Assante lent his Mediterranean good looks to the role of Jewish mobster Bugsy Siegel in "The Marrying Man" (1991) and then portrayed a Cuban musician in pursuit of the American dream in "The Mambo Kings" (1992). Although he has played a fair number of leading roles, the handsome Assante hasn't quite become a feature film star. "Mambo Kings", for instance, though liked by many critics, remained relatively unseen, and his valiant shot at comedy went for naught when the unfunny spoof "Fatal Instinct" (1993) died at the box office. He has shined brightest as the star of numerous TV miniseries, reprising his role as Napoleon in ABC's "Napoleon and Josephine: A Love Story" (1987) and receiving Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for his performance in "Jack the Ripper" (CBS, 1989). Assante replaced the injured Christopher Reeve for the Family Channel's "Kidnapped" (1995) and then really hit his stride with his Emmy-winning portrayal of reputed crime boss John Gotti in HBO's "Gotti" (1996). He followed with a turn in NBC's "The Odyssey" (1997) as Homer's well-traveled warrior-lover Odysseus.
Assante returned to the big screen as a singer remembering the past in "Looking for an Echo" (1998) He then portrayed the lead character Dwight Towers in the made-for-television drama "On The Beach" (2000). In 2002, he co-starred in the "Push, Nevada," a mystery series written by Ben Affleck directed by John MacNaughton. After voicing the deceitful high priest in “The Road to El Dorado” (2000), Assante played a former Cold War spy who seeks vengeance on a former KGB assassin in “Last Run” (2000). Assante went on to play a wealthy businessman in “After the Storm” (USA, 2001), an adaptation of the Ernest Hemingway short story, then starred as a former Chicago mobster who gets a new life and identity after testifying against his bosses in “Federal Protection” (2002). Appearances in the indie features “Tough Luck” (2003), “One Eyed Kings” (2004) and “Citizen Verdict” (2005) were followed by a supporting role in “Two For the Money” (2005), a gambling drama about a former college basketball star (Matthew McConaughey) who turns to sports wagering after a career-ending injury.