In the US (Florida) from the early 1960s. In Cuba, Garcia's family was relatively affluent. But when Fidel Castro came to power, the family fled to Miami Beach when Andy was only 5. Forced to work bad jobs for a time, the Garcia family then built a million-dollar fragrance company from scratch. Andy was a popular student in high school, a good basketball player and good-looking. But when his senior year saw him battling mononucleosis and hepatitis, he turned his attention to acting. He first began acting at Florida International University. But soon he was headed out to Hollywood. His first break came as a gang member on the very first episode of the popular TV series "Hill Street Blues" (1981).
Able to project both toughness and sensitivity, he turned in a supremely villainous performance in 8 MILLION WAYS TO DIE (1986) before earning widespread recognition as an earnest, sharp-shooting FBI agent in Brian De Palma's THE UNTOUCHABLES (1987). He played another morally upright policeman in BLACK RAIN (1989) and an equally just -- if wrong-headed -- Board of Education official in STAND AND DELIVER (1987). His film roles since INTERNAL AFFAIRS (1990) have been mixed: a news-hack in the stylish noir DEAD AGAIN (1991), a do-good cop, scared of and drawn to his own romantic longings in the ephemeral JENNIFER 8 (1992), a homeless Vietnam vet with media savvy in HERO (1992); and the troubled but supportive husband of a recovering alcoholic (played by Meg Ryan) in WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN (1994).
Other notable screen credits include THINGS TO DO IN DENVER WHEN YOU'RE DEAD (1995), NIGHT FALLS ON MANHATTAN, THE DISAPPERANCE OF GARCIA LORCA (also composer & singer) and HOODLUM (all 1997), DESPERATE MEASURES (1998), JUST THE TICKET (1999, also producer), LAKEBOAT (2000), THE UNSAID (also exec. producer), THE MAN FROM ELYSIAN FIELDS (also producer) and OCEAN'S ELEVEN (all 2001), CONFIDENCE and JUST LIKE MONA (both 2003), TWISTED, THE LAZARUS CHILD, MODIGLIANI (also exec. prod.) and OCEAN'S TWELVE (all 2004) THE LOST CITY (2005, also exec. prod., composer & director), SMOKIN' ACES (2006), THE AIR I BREATHE and OCEAN'S THIRTEEN (both 2007), SOUTH OF THE BORDER, LA LINEA and THE LAST TESTAMENT OF LUCKY LUCIANO (all scheduled for 2008), and PINK PANTHER 2 and THE LAST FULL MEASURE (both scheduled for 2009).
Garcia has been married to Marivi Lorido Garcia since 1982, and they have 4 children. She was executive producer of Garcia's JUST THE TICKET.
Nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role 1990: THE GODFATHER, PART III
1 nomination