Andy Garcia Reveals the Director Who Changed His Entire Career
Andy Garcia is back in the spotlight with a new role, but he's also looking back at the one Hollywood legend who completely transformed his path. Discover the story of the mentor who turned an actor into a director and the advice that shaped a generation of filmmakers.
There's no denying that Taylor Sheridan is shaking up Hollywood with his gritty, modern westerns, and in the process, he's giving a new platform to seasoned actors some viewers hadn't seen in a while. A prime example is Andy Garcia, who is making waves in the second season of _Landman_. Garcia first appeared as cartel leader Galliano in the season one finale of the Paramount Plus series, which is set against the backdrop of West Texas oilfields. The actor has mentioned feeling perfectly comfortable working alongside other 90s cinema mainstays like Billy Bob Thornton.
The 69-year-old actor also expressed his gratitude that Sheridan specifically developed the part for him. This came about because the show's creator was a big fan of Garcia's 1986 film _8 Million Ways to Die_, which also featured Jeff Bridges.
The Godfather's Influence
Garcia, whose big break came in the 1987 gangster classic _The Untouchables_ with Robert De Niro and Kevin Costner, has worked with some of the industry's finest. However, one filmmaker left an indelible mark on him. In the late '80s, Francis Ford Coppola was casting for _The Godfather: Part III_ and chose Garcia to play Vincent Mancini, Sonny Corleone's son. It was a role that altered the course of his professional life.
He said, “Francis inspires you to dream… (he) inspires you to go out and try things. That’s why he inspired a great director in his daughter, Sofia. He has that effect on you. I see [Coppola] as the man on the mountain you go to for advice and knowledge.”
From Actor to Filmmaker
While opinions on the third _Godfather_ installment are divided—some argue it was unnecessary, while others see it as a fitting conclusion to the trilogy, often praising Garcia's performance (though not so much Sofia's)—Garcia's admiration for its creator is unwavering. He credits Coppola with sparking his own ambition to direct. “He (Coppola) has done it for me. I’ve shown him movies, and he’s taken time out to sit in a cutting room for 48 hours straight, to talk about it philosophicaly, and why is that scene there, and why are you going there,” Garcia added. Speaking of _The Godfather: Part III,_ he stated, “I went into that movie as an actor, and I came out of it a filmmaker.”
Garcia is set to apply these lessons soon, as he is directing the upcoming movie _Diamond_. The modern noir, starring Brendan Fraser, Bill Murray, and Dustin Hoffman, follows a man with a haunted past and a unique talent for solving crimes.
A Mentor's Journey
Meanwhile, Coppola, now 86, has faced recent difficulties in the industry after investing $120 million of his own funds into the ill-fated sci-fi drama _Megalopolis_. The film, starring Adam Driver, earned less than $15 million at the box office. It was a passion project that took nearly five decades to realize, with studios repeatedly refusing to finance it and the 9/11 attacks forcing the production to scrap over 30 hours of footage.