Born in Ixelles/Etterbeek (part of Brussels) from an Italian father and a French mother, Giani Esposito first lived in Paris and then grew up in Italy between 1939 and 1949. He became an actor in French cinema from 1951 on, starting with a bit part in Maitre après Dieu (1951) by Louis Daquin. Around the same time he started a singing career, performing at the cabarets La Rose Rouge and L'Ecluse, and became successful with the song Le Clown in 1957. From 1958 on he recorded both his poems and his songs. He also published some books and did illustrations. In 1959 he met Pascale Petit who became his partner. In 1966 their daughter Douchka was born Until 1971 Esposito acted in many French and some Italian films, such as Huis clos (Jacqueline Audry 1954), French cancan (Jean Renoir 1955), Les mauvaises rencontres (Alexandre Astruc 1955), Les Misérables (Jean-Paul Le Chanois 1957/1958), Paris nous appartient (Jacques Rivette 1960), and Il Decameron (Pier Paolo Pasolini 1971). Between 1957 and 1973 Esposito also played in telefilms and television series. In 1971 he met Ersie Pittas, niece of the Greek director Michael Cacoyannis, and started a show in which he recited poems while he danced, touring around France in 1972-1973. With an overload of projects and plans Gianni Esposito was struck by a viral hepatitis and a brain tumor in late 1973, and died in Neuilly-sur-Seine, on New Year's Day 1 January 1974.