Giovanni Ribisi

Known for his quirky characterizations, actor Giovanni Ribisi amassed an impressive list of credits early in his career. After building a solid reputation with guest spots on various popular series, Ribisi first made an impact with his portrayal of the bizarre yet lovable Frank, Jr. in several episodes of the hit sitcom "Friends" (NBC, 1994-2004). Supporting work in director Tom Hanks' dramedy "That Thing You Do!" (1996) and the lead role in Richard Linklater's indie offering, "SubUrbia" (1996) quickly made him a young talent to watch. Ribisi stuck with the winning formula when he appeared alongside Hanks in Steven Spielberg's harrowing "Saving Private Ryan" (1999) then garnered acclaim as the star of the stock market drama, "Boiler Room" (2000). He frequently delivered unnerving performances as disturbed or outright unlikable characters in high-profile projects like "The Gift" (2000) and "Cold Mountain" (2003). And despite appearing in his fair share of big budget flops like "Flight of the Phoenix" (2004) and "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" (2004), Ribisi could always be depended upon to bring something just left-of-center to each character he played. By the turn of the decade, he had become one of the more sought after character actors, appearing in mainstream features like "Avatar" (2009), "The Rum Diary" (2011) and "Contraband" (2012). The talented Ribisi never failed to surprise audiences with characters that combined a mix of the better and baser elements of human nature, though not always in equal measure.