Giancarlo Esposito has been stealing movies and shows for over 40 years. You may remember the actor and vaccine cheerleader as Buggin’ Out from Do the Right Thing, but did you know he was on three episodes of Miami Vice? Or that he spent two years on early ‘80s Guiding Light? Alas, the acclaimed actor didn’t become a household name until Breaking Bad, just over a decade ago. Since then he’s been a screen staple, even bringing Gus Fring back on Better Call Saul. Well, it appears he may be employed by AMC for the rest of his days.
As per Entertainment Weekly, Esposito is joining The Driver, an adaptation of a British limited series from 2014. Esposito has usually been cast in meaty supporting roles, but this time he gets to take on the lead. He’ll be playing an “everyman” taxi driver whose life, according to EW, “is forever changed when he crosses paths with a New Orleans-based Zimbabwean gangster who is known to exploit undocumented immigrants at various southern ports in the U.S.” Showrunner Theo Travers (Billions) called it a “high-voltage, dark identity quest for an everyman trying to find renewed purpose in his life.”
AMC isn’t the only place with Esposito on the company payroll. He can also be seen on Disney+ (The Mandalorian), Amazon (The Boys), Netflix (the forthcoming heist drama Jigsaw), and Epix (the also forthcoming crime drama Godfather of Harlem, starring Forest Whittaker).
Meanwhile, anyone who wants to stream the original version of The Driver can do so on Filmrise. And of course, you can still see more Gus Fring in the batch of Better Call Saul episodes that debut on April 18.
(Via EW)