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Jun 13, 2022 · John Cazale died on March 12, 1978. His death reportedly left Streep so distraught that she was seen lying on top of his chest as she cried aloud for him to wake up (via People). Streep was then faced with the task of picking up the pieces of her life and moving on.
- Early Life
- Theatre
- The Godfather
- The Conversation
- The Godfather Part II
- Dog Day Afternoon
- Return to Theatre
- The Deer Hunter
- Death and Legacy
John Holland Cazale was born on August 12, 1935, in Revere, Massachusetts, just outside Boston. His namesake Italian-American father traveled around New England selling coal, while his Irish-American mother Cecilia raised John and his two siblings. Little is known of his childhood, but after moving away to attend high school at the Buxton School in...
Cazale began his acting career on stage in 1959 at the Charles Playhouse in Boston. After appearing in Hotel Paradiso and Our Town, he moved to New York but struggled to find stage work. Like many actors before and since, he was forced to do odd jobs, including driving a taxi and working as a photographer. In 1962, Cazale made his film debut, albei...
In 1971, Cazale reprised his role in a new production of the play Line, this time with a young Richard Dreyfuss. Producer Fred Roos was in New York casting The Godfatherfor director Francis Ford Coppola and upon seeing Cazale's performance, thought him perfect for the role of Fredo Corleone. Cazale's first feature role was small but memorable. He i...
After working with Cazale on The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola wrote a part specifically for him in his next picture, The Conversation, starring Gene Hackman. Though still clearly second fiddle, viewers got a glimpse of a different Cazale, playing a good-natured professional, the assistant Stan. Hackman later remembered, "John pushed me and manag...
The lines and scenes that most fans remember from Fredo Corleone are actually in The Godfather Part II. A sequel is always risky, and perhaps even riskier was making Fredo such a central character, as Cazale's role was greatly expanded. The movie's plot is divided between young Vito (Robert De Niro) and older Michael (Al Pacino), with much of Micha...
When director Sidney Lumet decided to make Dog Day Afternoon with Al Pacino, he wanted a young actor to play the part of Sal, just like the young man who took part in the real-life bank robberythat inspired the movie. But Pacino pushed for the 39-year-old Cazale to read for the part, and Lumet was convinced. Cazale brought intensity to the role but...
Despite his success on screen, Cazale continued his work in theatre. In 1975, he returned to where it all began, the Charles Playhouse, to appear in a play with Pacino. The following year they appeared together on stage for the third and final time at Joe Papp's Public Theater in New York City. "All I wanted to do was work with John for the rest of...
Despite his diagnosis, Cazale remained optimistic and wanted to keep working. He had been cast in The Deer Hunter with Robert De Niro, and as was only recently confirmed, De Niro personally paid for Cazale's insurance to ensure his participation. Streep accepted a role, so she could remain at Cazale's side. Director Michael Cimino adjusted the shoo...
John Cazale died in the early morning of March 13, 1978, at Sloan Kettering Memorial Hospital, nine months before The Deer Hunter was released. He was only 42 years old. Streep stayed at his side until the end. In his eulogy, collaborator Israel Horovitz called John Cazale "a small perfection." To this day, Al Pacino continues to praise Cazale, say...
Cazale was considered all but uninsurable due to his illness, jeopardizing his participation in the film, but according to Streep the costs were paid by De Niro, who wanted Cazale to be in it. Death. Cazale was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1977 which was likely related to his history of chain smoking.
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Mar 19, 2019 · John Cazale was five-for-five when he died: five big screen appearances, all of them classic performances in classic '70s films.
Mar 15, 2022 · March 15, 2022. Fredo Corleone (John Cazale) holds his brother Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) at a family funeral in The Godfather: Part II. John Springer Collection/Getty Images. He slaps Al...
May 26, 2010 · So why, 32 years after his untimely death, are actors still singing his praises? Because, as they explain in HBO's "I Knew It Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale," airing Tuesday, June 1, he...
Oct 25, 2023 · The actor starred in plays alongside Richard Dreyfuss, Martin Sheen, and Raul Julia, but his most meaningful connection came when he starred in a Central Park production of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure. It was there that he met his co-star, a recent Yale School of Drama graduate named Meryl Streep.
