Biography
Heavyset, memorably colorful character actor Louis Lombardi attained recognition for his ability to tackle both aggressive and jovial roles with equal deftness. A Bronx native, Lombardi specialized in a down-to-earth, unaffected acting style that he later termed "naturalistic." The thespian debuted on film at age 25 (c. 1993) in the drama
Amongst Friends. Though it received limited theatrical exposure, its run on the festival circuit and appearance at Sundance caught the eye of
Oliver Stone, who felt impressed by Lombardi and cast him as Deputy Sparky in the ultraviolent media evisceration
Natural Born Killers. 1994 represented Lombardi's breakthrough year - one that witnessed him not merely working with Stone, but with such heavyweights as
John Landis (in
Beverly Hills Cop III) and
Tim Burton (in
Ed Wood). By affording the actor the exposure he needed, that triple play left the door wide open for Lombardi to tackle new and successive projects on the big screen and on television, including the features
3000 Miles to Graceland (2001),
The Animal (2001) and
Wonderland (2003) , and such series as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,
Ugly Betty and
24. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide