Mario Opinato was born on July 26, 1964, in Catania, Sicily, and began his career as a dancer in a contemporary Dance Theatre Company. He then spent a year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, studying Latin American dances such as salsa, merengue, and samba, before moving to Los Angeles to study at the Lee Strasberg Actors Studio in Hollywood.
Throughout his career, Opinato has played leading and supporting roles in numerous American stage productions, including "The Threepenny Opera" by Bertolt Brecht, "Cecè" by Luigi Pirandello, "Camino Real" and "27 Wagons Full of Cotton" by Tennessee Williams, and "The Necklace" and "The Forbidden Fruit" by Guy de Maupassant.
Opinato's film credits include over 20 productions, ranging from big-budget films to independent projects and television shows. His notable studio pictures include "Double Team" (1997),"The Muse" (1999),"The Good War" (2002),"Paul, Apostle of Christ" (2018),"All the Money in the World" (2017),"2047: Sights of Death" (2014),"Annamaura" (2012),and "The Card Player" (2003).