Bobby starred in a range of plays, eventually breaking into television in 1998 with a regular role on the short-lived NBC drama series Trinity. Though he also landed minor roles in films, his big break came in 1999 playing paramedic Bobby Caffey on the hit series Third Watch. Though the character was well received, Bobby felt restricted and asked creator John Wells to release his character, which he did, by having Bobby Caffey fatally shot.

After, Bobby challenged himself to more dramatic roles, taking on dramas such as 100 Centre Street and Six Feet Under. He also broadened his range on the big screen with roles opposite Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie in The Bone Collector (1999), and Peter Dinklage in The Station Agent (2003). Bobby has also appeared on television series such as Will & Grace, Modern Family and Boardwalk Empire.

He continues to grace the big screen with supporting roles in major motion pictures such as Blue Jasmine (2013), Chef (2014), Ant-Man (2015), I, Tonya (2018), the sequel Ant-Man and The Wasp (2018) and The Irishman (2019), which was directed by Martin Scorsese and stars Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci. In 2020, he starred in The Jesus Rolls, teaming up with John Turturro.

Bobby played the role of Colin Belfast in the first season of Amazon Prime Video's popular series, Homecoming in 2018 and reprised the role in several episodes of the second season, which debuted in 2020.

Unfortunately, Jenny and Bobby divorced in 2003, though Bobby claims his greatest passion is his son, Jacob. Bobby and his longtime girlfriend Rose Byrne, who both starred in the 2014 film adaptation of the musical Annie, also have a son together.

Filmography:

Ant-Man and The Wasp (2018)
Boundaries (2018)
The Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature (2017)
Ant-Man (2015)
Spy (2015)
Annie (2014)
Danny Collins (2014)
Adult Beginners (2014)
Chef (2014)
Blue Jasmine (2013)
Lovelace (2013)
Parker (2013)
Movie 43 (2013)
Roadie (2011)
Win Win (2011)
Weakness (2010)
The Other Guys (2010)
Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (2009)
Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009)
100 Feet (2008)
The Promotion (2008)
Diminished Capacity (2008)
The Merry Gentleman (2008)
The Take (2007)
Dedication (2007)
The Ten (2007)
10 Items or Less (2006)
Snakes on a Plane (2006)
Fast Food Nation (2006)
The Night Listener (2006)
Romance & Cigarettes (2005)
Happy Endings (2005)
The Breakup Artist (2004)
Shall We Dance (2004)
Haven (2004)
Fresh Cut Grass (2004)
Shortcut to Happiness (2003)
The Station Agent (2003)
The Guru (2002)
Washington Heights (2002)
3 A.M. (2001)
The Bone Collector (1999)
Gloria (1999)
I’m not Rappaport (1996)
Night Falls on Manhattan (1996)