Tony Amendola

Tony Amendola was born on August 24, 1951, in New Haven, Connecticut. He was the first in his family to attend college, initially pursuing pre-law courses before discovering a passion for theater. He graduated from Southern Connecticut State University in 1974 and earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from Temple University in 1977. In 1978, Amendola moved to Los Angeles to begin a career in film and television, building upon a strong foundation in theatrical performances. He spent the initial 12 years of his professional life primarily in theater, performing in acclaimed productions Off-Broadway and in leading roles at regional theaters across America, including the Mark Taper Forum, Berkeley Repertory, American Conservatory Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Utah Shakespeare, La Jolla Playhouse, and the Old Globe. His stage roles included notable characters such as Cyrano, Iago, Uncle Vanya, Shylock, Salieri, and Lear.

Amendola’s career transitioned into film and television, where he has appeared in over 40 years of productions. His film credits include significant roles in “Blow” (2001) alongside Johnny Depp, “The Mask of Zorro” (1998) with Anthony Hopkins and Antonio Banderas, and John Sayles’ “Lone Star” (1996). He has also featured in genre films such as “Annabelle” (2014) as Father Perez and “The Meddler” (2015) with Susan Sarandon. On television, Amendola is recognized for recurring roles like Geppetto in ABC’s “Once Upon a Time,” Edouard Kagame in “Continuum,” and Master Bra’tac in “Stargate SG-1.” He has also made guest appearances in numerous series including “Blackbird,” “Law and Order,” “Dexter,” “Seinfeld,” “The Practice,” “Will & Grace,” and “Shooter.”

In addition to live-action work, Amendola has an extensive career in voice acting and motion capture. He has a recurring role in the “World of Warcraft” video game series, voicing Archmage Khadgar across multiple expansions from “Warlords of Draenor” to “The War Within.” He also voiced Eno Cordova in the “Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order” (2019) and “Star Wars Jedi: Survivor” (2023) video games. Amendola is a founding member and former Co-Artistic Director of the Antaeus Company, a Los Angeles theater dedicated to classical productions.