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Carlo Rota

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused with Gian-Carlo Rota.

Carlo Rota
Rota in 2007
Born
Carlo Dante Rota[1]

(1961-04-17) 17 April 1961 (age 63)
London, England
Occupation(s)Actor, producer, television host
Years active1992–present
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2010)​
Children2

Carlo Dante Rota (born 17 April 1961) is a British-born Canadian actor. He has appeared in Little Mosque on the Prairie and as systems analyst Morris O'Brian on the Fox series 24. He also co-starred as Emilio Solano in Jane the Virgin.

Early life

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Rota was born in London, England, to Italian parents, Rina, who worked in the restaurant business, and Dante Rota, a chef.[citation needed] He grew up in Osterley with two sisters and one brother. Through his life he has lived in many places of the world, including Hong Kong (where he attended Island School), the Bahamas and the U.K before his family settled in Toronto. Rota worked in the culinary industry for many years, operating and owning several restaurants in Toronto until he decided to pursue an acting career.[2] According to his interview in the book Inside Section One: Creating and Producing TV's La Femme Nikita, he said of this decision: "To turn around and tell everyone at the tender age of 30, 'Now I'm going to be an actor', most people just think that you're going through something."

Career

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Almost immediately thereafter, Rota landed roles in the Canadian TV series Street Legal and the critically acclaimed Canadian independent film Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould. Because of his experience prior to acting, he also hosted the Great Canadian Food Show for CBC television in Canada, a series which was nominated for the James Beard Award for Excellence in Culinary Journalism.[citation needed]

He has appeared in TV series including 24, Queer as Folk (US version), Castle, La Femme Nikita, Relic Hunter, Adventure Inc, A Nero Wolfe Mystery, The Gospel of John, and Traders. Rota co-starred in the CBC sitcom Little Mosque on the Prairie, playing Lebanese-Canadian construction contractor Yasir Hamoudi. In 2008, Rota portrayed Charles, who was a journalist for The Herald, in Saw V.[citation needed]

On 24, Rota portrayed the recurring role of Morris O'Brian, the arrogant but brilliant computer scientist husband of Chloe O'Brian, appearing most extensively in season 6.[3] He had a recurring role on the TV series La Femme Nikita (1997 — 2001) as the smarmy, green-listed terrorist informant, Mick Schtoppel, later revealed to be Mr. Jones, the head of Center, an organization above Oversight that directs all Sections. In turn, Mr. Jones is revealed to be another cover identity for Reginald "Martin" Henderson. Henderson is exposed as an actor working for Center as a decoy for the real Mr. Jones.[citation needed]

He has made guest appearances in many other television series, including Stargate Universe, playing Carl Strom, head of the International Oversight Advisory, the civilian oversight committee that heads up the Atlantis expedition and its funding,[4] as a villain named "The Ghost" on White Collar, as well as roles on CSI: NY, Human Target, Castle, The Mentalist, Bones, and Grimm. He also appeared on NCIS: Los Angeles in the episode "Found" as Kalil Abramson, as well as on AMC's show, Breaking Bad. He was a guest on episode 11 of the second season of Top Chef Canada, the episode dedicated to Italian cuisine 1. He acts as Edmund Wooler, in World Without End on Reelz Channel.

Personal life

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Rota with Nazneen Contractor in 2009

Rota married 24 and Relic Hunter co-star Nazneen Contractor on 1 April 2010[5] They have two children, a son and a daughter.[6]

During his time on the show 24, Rota spent nine months a year living in Los Angeles, California.[7][8] He stated in an interview with the Toronto Star that he considers Toronto his home. As of 2008, he owned a house in Queen Street West, having lived on and off in the area for at least 20 years.[7]

Filmography

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Film

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Film
Year Title Role Notes
1993 Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould CBS Producer Credited as Carlo D. Rota
1995 First Degree Joe Galeno Direct-to-video
1996 Maximum Risk Bohemia Bartender
Joe's Wedding Art Council Man
1997 The Wrong Guy French Restaurant Waiter
City of Dark Plato
1998 Clutch Richard
1999 The Boondock Saints Giuseppe "Papa Joe" Yakavetta
Jigsaw Richard Direct-to-video
Have Mercy Jack
2000 Mission to Mars Ambassador
Passengers Doctor Short film
2001 On Their Knees Walter
2002 Rock My World Tony Manson
Countdown Bruce Donato Short film
2003 The Gospel of John Chief Temple Guard
2005 Horsie's Retreat Spiro
The Last Hit Mario
Cake Bob Jackman
2007 Small Potatoes Henry Zanzibar Short film
2008 Cold Play John / Mortimer Short film
Saw V Charles Salomon
Trust, Honour and Reputation: The Making of Othello: The Tragedy of the Moor Himself Documentary
2009 Shark City Ventura Ritt
The Fatal Five Himself Documentary
2010 24: Chloe's Arrest Morris O'Brian Direct-to-video
The Day the Old Man Knocked Narrator Short film
Son of a Don Avi Short film
Shark City: Behind the Scenes Himself Documentary
2011 Rehab
Irvine Welsh's Ecstasy Solo
Man on the Train Max
2014 Small Time Panama hat man
Brick Mansions George "The Greek"
2015 After the Ball Richard
2017 People You May Know Bill
2018 Spinning Man Santos
State Like Sleep Dr. Iyengar
Welcome to Nowhere The General
Hell Is Where the Home Is Sergeant Daniels
2019 Cliffs of Freedom Mustapha Bey
The Big Wish Morlett
The Diggers Mister Meister
2020 A Perfect Plan Theo
2021 Trigger Point Dwight Logan
2022 Me Tiime Alberto
TBD Six Guns for Hire The Bandit

Television

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Television
Year Title Role Notes
1992 Street Legal Waiter Episode: "The Phoenix"
1993 Counterstrike Episode: "The Pretender"
Matrix Roche Episode: "Shadows from the Past"
1994 TekWar: TekLab Doorman TV movie
1995 Young at Heart Bartender TV movie
Friends at Last Neil TV movie
Down Came a Blackbird Sergeant Manuel Ortega TV movie
1996 The Sentinel Jack Buchanan Episode: The Rig
1996–1998 Traders Burnet 9 episodes
1997–2001 La Femme Nikita Mick Schtoppel / Shtoopel / Mr. Jones 15 episodes
1998 Highlander: The Raven Mario Cardoza Episode: "Full Disclosure"
Naked City: Justice with a Bullet Findlay Clerk TV movie
Black Harbour Grant Episode: "Mr. Sensitivity"
1999 Murder in a Small Town Charles TV movie
Total Recall 2070 Kelly Episode: "Rough Whimper of Insanity"
Earth: Final Conflict Margolis Episode: "Crossfire"
Bonanno: A Godfather's Story TV movie
PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal Bert Kay Episode: "Happy Birthday, Matt Praeger"
The Last Witness Mr. Zander TV movie
2000 The Edible Road Show Host
Catch a Falling Star Harry Goldberg TV movie
Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story Cockney Driver Miniseries
Trapped in a Purple Haze David Lebeff TV movie
Canada: A People's History David Samwell Documentary series
Episode: "When the World Began"
Phantom of the Megaplex Tyler Jesseman TV movie
2000–2001 Relic Hunter Sultan / Lagerfeld 2 episodes
2001 A Colder Kind of Death Hairdresser TV movie
Doc Jason Hemmings Episode: "Pilot: Part 1"
Rough Air: Danger on Flight 534 Cal Matthews TV movie
2002 Recipe for Murder Simeon Vreeman TV movie
A Nero Wolfe Mystery Barry Fleming / Spiros Papps / Felix Courret 4 episodes
Adventure Inc. Sergi Borodin Episode: "Village of the Lost"
2002–2004 Queer as Folk Gardner Vance 9 episodes
2003 Veritas: The Quest Ali Hassan Rif Episode: "Heist"
Train 48 Max Episode: #1.53
Street Time Arthur Marx 2 episodes
2004 Show Me Yours Paul Episode: "If You Can't Take the Heat"
Il Duce Canadese Avvocato Miniseries
French title: Il duce canadese: Le Mussolini canadien
2006 This Is Wonderland Giuseppe Burelli Episode: #3.8
Time Bomb Musab Hyatti TV movie
At the Hotel Albert Miniseries
I Am an Apartment Building Host Short TV movie
2006–2009 24 Morris O'Brian 29 episodes
2007–2012 Little Mosque on the Prairie Yasir Hamoudi Main role, 90 episodes
2008 Shark Anton Robitaille Episode: "Partners in Crime"
Othello the Tragedy of the Moor Othello TV movie
Executive producer
2009 White Collar Ghovat Episode: "Threads"
Stargate Universe Carl Strom 2 episodes
Castle Bahir Harun Episode: "The Fifth Bullet"
2010 Love Letters Andy TV movie
CSI: NY Joseph Vance Episode: "Sanguine Love"
NCIS: Los Angeles Kalil Abramson Episode: "Found"
The Good Guys Asher Episode: "Supercops"
2010–2012 Goldilocks Ivan 3 episodes
2011 Breaking Bad Benicio Fuentes Episode: "Salud"
The Mentalist Dimitri Zubov Episode: "Where in the World is Carmine O'Brien?"
Sanctuary Richard Feliz / Feodor "Frank" Glazov 3 episodes
2012 Nikita Ian Damascus Episode: "Shadow Walker"
ThunderCats Ratar-O Voice
Episode: "Curse of Ratilla"
World Without End Edmund Miniseries
Hawaii Five-0 Sean Winston Episode: "Ohuna"
2013 Beverly Hills Cop Trevor TV movie
2014 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Luca Russo Episode: "T.R.A.C.K.S."
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Karl Schrute Episode: "Killer Moves
Grimm Hedig Episode: "The Show Must Go On"
Scandal Ivan 3 episodes
Sequestered Niles Episode: "Ashes to Ashes"
Recipe to Riches Host Episode: "Savoury Snacks"
2014–2015 Jane the Virgin Emilio Solano 8 episodes
2015 The Player Daoud Raqiv Episode: "The Pilot"
2016 Dark Matter Warden 2 episodes
Beauty & the Beast Dr. Albert Garrus Episode: "Meet the New Beast"
Major Crimes Alfredo DeConchini Episode: "Family Law"
Swedish Dicks Dimitri Nobakov 2 episodes
Conviction Vince Scarlata Episode: "A Simple Man"
2017 Lopez Danny Green Episode: "Leaving Las Vegas"
Scorpion General Savic Episode: "Rock Block"
Jean-Claude Van Johnson Dragan 3 episodes
2017–2018 Lethal Weapon Guillermo Azoulay 2 episodes
Ransom Damian Delaine 3 episodes
2018 American Horror Story: Apocalypse Anton LaVey 3 episodes
Back in Time for Dinner Host
2019 The Flash Remington Meister Episode: "License to Elongate"
2020 Canadian Film Fest Presented by Super Channel Theo Episode: #1.3
Segment: "A Perfect Plan"
Borrasca Officer Jameson / Pastor 2 episodes
Back in Time for Winter Narrator
2021 Titans Oracle Voice; Episode: "51%"
2023 True Lies Francois Pilot episode
2023 High Desert Arman Recurring role, 5 episodes
2024 The Edge of Sleep Dr. Luis Castaneda 2 episodes

Video games

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Video games
Year Title Role Notes
2013 Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist Majid Sadiq Voice
2020 Mafia: Definitive Edition Additional voices Voice
Assassin's Creed Valhalla Basim Ibn Ishaq / Loki Voice

References

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  1. ^ "Carlo Rota". The Canadian Encyclopedia.
  2. ^ "Carlo Rota". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
  3. ^ Salem, Rob (1 October 2008). "Carlo Rota returns to 24 and Little Mosque". Toronto Star.
  4. ^ Andreeva, Nellie. (15 April 2009) Stargate Universe nabs guest stars. Reuters.
  5. ^ "Goodbye, Mr. Bauer | Toronto Star". Thestar.com. 22 May 2010. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
  6. ^ Girn, Raj (April 2014). "Open Chest Interview with Actress, Nazneen Contractor". Open Chest. Anokhi. Archived from the original on 2 June 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  7. ^ a b Kates, Kathryn (2 October 2008). "24 little prairie hours...At home with Carlo Rota". Toronto Star. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  8. ^ Brioux, Bill (22 May 2010). "Goodbye, Mr. Bauer". Toronto Star. Retrieved 3 March 2022.

Bibliography

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  • Heyn, Christopher. "A Conversation with Carlo Rota." Inside Section One: Creating and Producing TV's La Femme Nikita. Introduction by Peta Wilson. Los Angeles: Persistence of Vision Press, 2006. 82–87. ISBN 0-9787625-0-9. In-depth conversation with Carlo Rota about his role as Schtoppel on La Femme Nikita, as well as his culinary background and early acting experiences.
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