The Greatest Supporting Actor
You may not recognize his name today, but John Cazale was one of Hollywood's greatest actors. And in his tragically short but illustrious career, Cazale became a propelling inspiration for not one, but two of Hollywood’s hottest stars of all time.
1. He Was Unforgettable
In his brief career, John Cazale did one thing that no actor has ever done before: He only appeared in movies that received Best Picture Academy Award nominations. It certainly helped that Cazale worked with acclaimed directors and some of Hollywood’s greatest stars—but there was something about Cazale that turned his minor roles into unforgettable characters.
Yet for all that hard work, he ended up meeting a heartbreaking end.
2. He Made A Strange Move
John Cazale was born on August 12, 1935 and raised in various places throughout the state of Massachusetts. He had an Irish-American mom and an Italian-American dad, and found his calling in high school. From the time he was just a teen, Cazale knew he wanted to be an actor.
New York was nearby and teemed with acting opportunities. But strangely, Cazale didn’t see it that way—and made a surprising choice.
Oscilloscope, I Knew It Was You (2009)
3. He Got A Good Education
Cazale decided on Ohio as the place to start his acting education, and he ended up at Oberlin College. It was worth the trek to Ohio, as its other notable graduates included Nobel Prize winners and Rhodes Scholars. Once he’d gotten all he could from Ohio, Cazale went back to his home state and studied at Boston University.
Finally, he was ready to start his career as an actor.
Oscilloscope, I Knew It Was You (2009)
4. He Walked Away
While he was getting his career started, John Cazale did a stint driving cabs to support himself. At the same time, he began to get parts in the theater and received amazing reviews. Finally, it was time to hit the Big Apple. Cazale continued looking for acting jobs while working as a photographer. Then he did something strange.
Cazale walked away from acting and took a very non-theatrical job with Standard Oil as a messenger.
Universal, The Deer Hunter (1978)
5. They Worked Side By Side
This may like the end of his career in show business, but it was actually the beginning. While working for Standard Oil, one of his co-workers was another struggling actor named Al Pacino. The two became fast friends. While working as messengers by day, they acted side by side in a play at night.
Then, when the play moved from Waterford, Connecticut to New York City, they got a huge surprise.
Warner Bros., Scarecrow (1973)
6. They Competed
There must have been just a little competition between Cazale and Pacino. After all, they were buddies acting together, and I’m sure they wanted to know which one had the edge over the other. When awards season came along, the answer would certainly present itself. As it turned out, they both won Obies for their performances.
Cazale had conquered the New York stage scene, he was ready for something completely different.
Paramount, The Godfather Part II (1974)
7. It Wasn’t His Thing
In 1968, John Cazale got his first break off the stage. This was in the hard-hitting ABC show NYPD, where Cazale played opposite rising stars like Martin Sheen and Raul Julia. It seemed like an easy step up to acting success—but it left Cazale feeling empty. After this single episode, he went back to the stage and never returned to TV again.
Something even bigger was calling his name.
Oscilloscope, I Knew It Was You (2009)
8. He Grabbed Attention
Casting agent Fred Roos went to see an off-Broadway show in order to check out an actor he thought might be good for a role in a film he was working on. The actor was Richard Dreyfuss. As it turned out, Cazale was appearing alongside Dreyfuss—but he was the one who grabbed Roos’ attention. Sorry, Richard!
Roos was about to make Cazale a stunning offer.
9. He Got A Role
Roos immediately knew that with Cazale, he had found the perfect actor for a movie he was casting. It wasn’t a huge role, but it was going to be a very important movie. The film was the much anticipated cinematic adaptation of the best-selling novel The Godfather, by Mario Puzo. To add to the buzz, The Godfather had an up-and-coming director named Francis Ford Coppola.
This was going to be Cazale’s big break.
Paramount, The Godfather Part II (1974)
10. He Had To Stand Out
John Cazale got the call to play the role of Fredo Corleone in The Godfather. Cazale couldn’t believe his luck. Not only was he going to be acting alongside his buddy, Pacino but also someone he worshiped: Marlon Brando. Now, all he had to do was figure out a way to make his small role shine.
Paramount , The Godfather (1972)
11. He Was A Joke
The challenge with Cazale’s role in The Godfather was that his character, Fredo Corleone, is the loser of the family. He’s clumsy and not nearly as cool as brothers Michael and Sonny, played by Pacino and James Caan. In the wrong hands, Fredo could come off as just a joke, but Cazale needed to make his character resonate with audiences.
To do this, he took a huge risk.
Paramount, The Godfather Part II (1974)
12. He Cried
On the billing of actors in The Godfather, Cazale’s name appears at number 14, so he really had to work to make his role stand out. One of the ways he did this was unforgettable. One scene that got the audience’s attention was the moment when Brando’s character gets shot. Cazale valiantly tries to shelter him, but when he fails, Cazale bursts into tears.
This risk would only pay off if The Godfather was a hit film. Cazale would have to just wait and see.
Paramount, The Godfather Part II (1974)
13. It Took Home Trophies
As we all now know, The Godfather was a colossal hit. It was the highest-grossing film of that year and received a whopping nine Academy Award nominations, and seven more for the Golden Globes. When the dust had settled, The Godfather had the Best Picture award at both the Oscars and the Golden Globe ceremonies.
Even though Cazale didn’t get a nomination, he now had a huge hit under his belt. What he did next would determine his career.
Paramount, The Godfather Part II (1974)
14. He Got A Boost
The Godfather was a groundbreaking film that accomplished several things. It transformed Cazale’s buddy Al Pacino into a huge bankable leading man, and it gave Marlon Brando’s career a much needed reinvigoration. On top of all that, it made Coppola one of the most in-demand directors in Hollywood.
Suddenly, he could have his choice of actors—and the fear was that he would forget all about Cazale.
Evening Standard, Getty Images
15. He Worked With Him Again
Coppola was so taken with Cazale’s small part in The Godfather that he wrote a part just for him in his next movie. This was The Conversation and it starred Gene Hackman. Again, this was not a starring role, but it was much bigger than the one he’d had in The Godfather. This film got three Academy Award nominations, including one for Best Picture. Cazale was starting to look like some kind of cinematic good luck charm.
Surely, he could leverage this into a starring role.
Oscilloscope, I Knew It Was You (2009)
16. He Got Larger
When it was time for the sequel to The Godfather, John Cazale was ready and will to play Fredo again. Because he’d been such a success in the first film, Coppola decided to make his role much larger in The Godfather Part II. This was a bit risky because, as anyone will tell you, making a sequel to a much loved movie can easily backfire.
Cazale was still not a leading man, and now he was in a sequel that would likely pale in comparison to the original. This could end up being a disaster.
Paramount, The Godfather Part II (1974)
17. He Stayed In His Place
In The Godfather Part II Cazale’s character, Fredo, turns his back on his family, and in one scene he has to tell his brother Michael—played by Pacino—why he did it. It was going to be a very emotional scene—but Coppola made a strange choice. He wanted Cazale to deliver all his lines while seated in a chair.
It seemed like Coppola was trying to sabotage Cazale’s big scene.
Paramount, The Godfather Part II (1974)
18. He Was A Genius
This scene between Cazale and Pacino in The Godfather Part II was so popular that it got its own name. Film buffs call it the “I was passed over” scene. The scene has been called “big” and “brilliant,” and film historians still look back at it as one of the most important in the film. They even use the word “genius” to talk about Cazale’s performance.
But this wasn’t everything for Cazale.
Paramount, The Godfather Part II (1974)
19. He Got A Kiss
Another unforgettable scene in The Godfather Part II is when Fredo receives a very important kiss from his brother Michael. When Michael kisses Fredo, he’s saying that they are going to have to kill him. Cazale’s performance is what made the scene unforgettable, as he tries to get out of Michael’s grip while showing an excruciating terror on his face.
Cazale’s turn in The Godfather Part II haunted audiences—but was it an award-worthy performance? Cazale would have to wait and see.
Paramount, The Godfather Part II (1974)
20. It Broke The Rules
As it turned out, The Godfather Part II broke all the rules about a sequel. It received nine nominations, and won a very respectable six, including Best Picture and Best Director. For Cazale, there was just one problem. He didn’t get the nod from the Academy for his performance—but at the very least, this was the third film he’d been in that received a nomination for Best Picture from the Academy, and the second that had won.
Up until this point, Cazale had only worked for one director—Coppola. The question was, could he turn in unforgettable performances with Coppola’s stewardship?
Paramount, The Godfather Part II (1974)
21. He Wanted His Pal
While John Cazale was riding high as a character actor in small roles, his buddy Al Pacino was doing the same but in lead roles. He’d received an Academy Award nomination for The Godfather Part II, which may have irked Cazale. When Pacino got an offer for his next big part, he wanted his pal with him. There was only one problem.
Gotfryd, Bernard, Wikimedia Commons
22. He Wasn’t Quite Right
The role that Pacino wanted for John Cazale was his sidekick in a “bank heist gone wrong” film called Dog Day Afternoon. That’s when they ran into a roadblock. The issue was that this story was based on true events and Cazale was more than 20 years older than the real person. Director Sidney Lumet was not on board, but after just one meeting he agreed that Cazale was the one for the role.
Now Cazale had to prove he had what it took to make Dog Day Afternoon a hit.
Warner Bros., Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
23. He Ad Libbed
In one scene in Dog Day Afternoon, John Cazale decided to go off script. The bank robbers wanted a plane to get them away from America and their problems. Someone asks them where they want the plane to take them, but the script didn’t provide an answer. As a joke, Cazale said “Wyoming” and the director laughed so hard he almost spoiled the take.
“Wyoming” stayed in the film and Cazale just had to hope that his work would please audiences and members of the Academy.
Warner Bros., Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
24. He Got His Own
Once again, a film featuring Cazale received a nomination for Best Picture and Best Director. In all, Dog Day Afternoon got six nods from the Academy, but only one win. Cazale finally got his own nod, and it came from the Golden Globes for Best Supporting Actor. He was up against fellow Dog Day Afternoon actor Charles Durning, but they both lost to Richard Benjamin. Cazale’s reaction was heartbreaking.
At that point, Cazale thought it was time to walk away from films.
Warner Bros., Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
25. They Paired Up Again
Of course, walking away from film didn’t mean walking away from acting. Cazale returned to the stage and also stayed close to his buddy Pacino. The two appeared in The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui. While Pacino was certainly becoming more famous than Cazale, this play was a chance for the pair to figure out who was the better actor.
Oscilloscope, I Knew It Was You (2009)
26. He Was The Best
After seeing Cazale and Pacino acting side by side in The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui , a critic from The Village Voice had this to say: Cazale “may be the finest actor in America today”. Sure, he’d never received a nomination from the Academy, but these words bumped him one step higher than Pacino.
Cazale was likely giddy from hearing such praise, and headed off to tackle one of the English language’s most challenging playwrights.
Oscilloscope, I Knew It Was You (2009)
27. He Met A Superstar
Cazale next ditched Pacino and went to work on Shakespeare in Central Park. This was Measure for Measure and Cazale was about to meet up with a future superstar. The leading lady was a recent graduate from Yale School of Drama, and Cazale told Pacino that he had met the “greatest actress in the history of the world”.
Cazale didn’t know it then, but this woman would play a huge role in his life.
Oscilloscope, I Knew It Was You (2009)
28. Sparks Flew
The woman John Cazale was acting with in Central Park was none other than Meryl Streep. But there was more to the meeting than just talent. Sparks flew between the two gifted actors, and they started dating while still working on Measure for Measure.
Before long, this passionate affair soon turned into something more serious. They moved in together. Sadly, they didn’t have much time to be together.
Evening Standard, Getty Images
29. He Hit Broadway
It seemed that John Cazale had done so much in a fairly short career, but one thing he hadn’t done was appear on Broadway. Finally, he got his chance as the lead in Agamemnon. The preview before opening night was on April 29, 1977, and all seemed good—except it wasn’t. Out of nowhere, Cazale became sick and had to quit before opening night.
This wasn’t just a cold or the flu, it was much more serious than that.
Paramount, The Godfather Part II (1974)
30. He Got Some Very Bad News
After a visit to the doctor, John Cazale received a devastating diagnosis. He had lung cancer. This was the worst news imaginable, and Cazale had to think about what to do. He’d already lined up his next film, and it was special as he would be working with Robert De Niro, who he’d been with on The Godfather Part II.
Everything was in place, except for one thing. Cazale would have to act in this gut-wrenching film while suffering from cancer.
Paramount, The Godfather Part II (1974)
31. He Didn’t Want To Quit
John Cazale really wanted to continue with The Deer Hunter, and Streep supported him. Even though he career was on the ride, she went above and beyond. She accepted a very minor role as a “vague stock girlfriend” type to be near Cazale. The director, Michael Cimino, was on board to get Cazale’s scenes done first before his cancer made it impossible to act.
There was one thing though. Cimino didn’t want to tell the studio about Cazale’s cancer. But they soon found out anyway.
Universal, The Deer Hunter (1978)
32. He Almost Got Fired
When Universal Pictures found out that John Cazale was suffering from lung cancer, their first thought was to replace him. When Streep got wind of this, she supported Cazale 100% by offering to quit. This made Universal sit up and take notice—but then they presented Cazale with yet another problem.
33. He Had A Guardian Angel
Even if Universal agreed to keep John Cazale in the film, they still had to insure him. With his diagnosis of lung cancer, this would be a huge expense, and Universal wasn’t about to pay out. Streep was still new to the business, so she likely didn’t have that kind of cash. That’s when Robert De Niro stepped in and offered to pay for the insurance.
Cazale was back in the film, but now he had to prove that his cancer would not hold him back.
Roland Godefroy, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
34. It Was A Dangerous Shoot
Filming The Deer Hunter proved to be an intense experience, but not just for John Cazale. There’s a famous scene where Cazale and De Niro’s characters play Russian Roulette. De Niro wanted the scene to have high stakes for both the characters and the actors—but he took it to a disturbing level. He asked the director to put one “live cartridge in the revolver”.
It seemed that making The Deer Hunter would end Cazale’s life one way or another.
Universal, The Deer Hunter (1978)
35. She Was With Him Til The End
Cazale never saw The Deer Hunter. He spent his final days in a hospital with a stoic Streep by his side. In a version of the story—perhaps apocryphal—a doctor told Streep that Cazale was gone, and she began to weep. As the tale goes, Cazale then opened his eyes, said “It’s all right, Meryl…it’s all right”, before dying.
Columbia Pictures, Kramer vs. Kramer
36. He Didn’t Make It
John Cazale died on March 13, 1978. He was just 42 years old. While he didn’t get to see it, The Deer Hunter took home Academy Awards, including ones for Best Director and Best Picture. Of course, winning awards wouldn’t bring Cazale back—but Streep found a unique way to deal with her loss.
Universal, The Deer Hunter (1978)
37. She Used Her Pain
After Cazale’s passing, Dustin Hoffman lobbied to get a grieving Streep in his next film—all for a twisted reason. This was the divorce drama Kramer vs Kramer, and Hoffman thought that Streep would be emotionally raw enough to give the role what it needed. Well, Hoffman may have been heartlessly using Streep’s grief—but it did win her her first Oscar.
As it turned out, it wasn’t just losing Cazale that made Streep a better actor.
Columbia Pictures, Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
38. He Made Her Better
In the short time that Streep was romantically linked to Cazale, she learned from him. Streep, now considered one of Hollywood’s finest actors, said that before she worked with Cazale she often rushed into character choices. Cazale taught her to look for “other possibilities”. Streep certainly took his advice and made an impressive career out of it.
There were others, besides Streep, who benefitted from Cazale’s wisdom.
Paramount, The Godfather Part II (1974)
39. He Paid It Forward
While they may not have had a close relationship with John Cazale, other actors also said that he was a huge influence. Academy Award nominee Michael Fassbender, Academy Award winners Philip Seymour Hoffman and Sam Rockwell, and Emmy Award winner Steve Buscemi all cite Cazale as an influence. It’s not surprising that this group have all done great work as supporting characters, just like Cazale himself.
40. He Was In The Top
The Cinema Archives website decided to put together a collection of the top performances by a male actor. In spite of being in only five films in his lifetime, never being a leading man, and sometimes having only a few minutes of screen time, Cazale came out at a very respectable place. He was number 83 out of 100.
There was even more recognition coming his way.
Paramount, The Godfather Part II (1974)
41. They Used his Name
John Cazale never got an Academy Award nomination, but he did get a building. In 1984, a theater in New York City received his name. This is the McGinn/Cazale theater and he shares the honor with actor Walter McGinn, who also passed at a young age. Still, you have to imagine that Cazale must have been a little heartbroken over never getting an Oscar—but that may not have been true.
Oscilloscope, I Knew It Was You (2009)
42. He Never Won
In spite of his appearance in five multiple-award winning films, Cazale never received even a nomination from the Academy. When asked how he dealt with this omission in his career, Cazale showed his precocious wisdom. He said he just had to ask himself “how much that or any award really mattered”. What mattered to Cazale was doing the work and resonating with audiences.
As it turned out, Cazale had his own secret weapon.
Paramount, The Godfather Part II (1974)
43. He Played Uncomfortable
A lot of Cazale’s roles seemed to be people who were losers. Film writer Jackson Arn said that Cazale was the master of playing “people who are weak, weird, unprincipled and visibly uncomfortable in their own skins”. Maybe Cazale was just playing ordinary people, and that’s what sparked audiences’ attention.
But there was something else that made Cazale instantly relatable to his audience.
Oscilloscope, I Knew It Was You (2009)
44. He Was Strange Looking
Steve Buscemi, who is arguably one of the oddest looking men to grace a Hollywood screen, had his own comments about Cazale. He said that “he’s so strange looking.” It’s true that Cazale had an odd look, but some say it was this look that made him fit in anywhere. Arn said that Cazale’s eyes “were black holes from which no light ever returned”.
Of course, what people really want to know was, who Cazale was as a person?
Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
45. He Played Against Type
In his few film roles, John Cazale often played violent characters, but the reality was quite the opposite. According to the people he worked with, Cazale was nothing like his characters. They described him as gentle and kind, and he became close to many of his co-stars. In fact, if you look closely at Cazale’s film and theater history you’ll notice something odd about the people he worked with.
Warner Bros., Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
46. They Couldn’t Get Enough
Few people seemed to be able to stop after just one dose of Cazale. Theater directors like Joseph Pape kept coming back for more. Francis Ford Coppola used him in three of his films. Meryl Streep was in a relationship with him and worked with him twice. The big one was Pacino, who worked with Cazale in three films and three stage productions.
Pacino’s love of Cazale seemed to be on the brink of obsession.
Oscilloscope, I Knew It Was You (2009)
47. They Were Partners
The most profound words about Cazale came from Pacino. Previously he’d said that he “wanted to work with Cazale for the rest of (his) life”. He also called Cazale his “acting partner”. After Cazale’s passing, Pacino called him “one of the great actors of our time—that time, any time”. Cazale had touched so many lives, and people just couldn’t seem to forget him.
To make sure he stayed in our hearts, one filmmaker made a bold move.
Paramount, The Godfather Part II (1974)
48. They Told His Story
With such a short career, it was unlikely that there would be a whole film about Cazale’s life—or so you’d think. Tower Heist director Brett Ratner made a documentary about Cazale’s life called I Knew It Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale. The film took its title from Cazale’s most famous scene in The Godfather Part II. It seems fitting that the line wasn’t his. Pacino said it with Cazale standing by.
There’s another line from one of Cazale’s films that stands out for all the wrong reasons.
David Shankbone, CC BY 3.0 ,Wikimedia Commons
49. It Was Eerie
There was one story from Dog Day Afternoon that had an eerie ring to it once John Cazale had passed. In the film, Cazale tells one of the bank employees that she should stop smoking. He mentions the risk of lung cancer as the primary reasons not to. Sadly, Cazale did not take his own advice.
He was gone at such a young age, we can only hope that he ended up in a good place.
Warner Bros., Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
50. They Sent Him Off
Cazale’s eulogy came from Israel Horovitz, who Cazale collaborated with on many theatrical productions. The eulogy appeared in The Village Voice and Horovitz called Cazale “a small perfection”. He then sent him off to a place where he could make friends with other greats in the acting industry. People like James Dean, Sarah Bernhardt, and even Groucho Marx.
They probably loved him there too.
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