John Holland Cazale (/kəˈzeɪl/, Italian: [kadˈdzaË le]) (August
12, 1935 â€" March 13, 1978):8 was an American actor. He appeared in
five films over seven years, all of which were nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Picture: The Godfather (1972), The Conversation
(1974), The Godfather Part II (1974), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), and
The Deer Hunter (1978), with the two Godfather films and The Deer
Hunter winning. Cazale started as a theater actor in New York City,
ranging from regional, to off-Broadway, to Broadway acting alongside
Al Pacino, Meryl Streep and Sam Waterston. Cazale soon became one of
Hollywood's premier character actors, starting with his role as the
doomed, weak-minded Fredo Corleone opposite longtime friend Al Pacino
in Francis Ford Coppola's film The Godfather, its 1974 sequel, and Dog
Day Afternoon. Cazale chose to continue acting despite having been
diagnosed with lung cancer. He died in New York City on March 13,
1978, shortly after completing his role in The Deer Hunter.Theatre
producer Joseph Papp called Cazale "an amazing intellect, an
extraordinary person and a fine, dedicated artist". A film documentary
tribute to Cazale, I Knew It Was You, was screened at the 2009
Sundance Film Festival, featuring interviews with Al Pacino, Steve
Buscemi, Meryl Streep, Robert De Niro, Gene Hackman, Richard Dreyfuss,
Francis Ford Coppola, and Sidney Lumet.Cazale was born in Revere,
Massachusetts, to an Irish-American mother, Cecilia Holland, and an
Italian-American father, John Cazale. He had an older sister,
Catherine (May 28, 1931 â€" February 2, 2000), and a younger brother,
Stephen.:20 He grew up in Winchester MA and attended high school at
the Buxton School in Williamstown, Massachusetts, where he joined the
drama club. He studied drama at Oberlin College in Ohio, transferring
to Boston University, where he studied under Peter Kass.Upon
graduation, Cazale worked as a cab driver, as he started his
theatrical career at the Charles Playhouse, appearing in Hotel
Paradiso and Our Town in 1959. Reviewing his performance as George
Gibbs in Our Town, critic Jean Pierre Frankenhuis said "[Cazale's]
portrayal is absolutely stupendous, hilarious, touching, thrilling. We
found ourselves wishing that there were more scenes with him, such is
the enjoyable performance he gives: a comedian of the first order!"
Cazale moved to New York City and supported himself as a photographer,
while looking for acting work. He made one of his first appearances
there in the Equity Library's production of Sidney Howard's Paths of
Glory.
12, 1935 â€" March 13, 1978):8 was an American actor. He appeared in
five films over seven years, all of which were nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Picture: The Godfather (1972), The Conversation
(1974), The Godfather Part II (1974), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), and
The Deer Hunter (1978), with the two Godfather films and The Deer
Hunter winning. Cazale started as a theater actor in New York City,
ranging from regional, to off-Broadway, to Broadway acting alongside
Al Pacino, Meryl Streep and Sam Waterston. Cazale soon became one of
Hollywood's premier character actors, starting with his role as the
doomed, weak-minded Fredo Corleone opposite longtime friend Al Pacino
in Francis Ford Coppola's film The Godfather, its 1974 sequel, and Dog
Day Afternoon. Cazale chose to continue acting despite having been
diagnosed with lung cancer. He died in New York City on March 13,
1978, shortly after completing his role in The Deer Hunter.Theatre
producer Joseph Papp called Cazale "an amazing intellect, an
extraordinary person and a fine, dedicated artist". A film documentary
tribute to Cazale, I Knew It Was You, was screened at the 2009
Sundance Film Festival, featuring interviews with Al Pacino, Steve
Buscemi, Meryl Streep, Robert De Niro, Gene Hackman, Richard Dreyfuss,
Francis Ford Coppola, and Sidney Lumet.Cazale was born in Revere,
Massachusetts, to an Irish-American mother, Cecilia Holland, and an
Italian-American father, John Cazale. He had an older sister,
Catherine (May 28, 1931 â€" February 2, 2000), and a younger brother,
Stephen.:20 He grew up in Winchester MA and attended high school at
the Buxton School in Williamstown, Massachusetts, where he joined the
drama club. He studied drama at Oberlin College in Ohio, transferring
to Boston University, where he studied under Peter Kass.Upon
graduation, Cazale worked as a cab driver, as he started his
theatrical career at the Charles Playhouse, appearing in Hotel
Paradiso and Our Town in 1959. Reviewing his performance as George
Gibbs in Our Town, critic Jean Pierre Frankenhuis said "[Cazale's]
portrayal is absolutely stupendous, hilarious, touching, thrilling. We
found ourselves wishing that there were more scenes with him, such is
the enjoyable performance he gives: a comedian of the first order!"
Cazale moved to New York City and supported himself as a photographer,
while looking for acting work. He made one of his first appearances
there in the Equity Library's production of Sidney Howard's Paths of
Glory.
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