Ben Gazzara facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ben Gazzara
Gazzara in the 1960s
Born	Biagio Anthony Gazzara (1930-08-28)August 28, 1930 New York City, U.S.
Died	February 3, 2012(2012-02-03) (aged 81) New York City, U.S.
Education	The New School Actors Studio
Occupation	Actor director
Years active	1953–2012
Spouse(s)	Louise Erickson ​ ​ (m. 1951; div. 1957)​ Janice Rule ​ ​ (m. 1961; div. 1979)​ Elke Krivat ​ ​ (m. 1982)​
Children	2

Ben Gazzara (born Biagio Anthony Gazzara, August 28, 1930 – February 3, 2012) was an American actor and director. He worked in movies, on stage, and on television. He won important awards like a Primetime Emmy Award and a Drama Desk Award. He was also nominated for three Golden Globe Awards and three Tony Awards.

Born to Italian parents in New York City, Gazzara studied acting at The New School and the Actors Studio. He became famous for his role in the Broadway play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955–56). He then moved into movies, with a memorable part as a soldier in Anatomy of a Murder (1959).

Gazzara also starred in the TV series Run for Your Life (1965–1968). He won an Emmy Award for the TV movie Hysterical Blindness (2002). He often worked with his friend, director John Cassavetes, on films like Husbands (1970) and Opening Night (1977). Some of his other well-known movies include Road House (1989), The Big Lebowski (1998), and Dogville (2003). He also had a successful career in Europe, especially in Italy.

Gazzara was known for playing strong, realistic characters. He liked to choose roles that were interesting and often a bit unusual.

Early Life and Learning

Ben Gazzara was born in New York City. His parents, Angelina and Antonio Gazzara, were immigrants from Sicily, Italy. His father was a laborer and carpenter. Ben grew up speaking only Italian at home. He learned English when he started school.

He lived in the Kips Bay area of New York. He joined the drama program at the Madison Square Boys & Girls Club. He went to Stuyvesant High School and later graduated from Saint Simon Stock in the Bronx. He later said that acting helped him stay out of trouble when he was a teenager.

He first studied electrical engineering at City College of New York. But after two years, he decided to pursue acting. He took acting classes with director Erwin Piscator and then joined the famous Actors Studio.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting Out

Gazzara began his career with small roles on TV shows. These included Treasury Men in Action and Danger.

He gained attention for his performance in the play End as a Man in 1953. This play started off-Broadway and then moved to Broadway. In 1954, he appeared on the TV show Justice.

Broadway Star

Gazzara, photographed by Carl Van Vechten in 1955

Gazzara became a big name on Broadway. He played the role of Brick in Tennessee Williams's play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955–56). He acted alongside Barbara Bel Geddes and was directed by Elia Kazan. Gazzara decided not to play the role in the movie version. The part eventually went to Paul Newman.

After this, he had another long run in the play A Hatful of Rain (1956).

Moving to Movies

In 1957, he appeared in the film The Strange One. This movie also featured other actors from the Actors Studio.

His second film was a very important role in Otto Preminger's courtroom drama Anatomy of a Murder (1959). He played a soldier on trial.

Gazzara later shared that he used to turn down many film roles. He preferred stage acting. But over time, he became an actor who took on many different parts. He said he was "a fool" for turning down some big movies early on.

He went to Italy to make the comedy The Passionate Thief (1960). He acted with famous Italian stars Anna Magnani and Totò. Back in the U.S., he made the TV movie Cry Vengeance! (1961). He also had a main role in The Young Doctors (1961). He starred in Convicts 4 (1962). He returned to Italy for The Captive City (1962).

Television Fame

Gazzara at the premiere of Looking for Palladin in New York City on October 30, 2009

Gazzara became very well known on television. He starred in Arrest and Trial from 1963 to 1964. He also appeared in the TV special A Carol for Another Christmas (1964).

He became famous for the TV series Run for Your Life. It ran from 1965 to 1968. In the show, he played a man who was terminally ill. He tried to make the most of his last two years of life. For this role, Gazzara received two Emmy nominations and three Golden Globe nominations.

After the series ended, Gazzara had a small role in If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969). He also had a lead role in the war film The Bridge at Remagen (1969).

Working with John Cassavetes

Some of Gazzara's most powerful roles were with his friend, director John Cassavetes. They first worked together on Cassavetes's film Husbands (1970). He acted alongside Peter Falk and Cassavetes himself.

Gazzara also made several TV movies. These included Pursuit (1972) and When Michael Calls (1972). He made The Sicilian Connection (1972) in Italy. He also appeared in the science fiction film The Neptune Factor (1973).

He starred in the TV miniseries QB VII (1974). This series won six Emmy Awards. He then played the famous gangster Al Capone in the film Capone (1975).

Gazzara worked with Cassavetes again in The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976). He played the main character, Cosmo Vitelli. He also starred in the action movie High Velocity (1976). He was one of many stars in Voyage of the Damned (1976).

A year later, he starred in another Cassavetes film, Opening Night. He played a stage director working with a troubled star, played by Cassavetes's wife Gena Rowlands. He also made the acclaimed TV movie The Death of Richie (1977).

Later Career

Gazzara's career got a boost when director Peter Bogdanovich cast him in the main role of Saint Jack (1979). This helped him get lead roles in Bloodline (1979) and the war film Inchon (1980). He made another film for Bogdanovich, They All Laughed (1981).

In the 1980s, Gazzara made several films in Europe. These included Tales of Ordinary Madness (1981) and The Girl from Trieste (1982). He starred with Gena Rowlands in the TV movie An Early Frost (1985). This film dealt with the topic of AIDS. He received his third Emmy nomination for this role.

He played a villain in the popular Patrick Swayze film Road House. He joked that this was probably his most-watched performance.

In the 1990s, Gazzara appeared in many films. He worked with famous directors like the Coen brothers (The Big Lebowski), Spike Lee (Summer of Sam), and David Mamet (The Spanish Prisoner). He also appeared in Buffalo '66 (1998) and The Thomas Crown Affair (1999).

Even in his seventies, Gazzara remained active. In 2003, he was in an off-Broadway show about Yogi Berra. He also appeared in the experimental film Dogville (2003) with Nicole Kidman. He won an Emmy Award for his role in the TV film Hysterical Blindness (2002). In 2005, he played Agostino Casaroli in the TV miniseries Pope John Paul II. He finished filming his last movie, The Wait, shortly before he passed away.

Besides acting, Gazzara also directed some TV episodes. He directed two episodes of the detective show Columbo. He was nominated three times for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.

Personal Life

Gazzara was married three times. His first wife was actress Louise Erickson (1951–1957). He then married actress Janice Rule in 1961. They had a daughter named Elizabeth. His third marriage was to model Elke Krivat in 1982. They remained married until his death. Gazzara also adopted Elke's daughter, Danja. He was also engaged to actress Elaine Stritch at one point. He also had a relationship with actress Audrey Hepburn. They starred together in two films: Bloodline (1979) and They All Laughed (1981).

In 1968, while filming The Bridge at Remagen, the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia. Gazzara and his co-star Robert Vaughn were held for a short time. They later helped a Czech waitress escape to Austria.

Gazzara was the honorary starter for the 1979 Daytona 500 race. He also enjoyed smoking cigars. Starting in the late 1970s, he lived part-time in Italy. He had a second home in Umbria, where he stayed when working in Europe.

Later Years and Passing

Gazzara was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1999. He had a stroke in 2005. On February 3, 2012, he passed away from pancreatic cancer in New York. He was 81 years old.

Film and Television Roles

Films

Television Shows

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Ben Gazzara para niños