John Cazale

About John Cazale

John Cazale was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to an Irish-American
mother, Cecilia (Holland), and an Italian-American father, John Cazale.
Cazale only made five feature films in his career, all which many fans
and critics alike call classics. But before his film debut, the short
The American Way (1962), he won
numerous Obie Awards for his stage performances in "The Indian Wants
the Bronx" and "The Line".Cazale scored the role of Fredo Corleone in
Francis Ford Coppola's
The Godfather (1972), after his
long time friend, Al Pacino, invited him to
audition. He reprised his role as the troubled Fredo in
The Godfather Part II (1974),
where his character endures one of the most infamous movie moments in
the history of cinema.Cazale also starred with Gene Hackman and
Harrison Ford in the thriller,
The Conversation (1974), as
Hackman's assistant, Stan. The Godfather's director,
Francis Ford Coppola, also directed
the movie.Cazale's fourth feature film,
Dog Day Afternoon (1975),
earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his
role as Sal, a bank robber. His long time friend and Godfather co-star,
Al Pacino, played his partner, Sonny.His final film,
The Deer Hunter (1978), was
filmed whilst he was ill with cancer. He was in a relationship with his
co-star, Meryl Streep, whilst filming
The Deer Hunter (1978), whom he
met when they both appeared in the New York Public Theater's 1976
production of Shakespeare's Measure for Measure.Controversy occurred during the filming. While the studio was unaware
of his condition, the director,
Michael Cimino, knew about it. As
Cazale was evidently weak, he was forced to film his scenes first. When
the studio discovered he was suffering from cancer, they wanted him
removed from the film. His co-star and girlfriend,
Meryl Streep, threatened to quit if he was
fired. He died shortly after filming was completed....

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