What was John Cazale’s Net Worth?
John Cazale, an American actor with a net worth of $2 million at the time of his death, starred in five films that were all nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award. These films include “The Godfather,” “The Godfather: Part II,” “The Conversation,” “Dog Day Afternoon,” and “The Deer Hunter.” Of these, “The Godfather,” “The Godfather: Part II,” and “The Deer Hunter” went on to win the award. Cazale also had a successful career in regional, off-Broadway, and Broadway theatrical productions.
Cazale’s career was cut tragically short when he passed away from lung cancer at the age of 42, shortly after completing his work on “The Deer Hunter.”
Early Life and Education
John Cazale was born on August 12, 1935 in Revere, Massachusetts to Irish-American mother Cecilia and Italian-American father John. He had an older sister named Catherine and a younger brother named Stephen, and was raised in Winchester.
Cazale attended Buxton School in Williamstown, where he participated in the drama club. He later transferred to Boston University after attending Oberlin College in Ohio.
John Cazale’s Theatrical Career
John Cazale began his theatrical career in 1959 with roles in “Hotel Paradiso” and “Our Town” at the Charles Playhouse in Boston. He eventually moved to New York City where he looked for acting work while doing professional photography. One of his first theatrical roles in the city was in the Equity Library’s production of “Paths of Glory.”
In 1962, Cazale appeared in a production of Archibald MacLeish’s play “J.B.” He joined the national tour of Lorraine Hansberry’s “The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window” in 1965.
Cazale met Al Pacino while working at Standard Oil and appeared alongside him in the 1966 one-act play “The Indian Wants the Bronx,” playing in Waterford, Connecticut. The two reprised their roles in an off-Broadway production of the play in 1968, earning them both Obie Awards. Cazale won another Obie for his work in the one-act play “Line.”
Cazale went on to appear in a number of other plays throughout the remainder of the 60s and into the early 70s. With Connecticut’s Long Wharf Theatre Company, Cazale was in “Tartuffe,” “The Skin of Our Teeth,” and “The Iceman Cometh,” among other plays.
John Cazale’s Film Career
John Cazale made his film debut in Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather” in 1972, playing the role of Fredo Corleone. The film was a commercial and critical success, and Cazale’s performance launched him to mainstream stardom. He reprised his role in the sequel, “The Godfather: Part II,” which also won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
That same year, Cazale starred in another acclaimed film by Francis Ford Coppola, “The Conversation,” opposite Gene Hackman. He reunited with Al Pacino in 1975 for Sidney Lumet’s “Dog Day Afternoon,” playing the role of Sal Naturile. The film was a success, earning Cazale a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Cazale’s final film was Michael Cimino’s “The Deer Hunter” in 1978, where he starred alongside Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, John Savage, and Meryl Streep. The film went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, making it Cazale’s third film to do so.
Stage Career
While finding success in films, John Cazale returned to the stage in 1975, appearing in several plays by Israel Horovitz and supporting Al Pacino in a production of Brecht’s “The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui.” In 1976, he appeared with Pacino for the final time in “The Local Stigmatic” and starred opposite Sam Waterston and Meryl Streep in “Measure for Measure” in Central Park. Cazale’s final stage performance was in the titular role of “Agamemnon” at Broadway’s Vivian Beaumont Theatre in the spring of 1977, but he only appeared in the first preview before withdrawing due to his illness.
Relationship with Meryl Streep and Tragic Death
During his career, John Cazale was in a romantic relationship with Meryl Streep, with whom he starred in Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure” and “The Deer Hunter.”
In 1977, Cazale was diagnosed with lung cancer, which was likely caused by his chronic smoking. He passed away in March of 1978 at the age of 42, shortly after completing his work on “The Deer Hunter.” Streep was by his side throughout his illness and until his death.
John Cazale’s Acting Legacy
Despite never being nominated for an Academy Award, John Cazale’s impact on Hollywood is undeniable. The five feature films he starred in were all nominated for Best Picture, with three of them winning. His unique acting style has influenced actors such as Steve Buscemi, Sam Rockwell, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Michael Fassbender.
In 2009, a documentary film titled “I Knew It Was You” delved into Cazale’s life and career. Directed by Richard Shepard, the film features interviews with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Robert De Niro, Gene Hackman, and Francis Ford Coppola.
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