John Cazale facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Cazale
Cazale in Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
Born	(1935-08-12)August 12, 1935 Revere, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	March 13, 1978(1978-03-13) (aged 42) New York City, U.S.
Education	Oberlin College Boston University (BFA)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1959–1978
Partner(s)	Meryl Streep (1976–1978; his death)

John Cazale (born August 12, 1935 – died March 13, 1978) was an American actor. He starred in five movies in just seven years. All of these films were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. These movies included The Godfather (1972), The Conversation (1974), The Godfather Part II (1974), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), and The Deer Hunter (1978). The Godfather films and The Deer Hunter even won the top award.

Cazale began his career as a theater actor in New York City. He performed in regional plays, off-Broadway shows, and on Broadway. He worked alongside famous actors like Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, and Sam Waterston. John Cazale quickly became a well-known character actor in Hollywood.

His first major film role was as Fredo Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather. He also appeared in its 1974 sequel. He starred with his friend Al Pacino in both Godfather movies and in Sidney Lumet's Dog Day Afternoon. In 1977, Cazale was diagnosed with lung cancer. Despite his illness, he chose to finish his role in The Deer Hunter. He passed away shortly after, in New York City on March 13, 1978.

Theatrical producer Joseph Papp described Cazale as "an amazing intellect, an extraordinary person and a fine, dedicated artist." Film critic David Thomson wrote that "It is the lives and works of people like John Cazale that make filmgoing worthwhile." A documentary about Cazale, called I Knew It Was You, was shown at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. It featured interviews with many actors he worked with, including Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Robert De Niro, and Francis Ford Coppola.

Early Life and Education

John Cazale was born in Revere, Massachusetts. His mother, Cecilia Holland, was Irish-American. His father, John Cazale, was Italian-American. John had an older sister, Catherine, and a younger brother, Stephen. He grew up in Winchester.

He went to high school at the Buxton School in Williamstown. There, he joined the drama club. He later studied drama at Oberlin College in Ohio. He then transferred to Boston University, where he learned from Peter Kass.

Starting His Acting Career

After graduating, Cazale worked as a cab driver. He began his acting career in theater at the Charles Playhouse in 1959. He appeared in plays like Hotel Paradiso and Our Town. A critic praised his performance in Our Town, calling it "absolutely stupendous, hilarious, touching, thrilling."

Cazale then moved to New York City. He worked as a photographer while looking for acting jobs. One of his first roles there was in the play Paths of Glory. He also acted in a short film called The American Way in 1962.

In 1965, Cazale was part of a national tour for the play The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window.

Working with Al Pacino

Cazale also worked as a messenger at Standard Oil. There, he met Al Pacino, who was also an aspiring actor. Pacino remembered, "When I first saw John, I instantly thought he was so interesting."

In 1966, Cazale and Pacino were cast in a play called The Indian Wants the Bronx. They performed it at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Connecticut. They played these roles again in 1968 in New York City. Both actors won Obie Awards for their performances. That same year, Cazale won another Obie Award for his role in the play Line.

In 1968, Cazale had his only television role. He played Tom Andrews in an episode of the police drama N.Y.P.D..

In 1969, Cazale joined the Long Wharf Theatre Company. For the next three seasons, he appeared in many plays. These included Tartuffe, The Country People, and The Iceman Cometh.

In 1971, Cazale performed in Line again. During this show, a casting director named Fred Roos saw him. Roos then suggested Cazale to director Francis Ford Coppola for the role of Fredo Corleone in The Godfather.

Becoming a Film Star

The Godfather Films

The Godfather (1972) was John Cazale's first feature film. The movie's star, Marlon Brando, was one of Cazale's favorite actors. The Godfather became a huge success and made Cazale famous.

Director Francis Ford Coppola was very impressed with Cazale's acting. He wrote a special part for him in his next film, The Conversation (1974). In this movie, Cazale starred alongside Gene Hackman. In 1974, Cazale played Fredo Corleone again in The Godfather Part II. His role was much bigger this time. A writer for Entertainment Weekly said that Cazale made Fredo's "wounded pride hauntingly palpable."

Dog Day Afternoon

Cazale then starred with Al Pacino again in Sidney Lumet's 1975 film Dog Day Afternoon. The film's writer, Frank Pierson, noted that many actors in the movie had worked with Al Pacino in New York, including John Cazale. For his role as Sal, Cazale was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.

Returning to the Stage

Even with his film success, Cazale remained dedicated to theater. In May 1975, he returned to the Charles Playhouse to support Al Pacino in the play The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui. A reviewer from The Village Voice called Cazale "the finest actor in America today." In 1976, Cazale and Pacino performed together for the last time in The Local Stigmatic.

Measure for Measure

In the summer of 1976, Cazale starred in Shakespeare's Measure for Measure. He performed at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park. His co-star was Meryl Streep, who had recently graduated from Yale School of Drama. A critic from The New York Times praised Cazale's strong performance. During this play, Cazale and Streep began a relationship and moved in together. Streep often spoke highly of his acting skills.

Final Stage Role

Cazale's last stage appearance was on April 29, 1977. He played the main role in Agamemnon on Broadway. He only performed in the first preview. After the show, he became very ill and had to leave the production. This was his only Broadway performance. Soon after, he was diagnosed with lung cancer.

Final Film Role: The Deer Hunter

Despite his serious illness, Cazale continued to work. He joined his partner, Meryl Streep, and actors like Robert De Niro and Christopher Walken in the film The Deer Hunter. The director, Michael Cimino, changed the filming schedule. This allowed Cazale to film all his scenes first. He finished his parts but passed away before the movie was released.

Cazale was almost not able to be in the film because of his illness. However, Meryl Streep said that Robert De Niro paid the costs himself. De Niro really wanted Cazale to be in the movie.

Death

John Cazale was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1977. This was likely due to his history of chain smoking. Despite trying many treatments, his health quickly worsened as the cancer spread to his bones.

On March 13, 1978, John Cazale died at the age of 42. Meryl Streep was with him throughout his illness. His close friend and Godfather co-star Al Pacino said, "I've hardly ever seen a person [Streep] so devoted to someone who is falling away like John was." Pacino also said that Cazale "was one of the great actors of our time—that time, any time."

His friend and frequent collaborator, Israel Horovitz, wrote a tribute to him. Cazale was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Malden, Massachusetts.

Film and TV Roles

Cazale appeared in six full-length feature films. All of them were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, and The Deer Hunter all won the award.

Theatre Performances

Awards and Recognition

Cazale was honored twice for "Distinguished Performance" by the Off-Broadway Obie Awards. This was in the 1967−1968 season. He received these awards for his roles in Israel Horovitz's plays The Indian Wants the Bronx and Line.

His only major film acting award nomination came in 1976. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for Dog Day Afternoon. He did not win, losing to Richard Benjamin.

Even though Cazale never received an Oscar nomination, he was highly respected. He was known for his ability to react perfectly to his co-stars. He often worked with the more emotional Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. Cazale learned to not worry about not getting awards. He once said that acting is about "reacting."

John Cazale is special because all five feature films he starred in were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Even a sixth film, The Godfather Part III, which used old footage of him, also received this nomination.

Legacy and Influence

Those who knew Cazale described him as "often shy" and "very emotionally sensitive." He frequently worked with the same artists. Playwright Israel Horovitz dedicated his "Wakefield Plays" to Cazale's memory. Directors James Hammerstein and Arvin Brown cast him multiple times. He performed in two plays for Joseph Papp.

Francis Ford Coppola was key to Cazale's film success, casting him three times. Meryl Streep acted with him twice. His close friend and frequent co-star Al Pacino worked with him six times. This included three films and three stage productions. Pacino once said, "All I wanted to do was work with John for the rest of my life. He was my acting partner."

Many famous actors from later generations have named Cazale as an influence. These include Philip Seymour Hoffman, Steve Buscemi, Sam Rockwell, and Michael Fassbender.

The Boston Globe asked, "Why was Cazale so influential?" They answered that it was partly because of his strong dedication to acting. Meryl Streep said he was "monomaniacal" about his work. This pushed his co-stars to improve their own performances.

There is a theater named after him, the McGinn/Cazale Theatre. It is located in New York City. The theater is also named after his friend, actor Walter McGinn, who died in a car accident in 1977. The theater was dedicated on March 12, 1984.

His life and career were featured in the documentary film I Knew It Was You. It was directed by Richard Shepard and shown at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.

All five of the films he starred in were later chosen for preservation. They are part of the U.S. National Film Registry at the Library of Congress.

See also

In Spanish: John Cazale para niños