Giovanni Ribisi

Giovanni Ribisi has built the kind of career that is difficult to reduce to a single type of role—or even a single side of the camera. Born in Los Angeles on December 17, 1974, the American actor began working at a young age, appearing in the 1980s sitcom My Two Dads before moving into film roles during the 1990s. For many viewers, Ribisi first became a familiar presence through Friends, where he played Phoebe Buffay’s half-brother in a recurring role. By the end of the decade, he was taking on significant parts in successful films, establishing a screen career that could move between comedy, drama and large-scale productions. His later television work included a three-season starring role as Marius, also known as Pete, in the Amazon series Sneaky Pete. A guest appearance on My Name Is Earl brought him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. On the blockbuster end of his filmography, Ribisi plays corporate administrator Parker Selfridge in the Avatar franchise. He has also appeared in Horizon: An American Saga as H., adding another expansive production to a career that has never stayed confined to one format or scale. Ribisi’s work behind the camera has become another important part of that story. In 2016, he directed the music video for The Kills’ “Siberian Nights,” the third single from the album Ash & Ice. He made his feature-film debut as a cinematographer with the 2024 independent film Strange Darling, extending his involvement in filmmaking beyond performance. His occupations have also included producing and directing. Ribisi is set to play boxing trainer Angelo Dundee in The Greatest, Amazon Prime Video’s limited series about Muhammad Ali. It is another character role in a career shaped by steady shifts between television, independent film and major studio productions.