But after several years of on-the-edge characters, Garcia softened his screen image as the too-good-to-be-true husband of an alcoholic (Meg Ryan) in When a Man Loves a Woman (1994).

Garcia's career waned a bit during the second half of the '90s, and the actor concentrated some of his energies on starring in various made-for-TV movies and such Spanish-made films as Death in Granada (1997). Although Garcia found his place in American cinema -- indeed, he was one of the few Latino stars to successfully cross over into Hollywood films -- his deep connection and loyalty to his Cuban heritage was illustrated by his involvement in projects that reflect that sentiment. He has produced and directed a tribute to Cuban mambo artist Cachoao entitled Cachoao: Like His Rhythm There Is No Other, and, at one time, he planned to direct and star in a film adaptation of The Lost City, an epic novel of revolution and exile by Cuban writer Guillermo Cabrera Infante. A devoted family man, Garcia lives outside of the spotlight with his wife Maria Victoria (also a Cuban immigrant) and their three daughters.

Filmography:

1983 A Night in Heaven
1984 The Lonely Guy
1985 The Mean Season
1986 8 Million Ways to Die
1987 The Untouchables
1988 Stand and Deliver ; American Roulette
1989 Black Rain
1990 Internal Affairs ; A Show of Force ; The Godfather Part III
1991 Dead Again
1992 Hero ; Jennifer Eight
1994 When a Man Loves a Woman
1995 Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead ; Dangerous Minds ; Steal Big Steal Little
1997 Night Falls on Manhattan ; The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca ; Hoodlum
1998 Desperate Measures
1999 Just the Ticket
2000 Lakeboat
2001 The Unsaid ; Ocean's Eleven
2002 The Man from Elysian Fields
2003 Confidence
2004 Twisted ; The Lazarus Child ; Modigliani ; Ocean's Twelve
2005 The Lost City
2007 Smokin' Aces ; The Air I Breathe ; Ocean's Thirteen
2008 Beverly Hills Chihuahua ; La Linea
2009 The Pink Panther 2 ; The National Parks: America's Best Idea ; New York, I Love You ; City Island
2010 The Last Full Measure ; 5 Days of August
2011 Cristiada