John Cassavetes
Known for Directing · 87 credits
- Born
- 1929-12-09
- Died
- 1989-02-03
- Place of birth
- New York City, New York, USA
- Also known as
- John Nicholas Cassavetes
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 his 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
TV Shows (34)
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
as Self
The Mike Douglas Show
1961
as Self
Columbo
1971
as Alex Benedict
Robert Montgomery Presents
1950
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
1963
Golden Globe Awards
1944
as Self - Nominee / Self - Presenter
The Dick Cavett Show
1968
as Self - Guest
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
1962
as Rusty Connors / Lee Griffin
Climax!
1954
as Malcolm McCloud / Abel Winter
Studio One
1948
as Paul Greco
The Ed Sullivan Show
1948
as Self
Burke's Law
1963
as Eddie Dineen / Alfred Algernon / Stephen Collins / Carlos de Vega
Dr. Kildare
1961
as Makin Saund
The Virginian
1962
as Jonah MacIntosh
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
1975
as Self
The United States Steel Hour
1953
as Johnny
Rawhide
1959
as Cal Fletcher
The Philco Television Playhouse
1948
Omnibus
1952
as Pepe
Combat!
1962
as Kalb
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
as Sam Cobbett
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
1964
Kraft Suspense Theatre
1963
as Peter Chandler
The 20th Century Fox Hour
1955
as Max Markheim
Johnny Staccato
1959
as Johnny Staccato
Appointment with Adventure
1955
as Danny Loomis
Profiles in Courage
1964
as Parsons
Channing
1963
as Lloyd Sullivan
The Legend of Jesse James
1965
as Blackie Dolan
The Dick Clark Show
1958
as Self
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
General Electric Theater
1953
as Johnny
Iconic Couples of Hollywood
2015
as Self (archive footage)
Flesh & Blood
1979
as Gus Caputo
Movies (53)
The Dirty Dozen
1967
as Victor Franko
Rosemary's Baby
1968
as Guy Woodhouse
Fourteen Hours
1951
as Reporter (uncredited)
Incubus
1982
as Dr. Sam Cordell
The Fury
1978
as Ben Childress
Mikey and Nicky
1976
as Nicky
The Killers
1964
as Johnny North
Fräulein Berlin
1984
as himself
Machine Gun McCain
1969
as Hank McCain
Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films
2014
as Robert Harmon (archive footage) (uncredited)
Love Streams
1984
as Robert Harmon
Gena Rowlands: A Life on Film
2019
as Self (archive footage)
Flesh & Blood
1979
as Gus Caputo
Capone
1975
as Frankie Yale
Opening Night
1977
as Maurice Aarons
Two-Minute Warning
1976
as Sgt. Chris Button
A Constant Forge
2000
as Self (archive footage)
Anything for John
1993
as Self (archive footage)
Minnie and Moskowitz
1971
as Jim
Affair in Havana
1957
as Nick Douglas
If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium
1969
as Steve
Operation Dirty Dozen
2006
as Self
Husbands
1970
as Gus Demetri
Nightside
1973
as Carmine Kelly
Heroes
1977
as VA Doctor (uncredited)
Peter Falk versus Columbo
2019
as Self (archive footage)
Tempest
1982
as Phillip
Saddle the Wind
1958
as Tony Sinclair
Shadows
1960
as Pedestrian (uncredited)
Edge of the City
1957
as Axel Nordmann
Arena - John Cassavetes
1989
as Self
Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired
2008
as Guy Woodhouse (archive footage)
Whose Life Is It Anyway?
1981
as Dr. Michael Emerson
The Night Holds Terror
1955
as Robert Batsford
John Cassavetes par Thierry Jousse
2024
Alexander The Great
1968
as Karonos
The Making of 'Husbands'
1971
as Self
Brass Target
1978
as Maj. Joe De Lucca
Devil's Angels
1967
as Cody
Virgin Island
1959
as Evan
Crime in the Streets
1956
as Frankie Dane
Movies Are My Life
1988
as Self
I'm Almost Not Crazy: John Cassavetes — The Man and His Work
1984
as Self
150 Miles of Rotting, Rutted, Lumpy, Dilapidated Pavement
2021
as Man Talking
Bandits in Rome
1968
as Mario Corda
Hedda Hopper's Hollywood
1960
as Self
The Webster Boy
1962
as Vance Miller
Taxi
1953
as Man (uncredited)
Marvin & Tige
1985
as Marvin
The Haircut
1982
as Music Industry Executive
No Right to Kill
1956
as McCloud
Nederland C
1985
as Self - Portrait of the actor / cinematographer
Out of the Shadows: The Films of John Cassavetes
1993
as Self
About John Cassavetes
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 his 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… With 87 credits spanning from 1944 to 2024, John Cassavetes has appeared in 53 films and 34 TV shows.
Fans searching for John Cassavetes movies, John Cassavetes filmography, or the latest projects starring John Cassavetes can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular John Cassavetes Movies
- The Dirty Dozen (1967) — as Victor Franko
- Rosemary's Baby (1968) — as Guy Woodhouse
- Fourteen Hours (1951) — as Reporter (uncredited)
- Incubus (1982) — as Dr. Sam Cordell
- The Fury (1978) — as Ben Childress
Where to Watch John Cassavetes Films
Most John Cassavetes movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring John Cassavetes, check our movies catalogue and browse page.