Armand Assante Facts: Celebrities Who Started on Soaps

Armand Assante is a successful television and film actor who is best known for his work in movies such as Judge Dredd, When Nietzsche Wept, American Gangster, and I, the Jury. He also worked on soaps early in his career.

Along with his soaps and film career, Assante has appeared in many primetime television shows over the years, including The Deuce, The Family Business, Law & Order: SVU, NCIS, and ER. From where he was born and raised to winning a major award, here are five fast facts about the actor.

Who Is Armand Assante?

Assante was born on October 4 in New York City, but he was raised in Cornwall, New York. He’s the son of Armand Anthony Assante Sr., who was a painter, and Katherine Assante, a music teacher and a poet. He graduated from Cornwall Central High School and went on to receive training at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Soap Beginnings
Assante landed two roles on soaps early in his career, the first being on the NBC soap How to Survive a Marriage as Johnny McGee. He then went on to play Dr. Mike Powers on The Doctors, a role he had for a couple of years.

Primetime Emmy Winner
Following years of working in Hollywood, Assante was cast as famous crime kingpin John Gotti in the 1996 made-for-television movie, Gotti. He was nominated for a number of awards, including a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild, and he ended up taking home the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie.

Three-Time Co-Star

The handsome actor has worked with Sylvester Stallone in three different movies, the first being The Lords of Flatbush in 1974. He then worked with him in Paradise Alley in 1978 and Judge Dredd in 1995. In fact, Assante played Stallone’s brother in the first two films.

Getting Personal With Armand Assante
Assante married his wife Karen on February 28, 1982, but the couple called it quits in 1994. They have two daughters, Anya and Alessandra. Since their split, Assante has been living on a 225-acre farm in upstate New York.