How John Cazale tragically achieved Oscars perfection
Some actors go their whole careers without appearing in an Oscar-nominated movie; that’s just the nature of the industry. However, John Cazale was quite the opposite, appearing in five movies during his short time as an actor, all of which earned ‘Best Picture’ nominations, with three of these winning the coveted prize.
Cazale’s story is one that is deeply tragic, though, because despite his incredible talents, he sadly passed away at the age of 42 in 1978. His career was cut short following his battle with lung cancer, leaving many movie lovers wondering what his life would’ve looked like if he had lived longer. How many more ‘Best Picture’ nominees would he have been able to rack up?
The answer is probably quite a few. Cazale took acting very seriously, and he seemingly knew how to pick a good role. His first film appearance came in 1972 with his part as Fredo in The Godfather, which arguably became his definitive role. Starring alongside the likes of classic cinema icons such as Marlon Brando and Al Pacino, the actor bagged the role after he was spotted in an off-Broadway play, with his evident talents capturing the attention of Fred Roos, the film’s casting director.
Cazale’s acting career began on the stage, and it was here that he was able to refine his skills and learn the art of embodying a character. His first performance came in the late 1950s, and soon the actor had quite a few credits to his name. Born in 1935, the actor entered the film industry quite late compared to his contemporaries, and it’s interesting to imagine what Cazale’s career would’ve looked like if he had started acting on-screen in the 1950s or 1960s. Instead, he entered cinema in the middle of the New Hollywood boom, and his subsequent movies would all reflect the transformative nature of the era for the art form.
Following The Godfather, Cazale appeared in The Conversation, also directed by Francis Ford Coppola, before starring in The Godfather Part II. Coppola recognised Cazale’s incredibly refined acting abilities – he could portray intense as well as he could do troubled and vulnerable, and he brought an unforgettable presence to every role. For his final two films, Cazale worked with Sidney Lumet on Dog Day Afternoon and Michael Cimino on The Deer Hunter, with his performances receiving high praise – he even earned a Golden Globe nomination for the former.
Cazale was a deeply inspirational figure for many of his contemporaries, who admired the way he approached acting. He was an introspective man, and he channelled rich emotions into his characters that he seemed to pull from deep within himself. Al Pacino was a huge fan of Cazale as well as being a close friend, once revealing that “he was like an older brother” and an “acting partner” to him. He even suggested that the reason many people are still unable to identify the actor’s name is because “John was the actor who became who he was playing.” Cazale embodied his characters so well that it was hard to separate him from the part, but that’s how he got the best results.
When Cazale was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in 1977, he committed to The Deer Hunter, with his then-girlfriend Meryl Streep (a Hollywood newcomer) taking on a part in the movie so that she could remain close to him. He didn’t get to see the film before he passed away, but his performance was met with acclaim, cementing him as a true Hollywood icon – one who died far too soon.
