Michael Rispoli

A veteran of film, television, and the stage, frequent movie tough-guy Michael Rispoli, with his stocky build and unmistakable East Coast dialect, is the virtual personification of New York attitude. Born and raised in Tappan, NY, Rispoli launched his acting career at New York's famed Circle in the Square. Subsequently appearing for many years on the New York stage, Rispoli would turn up in such mainstay productions as Twelfth Night, MacBeth, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Though he would play up his tough-guy image in such early film and television appearances as Household Saints (1993) and Above the Rim (1994), his penchant for humor would slowly find Rispoli expanding his cinematic territory into comedy and lighter material such as Hacks (2001) and Death to Smoochy (2002). Nevertheless, frequent small-screen appearances in Third Watch, Big Apple, and most notably in the award-winning HBO organized crime-themed The Sopranos has found Rispoli frequently returning to the character roles that he so excels at. After a memorable supporting role in the romantic comedy While You Were Sleeping (1995), Rispoli leapt into leading man territory in the little-seen but warmly regarded romantic drama Two Family House (2000). As a blue-collar Italian-American New Yorker confronted with racism when he becomes romantically involved with an Irish immigrant who births an African-American child, Rispoli displayed a warmth and depth not yet reached in his previous two-dimensional roles, hinting at a promising future for the talented actor. On the heels of prominant supporting roles in such features as Mr. 3000, The Weatherman, and Lonely Hearts, Rispoli continued to flourish in features when he appeared in the inspirational 2006 sports drama Invincible.

~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide