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John Cassavetes

John Cassavetes

Known For Directing
Birthday Dec 09, 1929
Died Feb 03, 1989 (59)
Birthplace New York City, New York, USA
Popularity 1 (history)
Updated Sep 27, 2025
Entry Date Apr 13, 2024
Links TMDb IMDb
Biography

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 hi ... s 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).

Known For

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Filmography

Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films

Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films

2014

as Robert Harmon (archive footage) (uncredited)

Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired

Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired

2008

as Guy Woodhouse (archive footage)

Marvin & Tige

Marvin & Tige

1985

as Marvin

Love Streams

Love Streams

1984

as Robert Harmon

Tempest

Tempest

1982

as Phillip

Incubus

Incubus

1982

as Dr. Sam Cordell

The Haircut

The Haircut

1982

as Music Industry Executive

Whose Life Is It Anyway?

Whose Life Is It Anyway?

1981

as Dr. Michael Emerson

Flesh & Blood

Flesh & Blood

1979

as Gus Caputo

Brass Target

Brass Target

1978

as Maj. Joe De Lucca

The Fury

The Fury

1978

as Ben Childress

Opening Night

Opening Night

1977

as Maurice Aarons

Heroes

Heroes

1977

as VA Doctor (uncredited)

Mikey and Nicky

Mikey and Nicky

1976

as Nicky

Two-Minute Warning

Two-Minute Warning

1976

as Sgt. Chris Button

Capone

Capone

1975

as Frankie Yale

Nightside

Nightside

1973

as Carmine Kelly

Minnie and Moskowitz

Minnie and Moskowitz

1971

as Jim

Husbands

Husbands

1970

as Gus Demetri

Rosemary's Baby

Rosemary's Baby

1968

as Guy Woodhouse

Alexander The Great

Alexander The Great

1968

as Karonos

Devil's Angels

Devil's Angels

1967

as Cody

The Dirty Dozen

The Dirty Dozen

1967

as Victor Franko

The Killers

The Killers

1964

as Johnny North

The Webster Boy

The Webster Boy

1962

as Vance Miller

Shadows

Shadows

1960

as Pedestrian (uncredited)

Virgin Island

Virgin Island

1959

as Evan

Saddle the Wind

Saddle the Wind

1958

as Tony Sinclair

Edge of the City

Edge of the City

1957

as Axel Nordmann

Affair in Havana

Affair in Havana

1957

as Nick Douglas

No Right to Kill

No Right to Kill

1956

as McCloud

Crime in the Streets

Crime in the Streets

1956

as Frankie Dane

The Night Holds Terror

The Night Holds Terror

1955

as Robert Batsford

Taxi

Taxi

1953

as Man (uncredited)

Fourteen Hours

Fourteen Hours

1951

as Reporter (uncredited)

Gloria

Gloria

1999

Original Film Writer

She's So Lovely

She's So Lovely

1997

Writer

Love Streams

Love Streams

1984

Screenplay

Incubus

Incubus

1982

Screenplay

Gloria

Gloria

1980

Writer

Opening Night

Opening Night

1977

Writer

Minnie and Moskowitz

Minnie and Moskowitz

1971

Writer

Husbands

Husbands

1970

Writer, Editor

Faces

Faces

1968

Writer, Editor

Too Late Blues

Too Late Blues

1961

Writer

Shadows

Shadows

1960

Writer, Editor

Big Trouble

Big Trouble

1986

Director

Love Streams

Love Streams

1984

Director

Gloria

Gloria

1980

Director

Opening Night

Opening Night

1977

Director

Minnie and Moskowitz

Minnie and Moskowitz

1971

Director

Husbands

Husbands

1970

Director

Faces

Faces

1968

Director

A Child Is Waiting

A Child Is Waiting

1963

Director

Too Late Blues

Too Late Blues

1961

Director

Shadows

Shadows

1960

Director

Faces

Faces

1968

Producer

Too Late Blues

Too Late Blues

1961

Producer

Organization Category Movie
Television Credits

Johnny Staccato

as Johnny Staccato

Episodes: 27

First Aired: Sep 10, 1959

Columbo

as Alex Benedict

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 15, 1971

Burke's Law

as Eddie Dineen

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 20, 1963

Kraft Suspense Theatre

as Peter Chandler

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 10, 1963

Studio One

as Paul Greco

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Nov 07, 1948

Combat!

as Kalb

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 02, 1962

General Electric Theater

as Johnny

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Feb 01, 1953

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

as Sam Cobbett

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 02, 1955

Rawhide

as Cal Fletcher

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 09, 1959

The Virginian

as Jonah MacIntosh

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 19, 1962

Climax!

as Malcolm McCloud

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 07, 1954

Profiles in Courage

as Parsons

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Nov 08, 1964

The Legend of Jesse James

as Blackie Dolan

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 13, 1965

Dr. Kildare

as Makin Saund

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 27, 1961

Channing

as Lloyd Sullivan

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 18, 1963

Burke's Law

as Stephen Collins

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 20, 1963

Burke's Law

as Alfred Algernon

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 20, 1963

Burke's Law

as Carlos de Vega

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 20, 1963

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour

as Rusty Connors

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 20, 1962

Climax!

as Abel Winter

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 07, 1954

The United States Steel Hour

as Johnny

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 27, 1953

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour

as Lee Griffin

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 20, 1962

Omnibus

as Pepe

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Nov 09, 1952

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

as Self

Episodes: 4

First Aired: Oct 01, 1962

The Mike Douglas Show

as Self

Episodes: 3

First Aired: Dec 11, 1961

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 14, 1964

The Ed Sullivan Show

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jun 20, 1948

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 05, 1951

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 04, 1963

The 20th Century Fox Hour

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 05, 1955

The Philco Television Playhouse

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 03, 1948

Robert Montgomery Presents

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 30, 1950

The Dick Clark Show

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Feb 15, 1958

Les Rendez-vous du dimanche

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 12, 1975

The Dick Cavett Show

as Self - Guest

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jun 06, 1968

Golden Globe Awards

as Self - Nominee

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 20, 1944

Golden Globe Awards

as Self - Presenter

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 20, 1944

Iconic Couples of Hollywood

as Self (archive footage)

Episodes: 1

First Aired: May 04, 2015

Popularity Metrics

Popularity History


Year Month Avg Max Min
2024 5 21 21 20
2024 6 19 24 12
2024 7 24 37 13
2024 8 17 29 7
2024 9 15 45 5
2024 10 8 12 5
2024 11 7 15 3
2024 12 9 16 4
2025 1 15 40 7
2025 2 6 14 1
2025 3 4 10 1
2025 4 0 1 0
2025 5 2 3 1
2025 6 1 2 1
2025 7 1 1 0
2025 8 0 1 0
2025 9 0 1 0
2025 10 1 1 0

Trending Rank


Year Month Avg Rank Max Rank
2024 5 511 246
2024 6 507 173
2024 12 952 952
2025 1 643 395
2025 7 580 528
2025 9 813 135

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