Giancarlo Esposito can speak at length about his strategy for navigating a career in the arts, but what it all boils down to is quite simple: \u201cDo what means something, and then don\u2019t be exclusive.\u201d As first a child actor doing musical theater, then a voiceover and radio artist (Backstage magazine in hand), then as an award-winning scene-stealer onscreen, Giancarlo has pursued every role with the kind of passion required to persevere in such a fickle industry. \u201cYour intention is proved out over time,\u201d he tells his fellow artists. \u201cIf you feel like you\u2019re connected to that gift, then pursue that, whatever that is.\u201d\n\nBorn in Copenhagen and raised in Manhattan, Giancarlo spent his teenage years in Broadway musicals, then turned a radio and television communications degree at Elizabeth Seton College into a screen career. His Hollywood breakout came courtesy of Spike Lee in \u201cSchool Daze,\u201d then \u201cDo the Right Thing,\u201d \u201cMo\u2019 Better Blues,\u201d and \u201cMalcolm X,\u201d as well as \u201cTaps,\u201d \u201cThe Usual Suspects,\u201d \u201cAli,\u201d \u201cOnce Upon a Time,\u201d \u201cRevolution,\u201d \u201cOkja,\u201d and last year\u2019s \u201cUnpregnant\u201d and \u201cStar Girl.\u201d He\u2019s recently dominated prestige TV, earning five Emmy Award nominations\u2014including this year as Moff Gideon on Disney+\u2019s \u201cThe Mandalorian\u201d and, most famously, as Gus Fring on AMC\u2019s \u201cBreaking Bad\u201d and \u201cBetter Call Saul\u201d\u2014and has appeared on Netflix\u2019s \u201cDear White People,\u201d Epix\u2019s \u201cGodfather of Harlem,\u201d and Amazon\u2019s \u201cThe Boys.\u201d To read more of Giancarlo\u2019s wisdom, head over to backstage.com: https://bit.ly/3m7FL5f\n--\nBackstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage\u2019s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today\u2019s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Jack Smart, Awards Editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ\n\nFollow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:\n- https://www.facebook.com/backstage\n- https://www.twitter.com/backstage\n- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope\n- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast\n\nLooking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe\nBrowse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e\nCheck out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0\nBackstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5\n\nSpecial thanks to...\n- Host: Jack Smart\n- Producer: Jamie Muffett\n- Social media: Katie Minard, Alysa Cirelli\n- Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins\n- Additional support: Christine McKenna-Tirella, Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Benjamin Lindsay, Oriella St. Louis