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John Cassavetes

John Cassavetes

Directing

Born December 9, 1929 — Died February 3, 1989 New York City, New York, USA

John Nicholas Cassavetes (December 9, 1929 – February 3, 1989) was an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. First known as an actor on television and in film, Cassavetes also became a pioneer of American independent cinema, writing and directing movies financed in part with income from his acting work. AllMovie called him "an iconoclastic maverick," while The New Yorker suggested that he "may be the most influential American director of the last half century." As an actor, Cassavetes starred in notable Hollywood films throughout the 1950s and 1960s, including Edge of the City (1957), The Dirty Dozen (1967), and Rosemary's Baby (1968). He began his directing career with the 1959 independent feature Shadows and followed with independent productions such as Faces (1968), Husbands (1970), A Woman Under the Influence (1974), Opening Night (1977), and Love Streams (1984), in addition to intermittent studio work. Cassavetes' films employed an actor-centered approach which privileged character examination over traditional Hollywood storytelling or stylized production values. His films became associated with an improvisational, cinéma vérité aesthetic. He collaborated frequently with a rotating group of friends, crew members, and actors, including his wife Gena Rowlands, Peter Falk, Ben Gazzara, and Seymour Cassel. For his role in The Dirty Dozen, Cassavetes received a Best Supporting Actor nomination. As a filmmaker, he was nominated for Best Original Screenplay for Faces (1968) and Best Director for A Woman Under the Influence (1974).

TV Shows(34)

Movies(54)

John Cassavetes par Thierry Jousse

John Cassavetes par Thierry Jousse

2024

150 Miles of Rotting, Rutted, Lumpy, Dilapidated Pavement

150 Miles of Rotting, Rutted, Lumpy, Dilapidated Pavement

Man Talking

2021

Gena Rowlands: A Life on Film

Gena Rowlands: A Life on Film

Self (archive footage)

2019

Peter Falk versus Columbo

Peter Falk versus Columbo

Self (archive footage)

2019

Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films

Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films

Robert Harmon (archive footage) (uncredited)

2014

Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired

Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired

Guy Woodhouse (archive footage)

2008

Operation Dirty Dozen

Operation Dirty Dozen

Self

2006

A Constant Forge

A Constant Forge

Self (archive footage)

2000

Out of the Shadows: The Films of John Cassavetes

Out of the Shadows: The Films of John Cassavetes

Self

1993

Anything for John

Anything for John

Self (archive footage)

1993

Arena - John Cassavetes

Arena - John Cassavetes

Self

1989

Movies Are My Life

Movies Are My Life

Self

1988

Marvin & Tige

Marvin & Tige

Marvin

1985

Nederland C

Nederland C

Self - Portrait of the actor / cinematographer

1985

I'm Almost Not Crazy: John Cassavetes — The Man and His Work

I'm Almost Not Crazy: John Cassavetes — The Man and His Work

Self

1984

Love Streams

Love Streams

Robert Harmon

1984

Fräulein Berlin

Fräulein Berlin

himself

1984

The Haircut

The Haircut

Music Industry Executive

1982

Tempest

Tempest

Phillip

1982

Incubus

Incubus

Dr. Sam Cordell

1982

Whose Life Is It Anyway?

Whose Life Is It Anyway?

Dr. Michael Emerson

1981

Flesh & Blood

Flesh & Blood

Gus Caputo

1979

Brass Target

Brass Target

Maj. Joe De Lucca

1978

The Fury

The Fury

Ben Childress

1978

Opening Night

Opening Night

Maurice Aarons

1977

Heroes

Heroes

VA Doctor (uncredited)

1977

Mikey and Nicky

Mikey and Nicky

Nicky

1976

Two-Minute Warning

Two-Minute Warning

Sgt. Chris Button

1976

Capone

Capone

Frankie Yale

1975

Nightside

Nightside

Carmine Kelly

1973

Minnie and Moskowitz

Minnie and Moskowitz

Jim

1971

The Making of 'Husbands'

The Making of 'Husbands'

Self

1971

Husbands

Husbands

Gus Demetri

1970

If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium

If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium

Steve

1969

Machine Gun McCain

Machine Gun McCain

Hank McCain

1969

"Cinéastes de notre temps": John Cassavetes

"Cinéastes de notre temps": John Cassavetes

1969

Bandits in Rome

Bandits in Rome

Mario Corda

1968

Rosemary's Baby

Rosemary's Baby

Guy Woodhouse

1968

Alexander The Great

Alexander The Great

Karonos

1968

The Dirty Dozen

The Dirty Dozen

Victor Franko

1967

Devil's Angels

Devil's Angels

Cody

1967

The Killers

The Killers

Johnny North

1964

The Webster Boy

The Webster Boy

Vance Miller

1962

Shadows

Shadows

Pedestrian (uncredited)

1960

Hedda Hopper's Hollywood

Hedda Hopper's Hollywood

Self

1960

Virgin Island

Virgin Island

Evan

1959

Saddle the Wind

Saddle the Wind

Tony Sinclair

1958

Affair in Havana

Affair in Havana

Nick Douglas

1957

Edge of the City

Edge of the City

Axel Nordmann

1957

No Right to Kill

No Right to Kill

McCloud

1956

Crime in the Streets

Crime in the Streets

Frankie Dane

1956

The Night Holds Terror

The Night Holds Terror

Robert Batsford

1955

Taxi

Taxi

Man (uncredited)

1953

Fourteen Hours

Fourteen Hours

Reporter (uncredited)

1951