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Not every celebrity starts out living a life of luxury. While it is true that some Hollywood stars are born into famous families, and others begin earning money at a young age, there are still those who come from humble beginnings. Giancarlo Esposito worked hard to get where he is, and with several prominent roles, the actor is now a household name. Esposito has been in the business for decades, and there is no doubt that he has a pretty amazing life today. However, many fans may be surprised to learn that before Esposito was a famous actor, he shared a loft with Laurence Fishburne, with no bathroom or front door. 

Giancarlo Esposito’s acting career

Giancarlo Esposito smiles for a photo in front of a backdrop featuring the logo for "The Mandalorian"
Giancarlo Esposito attends the Los Angeles Premiere of Disney+ “The Mandalorian” Season 3 I Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Known for his roles as Gustavo Fring in the AMC series Breaking Bad and Moff Gideon on Disney+’s The Mandalorian Esposito has been enjoying a wildly successful acting career. Born in Denmark and relocating to New York City as a small child, the actor came from a theatrical background, so it is safe to say that entertaining others is in his blood. IMDb reports that Esposito first appeared on Broadway when he was only eight years old, with a role in Maggie Flynn.

The actor went on to do more stage work in the 1960s and 70s, and along the way, he took some small movie and television roles. During his rise to fame, Esposito played Agent Mike Giardello in the series Homicide: Life on the Street, and things took off from there. Fans will recognize the actor from roles in shows such as The $treet, NYPD Blue, Revolution, and many more. He also appeared in a few direct-to-video films and has also done plenty of voiceover work. It was in 2009 that Esposito was cast in Breaking Bad, a role that earned him several award nominations. His popularity soared when he landed a starring role in The Mandalorian, and Esposito has been unstoppable ever since. 

Giancarlo Esposito reveals that he shared a loft with Laurence Fishburne

Plenty of successful actors once shared small living quarters with others, however, Esposito and Fishburne took this to a new level entirely. It was in a recent interview that Esposito revealed the details, sitting down on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to talk about how their loft was a little on the modest side. When asked about when he first came to Los Angeles, the actor spoke about how he met Fishburne at an audition. He went on to add that Fishburne told him that he was getting a loft, that the two could “split the rent”, but that it “wasn’t in great shape.” Esposito said he went to downtown L.A. to check the place out.

Esposito then told Kimmel that it was an “absolute vast warehouse”, with “no working bathroom and no front door.” As if that weren’t enough, the actor added how he and Fishburne had to put a box at the window in order to get in and out of the loft. While it might have been a dire situation at the time, everyone got a good laugh while hearing the story years later.

Giancarlo Esposito and Laurence Fishburne are still friends

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The interesting living situation didn’t put a damper on Esposito and Fishburne’s friendship. Four decades after being roommates, the two are still close friends, just as much as they were when Esposito first came to Los Angeles. It seems that Esposito is grateful towards his buddy for giving him a place to live when he first arrived in L.A. in order to pursue auditions for bigger and better roles, and neither of them has ever forgotten the support that they provided each other all those years ago.