Andy Garcia's 'Confidence'

In the new film "Confidence," the emphasis is on the con.

Andy Garcia plays a federal agent with a personal score to settle against a high stakes grifter.

Garcia visited The Early Show to discuss the film that may have audiences guessing what the big con will be.

"It was a fascinating piece of material," says Garcia. "It's a movie that's based upon classic storytelling."

"Confidence" tells the story of Jake Vig (Edward Burns), who swindles thousands of dollars from a crime boss' accountant. To repay "The King" (Dustin Hoffman), Jake offers to pull off a big con by targeting a banker with deep ties to organized crime. But his con doesn't work exactly as planned, and Jake has to contend with his old nemesis, FBI agent Gunther Butan (Andy Garcia).

"I've been chasing [Jake] around Phoenix and Salt Lake City, everywhere, basically trying to bust him," says Garcia. "As the movie unfolds there are turns and red herrings and twists."

Garcia says he was also thrilled to be involved in "Confidence" because it allowed him to work with actors, such as Hoffman, who he admires.

The actor will take a seat on the director's chair for his next film, "The Lost City." It is a movie about Havana, Cuba in the 1950s — a story the Cuban-born Garcia has wanted to tell for a long time.

"I think the timing is good," explains Garcia. "It's a movie that's based upon classic storytelling. You have the elements of music and dance, love stories, stories of impossible love set against political backdrops. But mostly, it's a movie about the cabaret world of Havana and how the microcosm of that family in Cuba is affected by the changing times."

Garcia has been a participant of the Cuban music culture in the past, even making a documentary about the mambo.

"My first love in life has always been the music of my culture," says Garcia. "It's something that I live with. I should say I live it every day of my life."

Garcia's next acting project will pair him with Samuel L. Jackson in "The Blackout Murders."

Some Facts About Andy Garcia

• Born Andres Arturo Garcia Menendez in Havana, Cuba, April 12, 1956
• In 1961, Garcia moved to the U.S. with his family before settling in Florida
• In 1978, Garcia moved to Los Angeles; worked as a waiter while performing with improvisational theater groups and appearing at the Comedy Store and other local Los Angeles improve-clubs
• In 1981, the actor made his television debut as a gang member in the premiere episode of NBC's "Hill Street Blues"
• In 1983, Garcia made his film acting debut in "Blue Skies Again"
• In 1986, the actor garnered attention as a drug dealer in "8 Million Ways to Die"
• In 1987, Garcia convinced Brian De Palma to cast him as George Stone, one of Eliot Ness' men, rather than gangster Frank Nitti in "The Untouchables"
• In 1988, Garcia had his first starring role in a feature film, "American Roulette"(British-Australian); made his television-movie debut opposite Ellen Barkin in the HBO production "Clinton and Nadine"
• In 1990, Garcia co-starred opposite Richard Gere in "Internal Affairs" in a role written for him; he earned a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nomination for his role as the illegitimate son of Sonny Corleone in "The Godfather, Part III"
• In 1993, Garcia directed and produced the documentary "Cachao: Like His Rhythm There Is No Other," focusing on the Cuban mambo artist
• In 1994, Garcia won praise for his turn as the husband of an alcoholic Meg Ryan in "When a Man Loves a Woman"
• In 1995, he wrote songs for and sang on soundtrack to "Steal Big, Steal Little"; also played twins
• In 1995, Garcia received star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in September
• In 1997, Garcia starred as a district attorney in Sidney Lumet's "Night Falls on Manhattan"; he had a supporting role of mobster Lucky Luciano in "Hoodlum"; and he appeared as the Spanish playwright Federico Garcia Lorca in "The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca"
• In 1999, Garcia produced and starred in "Just the Ticket"
• In 2000, Garcia starred as Cuban musician Arturo Sandoval in the HBO drama "For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story"; also executive produced; received Emmy nomination for performance and shared Emmy nod for Outstanding Made for Television Movie
• In 2001, Garcia co-starred with Gregory Hines in the Showtime biopic "Bojangles"
  
• In 2002, he produced and starred in "The Man From Elysian Fields"