What was John Cazale's Net Worth?
John Cazale was an American actor with a net worth of $2 million at the time of his death. Despite his tragically brief career, all five of his featured films were nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award. These films are "The Godfather," "The Godfather: Part II," "The Conversation," "Dog Day Afternoon," and "The Deer Hunter." While "The Godfather," "The Godfather: Part II," and "The Deer Hunter" won the award, Cazale left an indelible mark on cinema. He also appeared in many regional, off-Broadway, and Broadway theatrical productions. After completing his work on "The Deer Hunter," his fifth feature film, Cazale sadly passed away from lung cancer on March 12, 1978, at 42 years old.
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. Raised in Winchester, Cazale attended Buxton School in Williamstown, where he took part in the drama club. He later attended Oberlin College in Ohio before transferring to Boston University.
Theatrical Career, 1959-1971
In 1959, Cazale began his theatrical career at the Charles Playhouse in Boston, taking roles in "Hotel Paradiso" and "Our Town." During this time, he worked as a cab driver to make ends meet. Eventually, Cazale moved to New York City, where he pursued 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, he appeared in Archibald MacLeish's play "J.B." and later joined the national tour of Lorraine Hansberry's "The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window."
After meeting actor Al Pacino while working at Standard Oil, the two acted together in the 1966 one-act play "The Indian Wants the Bronx" in Waterford, Connecticut. They reprised their roles in an off-Broadway production in 1968, earning Obie Awards. Cazale earned another Obie Award for the one-act play "Line." Throughout the late 60s and early 70s, Cazale appeared in a number of plays with Connecticut's Long Wharf Theatre Company, including "Tartuffe," "The Skin of Our Teeth," and "The Iceman Cometh."
Film Career
Cazale transitioned to cinema in 1972 with his debut in Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather." Portraying Fredo Corleone, the timid, doomed older brother of Al Pacino's Michael, Cazale gained mainstream stardom. He reprised the role in 1974's "The Godfather: Part II," which also won the Academy Award for Best Picture. In the same year, he starred opposite Gene Hackman in "The Conversation."
Cazale reunited with Pacino in 1975 for Sidney Lumet's "Dog Day Afternoon," playing Sal Naturile in a chaotic bank robbery. The film garnered a Best Picture Academy Award nomination and earned Cazale a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor. His final film was Michael Cimino's "The Deer Hunter" in 1978, alongside Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, John Savage, and Meryl Streep. "The Deer Hunter" won the Academy Award for Best Picture, marking Cazale's third film to do so.
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Theatrical Career, 1975-1977
While excelling in film, Cazale returned to the stage in 1975, starring in several plays by Israel Horovitz and supporting Pacino in Brecht's "The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui." In 1976, he appeared for the last time with Pacino in "The Local Stigmatic," and starred alongside Sam Waterston and Meryl Streep in "Measure for Measure" in Central Park. His final stage performance was in "Agamemnon" at Broadway's Vivian Beaumont Theatre in 1977, but he had to withdraw due to illness.
Personal Life and Death
Cazale was in a romantic relationship with Meryl Streep, who acted with him in Shakespeare's "Measure for Measure" and "The Deer Hunter." In 1977, he was diagnosed with lung cancer, with a history of chronic smoking. After completing his work on "The Deer Hunter," he passed away in March 1978 at 42 years old, with Streep by his side.
Legacy
Though never nominated for an Academy Award, Cazale's unique achievement of all his feature films being Best Picture nominees—and three winning—cements his legacy. His influential acting style has inspired actors such as Steve Buscemi, Sam Rockwell, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Michael Fassbender. Cazale is the subject of the 2009 documentary "I Knew It Was You," directed by Richard Shepard, featuring interviews with Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Robert De Niro, Gene Hackman, Francis Ford Coppola, and other collaborators and friends.
