Background
Messina was born in Northport, New New York
Messina was born in Northport, New New York
He studied theater in high school, and attended Marymount Manhattan College, but dropped out after one semester. He studied acting privately with teachers around Manhattan, and started his career as an off-Broadway actor.
He has appeared in films such as Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Argo, Julie & Julia, Ruby Sparks, Celeste and Jesse Forever, and You"ve Got Mail. On television, he is known for his roles as Chris Sanchez in Damages and as Danny Castellano in The Mindy Project. He has appeared in episodes of the television series Law & Order, Third Watch, and Medium.
He had a recurring role in the fifth and final season of the Home Box Office drama series Six Feet Under as Ted Fairwell.
His film credits include Rounders, The Siege, You"ve Got Mail, and Towelhead. He starred in an Home Box Office pilot Anatomy of Hope, directed by J. J. Abrams.
Simon Callow also starred, but the pilot was not picked up to series. In October 2007, Daily Variety named him as one of ten actors to watch.
He starred in Devil, under the direction of John Erick Dowdle and Drew Dowdle, for producer M. Night Shyamalan and Universal Pictures.
Messina joined the cast of Damages for its fourth and fifth seasons. He played a recurring character on Home Box Office"s The Newsroom. Messina is a series regular on the Fox sitcom The Mindy Project, playing Doctor Danny Castellano.
In 2014, Messina played the role of a cheating spouse in the music video for Sam Smith"s "I"m Not the Only One".
That same year, he directed the independent drama, Alex of Venice, starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Don Johnson and Matthew Delegate Negro.