Armand Anthony Assante Jr. first appeared in the TV soap-opera ‘How to Survive a Marriage’ (1974-1975). Though his first movie appearance was in ‘The Lords of Flatbush’ (1974), his part got edited. He next co-starred with Sylvester Stallone in the sports-drama film ‘Paradise Alley’ (1978). He appeared as a regular in the soap opera ‘The Doctors’ (1975-1977).
After featuring in the sci-fi horror film ‘Prophecy’ (1979) and ‘Little Darlings’ (1980), Assante’s work in the hit comedy ‘Private Benjamin’ (1982) brought him recognition. His performance in the neo-noir crime thriller ‘I, the Jury’ as detective ‘Mike Hammer,’ the romantic-comedy ‘Unfaithfully Yours’ (1984) as violin-player ‘Maximillian Stein,’ the title role in ‘Belizaire the Cajun’ (9186), and the lead in the comedy film ‘Animal Behavior’ (1989) fetched appreciation.
Assante’s role as ‘crime-boss Texador’ in the crime film ‘Q & A’ (1990) earned him ‘Golden Globe’ nomination for ‘Supporting Actor.’ Further he played ‘Mafioso Bugsy Siegel’ in the romantic comedy ‘The Marrying Man’ (1991), a band leader ‘Caesar’ in the musical drama film ‘The Mambo King’ (1992), the mob boss in the biopic crime film ‘Hoffa’ (1992) and ‘Sanchez’ in the historical drama film ‘1492: Conquest of Paradise’ (1992).
Assante also starred in several TV-films, including ‘Rage of Angels’ (1983) as ‘Mobster Moretti,’ followed by ‘Why Me?’ (1984), the lead role in ‘Passion & Paradise’ (1989), the thriller ‘Fever’ (1991), the Western ‘Blind Justice’ (1994), the drama film ‘Kidnapped’ and more.
Assante played the title role in the biopic of NY gangster in the TV film ‘Gotti’ (1996), winning ‘Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor.’ In the miniseries ‘Napoleon & Josephine: A Love Story’ (1987), he played ‘Napoleon’ and his roles as ‘Richard Mansfield’ in the miniseries ‘Jack the Ripper’ (1988) and as ‘Odysseus’ in ‘The Odyssey’ (1997) fetched him nominations.
Assante next starred in the sex comedy thriller ‘Fatal Instinct’ (1993), the legal thriller ‘Tried by Jury’ (1994), the sci-fi action ‘Judge Dredd’ (1995), the black comedy ‘Striptease’ (1996), the crime thriller ‘Dot.Kill’ (2005), the sports drama ‘Two for the Money’ (2005), ‘Surveillance’ (2006), the crime biopic ‘American Gangster’ (2007), the title role in the art drama film ‘When Nietzsche Wept’ (2007), and the horror thriller ‘Smile’ (2009).
Assante’s later films include the thriller drama ‘Assumed Killer’ (2013), the crime drama ‘Con Man’ (2018), and the sports historical drama ‘The Match’ (2021). He currently appears in the crime drama TV-series ‘The Family Business’ (2018-present).
A fictionalized account of the criminal career of gangster Frank Lucas who was notorious for smuggling heroin, American Gangster is a crime film produced by Ridley Scott. A critical and commercial success, the film was nominated for 21 awards.
Sicilian Vampire is a horror drama thriller film which tells the story of a mobster, who becomes a vampire after being bitten by a bat. He receives supernatural powers, including the ability to speak to the dead. He feels that he should use his newfound abilities to set things right to everything that he has ever done wrong.
Private Benjamin is a war comedy film which revolves around a Jewish American woman named Judy Benjamin, who is devastated after her husband drops dead on the night of their wedding. She soon enlists in the Women’s Army Corps, on a whim, thinking of it as a vacation. But military life proves to be much harder than her expectations.
A fictionalized version of the infamous Teamster leader Jimmy Hoffa’s life. He starts as a Teamster union organizer and rises to become the president of the 'International Brotherhood of Teamsters.' Forming an alliance between the union and mafia, he illegally uses Teamster funds for mob. Following frequent battles with industry management and the Attorney General, he serves prison sentence, but after his release, disappears mysteriously in 1975.
Victor has infiltrated the criminal empire of kingpin Alphonse Hoyt to make Alphonse pay for the murder of his wife and daughter. Victor’s actions are noticed by his neighbor Beatrice who wants to blackmail Victor to take revenge on the man who disfigured her face. A final confrontation will decide all of their fates.
This film revolves around the journey of Christopher Columbus, who was determined to find a sea route to India. He set sail with three ships, after convincing the Queen to finance his expedition. Eventually, he discovers North America, and upon his return, he is appointed governor of the new territory.
Captain Michael Brennan, a veteran cop, shoots down a Puerto Rican young man. However, he covers up his murder, threatens all witnesses, and is able to ensure silence. Things take a turn when a young district attorney named Aloysius Francis Reilly decides to take on the case, in order to prove that Brennan is a dirty cop.
The Mambo Kings is a musical drama film which tells the story of two brothers from Cuba, named Cesar and Nestor, who leave for America in the 1950s. They hope to find success in the Latin music scene. While Cesar, the older brother, is a ladies’ man, his younger brother Nestor, is still unable to forget the woman he loved in Cuba. The lives of both brothers eventually take a turn, after being discovered by Desi Arnaz.
Two for the Money is a sports crime drama film, which tells the story of Brandon Lang, a former college football star, who sustains an injury that ends his career. He eventually aligns himself with a renowned tout in the sports-gambling business.
Ned Ravine is both a police officer and an lawyer who sometimes even defends the people he arrests. He also occasionally cheats on his wife. Meanwhile, she is planning to get rid of him for the insurance money.
The Marrying Man is a romantic drama musical film which tells the story of Charley, a rich millionaire playboy, who meets a singer named Vicki and falls madly in love with her, despite the fact that he barely even knows her. However, her boyfriend is a gangster, and when he finds them together in bed, instead of killing Charley, he forces them to get married. This jeopardizes Charley’s life as his girlfriend leaves him, and it soon seems that Vicki is not his kind of woman at all.
Jennie Adams, the daughter of a US Ambassador, has vanished mysteriously all of a sudden. A veteran detective named Alfonso Palermo is assigned to search for the little girl and find her. Problem is that Alfonso is struggling with alcoholism, as he had lost his wife and his daughter years ago in a car accident. Despite this, he is determined to find the girl and will not let anything get in the way.
In the future, with humanity in chaos and the Earth in decay, Joseph Dredd and other Judges, act as the police office, judge, jury, and executioner to keep order. When Dredd is framed for murder by former judge Rico and Griffin, he must wage a war to clear his name and uncover conspiracies.
A billionaire businessman hires a man in order to influence a South American dictator. Soon, the man starts having an affair with the wife of the billionaire after being infatuated with her, which turns the situation complicated.
Erin Grant, former FBI secretary, loses her job due to her criminal ex-husband and also loses custody of her daughter, Angela. She turns stripper to earn money for an appeal in custody case. David Dilbeck, a congressman, gets interested in her and even extends personal invitation. But as she starts suspecting Dilbeck’s involvement in unlawful operations, it puts her life in danger.
In 1519, con-artists Miguel and Tulio win a map to the secret City of Gold, El Dorado. Afterwards, they escape on a ship led by conquistador Cortés to the New World. After the two accidentally discover El Dorado they are portrayed as Gods by a local priest who has his own motives. The two must save the city.
Armand Assante Awards
| Gotti | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special | 1997 |
