An exceptionally handsome Australian triple threat, Adam Garcia made an impressive American debut as the boyfriend of an aspiring singer turned bartender (played by Piper Perabo) in "Coyote Ugly" (2000). London theatergoers were already aware of his talents, though, most notably from his starring turn in the stage musical adaptation of "Saturday Night Fever". Raised in suburb of Sydney, Australia, this dark-haired son of a Colombian immigrant first began studying dance at around age six. While his school chums were pursuing more mundane things, Garcia was attending ballet and tap classes at the famed Capital Dance Studios. He earned his first paycheck as a teenager tap dancing on the steps of Sydney's town hall under the direction of Baz Luhrmann and subsequently collaborated with Dein Perry, co-founding the All Tap Company. (Garcia was not involved with Perry's subsequent more well-known troupe Tap Dogs.)
Garcia made his acting debut with a one-line role on the Australian TV series "Home and Away" but it was his stage role as the younger brother in the popular stage musical "Hot Shoe Shuffle" that first catapulted him to attention. Following a successful tour of Australia, he recreated the part in London's West End and went on to appear in a handful of other important productions in England. In 1995, he played Doody in a production of "Grease" and then displayed his dramatic chops as Al in the stage adaptation of "Birdy" in 1997. In between, Garcia was a presence on British TV as a co-presenter on the children's program "Boiled Eggs and Soldiers" and playing an Australian student in "Dream Team" (both 1996).
Garcia landed his first film role as an American miner ogled by Stephen Fry's Oscar Wilde in the 1997 biopic "Wilde". Later that year, he created a stir stepping into John Travolta's platform shoes as Tony Manero in the London staging of "Saturday Night Fever". While many felt the show had problems, there were almost unanimous raves for Garcia and his sexy, swaggering take on the role. Turning down the opportunity to recreate the role on Broadway (he did not want to sign a one-year contract), he reunited with Dein Perry for Perry's feature directorial debut "Bootmen" (2000), playing Sean, a young steelworker who leaves his job to pursue tap dancing. Before audiences could see him display his considerable terpsichorean gifts, however, they could view his star-making turn in "Coyote Ugly". Capitalizing on the hype and buzz, Garcia signed to star opposite Drew Barrymore (as her grown son!) in the romantic comedy "Riding in Cars with Boys" (2001).
Profession(s):
Actor, singer, dancer, TV host
Sometimes Credited As:
Adam Gabriel Garcia
2006 Co-starred in the indie comedy "Standing Still"
2004 Co-starred with Lindsay Lohan in "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen"
2002 Starred in "The First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest"
2001 Cast as Drew Barrymore's grown son in "Riding in Cars with Boys"
2000 Reunited with Dein Perry as star of Perry's film directorial debut the musical drama "Bootmen"; filmed before "Coyote Ugly" but released theatrically after
2000 US feature debut, "Coyote Ugly"
2000 Acted for one-week only in the London production "Cadillac Ranch"
1998 Starred in West End production of "Saturday Night Fever"
1997 Co-starred as Al in the London stage adaptation of "Birdy"
1997 Had small role as a miner in "Wilde"
1996 Was co-presenter on the British children's program "Boiled Eggs and Soldiers"
1996 Had role in the British TV series "Dream Team", playing an Australian studying at university in England
1995 Cast as Doody in a British production of "Grease"
1994 London stage debut in West End production of "Hot Shoe Shuffle"
1992 - 1993 Had featured role in the stage musical "Hot Shoe Shuffle"; toured Australia
1979 Began dance lesson at age six (date approximate)
Raised in Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia
First professional dancing gig as a teenager, tap-danced on the steps of the town hall in Sydney under the direction of Baz Luhrmann
Was a founding member of the Australian dance troupe Dein Perry's All Tap Company
Acting debut, one-line role in the Australian TV show "Home and Away"
