Biography for
Giovanni Ribisi More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

Birth Name

Nickname

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Mini Biography

Spouse

Trivia

Daughter Lucia (born December 1997) is named after the doomed heroine in the Donizetti opera.

Family: Son of Gay Ribisi; older brother of Gina Ribisi; twin brother (15 minutes older) of Marissa Ribisi; brother-in-law of Beck.

Studied acting at The Beverly Hills Playhouse with Milton Katselas.

Once competed on family game show "I'm Telling!" (1987) with sister Marissa Ribisi.

Won the ShoWest Newcomer of the Year Award in 1999.

Made the cover of "Vanity Fair" after receiving critical kudos for Saving Private Ryan (1998).

Best known on TV in the recurring role of Lisa Kudrow's dim-bulb brother on "Friends" (1994).

Perennially boyish American character actor known for his dark, somber demeanor, stark versatility and bizarre, off-the-wall performances in cutting edge contemporary films.

Clashed with filmmakers on the Basic (2003) set because of the inclusion of a female Special Forces operative. Women are not eligible for combat in the US military. He felt it compromised the integrity of the story.

He is 15 minutes older than twin sister Marissa Ribisi.

When he was a child, his family had a pet dachshund named Low-Rider.

Was approached to play "Lynch McGraw" in Hero Wanted (2008) but turned it down.

Was born at 8:15pm.

Often eats at Los Feliz restaurant Little Doms. Sandra Oh, Hannah Telle, Michael Cera, Drew Barrymore, and Katherine Heigl also frequent this local hot spot.

He's of Italian origin.

First appeared, uncredited, on "Friends" (1994) in "Friends: The One with the Baby on the Bus (#2.6)" (1995) at the end, as the guy who had dropped a condom in Phoebe's guitar while she was singing in front of Central Perk (because the manager hired a professional musician). Later that season, he came back in "Friends: The One with the Bullies (#2.21)" (1996) as "Frank Buffay Jr.", Phoebe's younger half-brother, a character that stayed for 8 episodes over several seasons.

Brother-in-law of Beck and Channing Hansen.

Personal Quotes

For me, acting is all about the aesthetic. I just want to keep honing my craft. Not that I'm taking myself too seriously, but every artist should consider himself Picasso. Otherwise, you're doing yourself an injustice.

My mother told me I was begging her to be an actor when I was four. My father and my grandfather saw at least one or two movies a week; they were film buffs, so I guess it just rubbed off on me. And now it's kind of become a way of life for me. I could almost say it is my religion. I guess that sounds pretentious. But I want to live and breathe cinema. - Reel Interview, 2000.

(On being recognized for his "Friends" (1994) episodes) I did "Friends" usually always while I was doing another movie. I would literally have to get off the set and rush to Warner Bros. and look at the script and have to do it right there in front of an audience. It's like a blip in my memory where I was stressed out, trying to remember lines. So people come up and say, 'The guy who melts stuff!' and I don't even remember it. Like, what are you talking about?

(On getting into character) I do have a certain technique that varies from part to part because everybody is different. But I don't want to have a viewpoint in terms of fame or being a leading man. I feel like I'm on a certain path as far as my technique and I'm trying to get better and better and better. I want to maintain that and be more committed every time out and learn more about myself.

[2007] I just consider myself a committed actor. If a movie is a success, that's great; I'm happy for that. But I've learned just to concentrate on my job and do the best that I can.

[on auditions] It's not necessarily me auditioning for them. It's them auditioning for me as well, and really seeing how the rapport will be with the director. The work starts immediately there.

[2007] I'm really happy with where I am, the movies in my life. Not satisfied, necessarily. But I won't put it on somebody else, blame anybody else for my position in the business. It's the choices I have made.

[2007] I really think a film's success doesn't have that much to do with how good-looking the leading man is. It's about the quality of the film and the performances. I think I'm more leading man than 50 percent of the leading men out there. What I do is more about me and my choices than about what hole Hollywood might think about putting me into.

(2011, on landing The Rum Diary (2011)) I had worked on a movie called Public Enemies (2009) with Johnny Depp, and then I heard that he was doing this. So I actually wrote him a little note saying if he needed any help with craft service or anything like that, that would be wonderful, I'm around, I'm available. Next thing I know, I was sitting in front of (director) Bruce Robinson and we spoke about the character for a couple of hours. And then we all found ourselves down in Puerto Rico.

Where Are They Now

(February 2002) Attended the Berlin Film Festival.

(May 2009) Attended the 62nd Annual Cannes Film Festival in France.