John Cusack | |
|---|---|
| File:John Cusack Cannes 2014.jpg Cusack at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival | |
| Born | John Paul Cusack June 28, 1966 Evanston, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1983–present |
| Parent(s) |
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| Family | Ann Cusack (sister) Joan Cusack (sister) |
John Paul Cusack (/ˈkjuːsæk/; born June 28, 1966)[1] is an American actor, producer, screenwriter, and political activist. He began acting in films during the 1980s and has since starred in many films, including Sixteen Candles (1984), The Sure Thing (1985), Better Off Dead (1985), Stand by Me (1986), One Crazy Summer (1986), Tapeheads (1988), Say Anything... (1989), True Colors (1991), Bullets Over Broadway (1994), City Hall (1996), Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), Con Air (1997), Anastasia (1997), Being John Malkovich (1999), High Fidelity (2000), America's Sweethearts (2001), Serendipity (2001), Identity (2003), Runaway Jury (2003), Must Love Dogs (2005), The Ice Harvest (2005), The Contract (2006), Grace Is Gone (2007), 1408 (2007), Martian Child (2007), 2012 (2009), Hot Tub Time Machine (2010), The Frozen Ground (2013), Maps to the Stars (2014), and Cell (2016). He is the son of filmmaker Dick Cusack, and his older sisters are actresses Joan and Ann Cusack.
Early life[]
Cusack was born in 1966 in Evanston, Illinois into an Irish Catholic family, the son of writer-actor-producer and documentary filmmaker Richard J. Cusack (1925–2003), originally from New York City,[2][3][4] and Ann Paula "Nancy" (née Carolan) Cusack, originally from Massachusetts, a former mathematics teacher and political activist.[2][5] John's older siblings Ann and Joan are also actors. Cusack has two other siblings, Bill and Susie.[2] The family moved from Manhattan, New York, to Illinois[6][7] and were friends of activist Philip Berrigan.[8] Cusack graduated from Evanston Township High School in 1984, where he met Jeremy Piven,[9] and spent a year at New York University before dropping out, saying that he had "too much fire in his belly".[10]
Career[]
Cusack in Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)
Cusack began acting in films in the early 1980s. He made his breakout role in Rob Reiner's The Sure Thing (1985). He also starred in Cameron Crowe's directorial debut film, Say Anything... (1989). Cusack played a con artist in Stephen Frears' 1990 neo-noir film The Grifters. After establishing New Crime Productions, Cusack co-wrote the screenplay for and starred in George Armitage's crime film Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), in which he played an assassin who goes to his 10-year high school reunion to win back his high school sweetheart.[11]
Cusack as Edgar Allan Poe in The Raven
In Spike Jonze's fantasy film Being John Malkovich (1999), Cusack played a puppeteer who finds a portal leading into the mind of the eponymous actor, John Malkovich. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Director (Jonze), Best Original Screenplay (Charlie Kaufman) and Best Supporting Actress (Catherine Keener). Cusack was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his performance in High Fidelity (2000), based on Nick Hornby's novel. In Roland Emmerich's disaster film 2012 (2009), he played a struggling novelist who attempts to survive the apocalypse and save mankind. Cusack played Edgar Allan Poe in James McTeigue's biopic film The Raven (2012) and starred in David Cronenberg's Maps to the Stars (2014).[12]
Later, he starred in video on demand films, including The Factory, The Numbers Station, The Frozen Ground, Drive Hard (2014), The Prince (2014), Reclaim (2014), Cell (2016), Arsenal (2017), Blood Money (2017) and Singularity (2017).
In 2014, Cusack criticized Hollywood saying the mega-corporations have stepped in with 50-producer movies, franchises are king, and stars are used as leverage. He called Hollywood, "a whorehouse and people go mad."[13]
Political activism[]
Between 2005 and 2009, Cusack wrote blogs for The Huffington Post, which included an interview with Naomi Klein. He voiced his opposition to the war in Iraq and the Bush administration, calling the government's worldview "depressing, corrupt, unlawful, and tragically absurd".[14] He also appeared in a June 2008 MoveOn.org advertisement, where he made the claim that George W. Bush and John McCain have the same governing priorities.[15]
Cusack criticized the Obama administration for its drone policy in the Middle East and its support of the National Defense Authorization Act, and became one of the initial supporters of the Freedom of the Press Foundation in 2012. In June 2015, he stated in an interview with The Daily Beast that "when you talk about drones, the American Empire, the NSA, civil liberties, attacks on journalism and whistleblowers, [Obama] is as bad or worse than Bush".[16] He later criticized the publication for misquoting him in order to make an interesting headline.[17][18]
In 2015, Cusack, Daniel Ellsberg and Arundhati Roy met Edward Snowden, a fugitive from the US because of his leaks of classified information, at a Moscow hotel room.[19] This meeting was converted into a book co-authored with Roy titled Things That Can and Cannot Be Said.[20] The book is mainly a transcript of the conversation between Snowden, Roy, and Cusack, with photos and illustrations as well as a list of references.[citation needed]
Cusack endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders in his 2016 and 2020 presidential bids.[21][22] He is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.[23]
He is anti-war, having tweeted, "Being anti-war — is pro-troops — pro-human".[24][25]
Israeli–Palestinian conflict[]
During the 2014 Israel Gaza conflict, Cusack supported the Palestinians on social media.[26] He tweeted from the region a number of pro-Gaza articles.[27] One tweet read, "Bombing people who can't escape not [sic] defense – does not mean one supports Hamas means to be against murder as solution to political problem."[citation needed]
In 2018, after Lorde cancelled performances in Israel after a request from the BDS movement, Cusack was among more than a hundred writers, actors, director, and musicians who signed a letter defending Lorde's freedom of conscience.[28][29]
Antisemitic incident[]
In June 2019, Cusack wrote a tweet featuring an image of a large fist with a blue Star of David crushing a small crowd of people next to a quote often misattributed to Voltaire: "To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize".[30][31][32] The quote is in reality a comment by the white supremacist and neo-Nazi Kevin Alfred Strom.[33][34] In the tweet, Cusack added the words "Follow the money." He later blamed it on a "bot," then defended it, then apologized and deleted the tweet.[35][33][36][32][30]
Personal life[]
Cusack trained in kickboxing under former world kickboxing champion Benny Urquidez for over twenty years. He began training under Urquidez in preparation for his role in Say Anything... and holds the rank of a level six black belt in Urquidez's Ukidokan Kickboxing system.[37]
In March 2008, police arrested Emily Leatherman outside Cusack's Malibu, California home for stalking him. On October 10, 2008, Leatherman pleaded no contest and received five years' probation and mandatory psychiatric counseling, and was ordered to stay away from Cusack, his home, and business for the next ten years.[38]
Cusack has never been married nor had children; when asked in a 2009 interview why this was the case, he answered, "Society doesn't tell me what to do."[39]
Filmography[]
Film[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Class | Roscoe | |
| 1984 | Sixteen Candles | Bryce | |
| 1984 | Grandview, U.S.A. | Johnny Maine | |
| 1985 | The Sure Thing | Walter "Gib" Gibson | |
| 1985 | Better Off Dead | Lane Meyer | |
| 1985 | The Journey of Natty Gann | Harry | |
| 1986 | Stand by Me | Dennis "Denny" Lachance | |
| 1986 | One Crazy Summer | Hoops McCann | |
| 1987 | Hot Pursuit | Dan Bartlett | |
| 1987 | Broadcast News | Angry Messenger | |
| 1988 | Tapeheads | Ivan Alexeev | |
| 1988 | Eight Men Out | Buck Weaver | |
| 1989 | Say Anything... | Lloyd Dobler | |
| 1989 | Fat Man and Little Boy | Michael Merriman | |
| 1990 | The Grifters | Roy Dillon | |
| 1991 | True Colors | Peter Burton | |
| 1991 | Shadows and Fog | Student Jack | |
| 1992 | Roadside Prophets | Caspar | |
| 1992 | The Player | Himself | Cameo |
| 1992 | Map of the Human Heart | The Mapmaker | |
| 1992 | Bob Roberts | Cutting Edge Host | |
| 1993 | Money for Nothing | Joey Coyle | |
| 1994 | Floundering | JC | |
| 1994 | Bullets over Broadway | David Shayne | |
| 1994 | The Road to Wellville | Charles Ossining | |
| 1996 | City Hall | Deputy Mayor Kevin Calhoun | |
| 1997 | Grosse Pointe Blank | Martin Q. Blank | Also co-writer and producer |
| 1997 | Con Air | U.S. Marshal Vince Larkin | |
| 1997 | Chicago Cab | Scary Man | |
| 1997 | Anastasia | Dimitri | Voice |
| 1997 | Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil | John Kelso | |
| 1998 | This Is My Father | Eddie Sharp | |
| 1998 | The Thin Red Line | Captain Gaff | |
| 1999 | Pushing Tin | Nick Falzone | |
| 1999 | Cradle Will Rock | Nelson Rockefeller | |
| 1999 | Being John Malkovich | Craig Schwartz | |
| 2000 | High Fidelity | Rob Gordon | Also co-writer and producer |
| 2001 | America's Sweethearts | Eddie Thomas | |
| 2001 | Serendipity | Jonathan Trager | |
| 2002 | Max | Max Rothman | Also associate producer |
| 2002 | Adaptation | Himself | Uncredited cameo |
| 2003 | Identity | Edward "Ed" Dakota | |
| 2003 | Runaway Jury | Nicholas Easter | |
| 2005 | Must Love Dogs | Jake Anderson | |
| 2005 | The Ice Harvest | Charlie Arglist | |
| 2006 | The Contract | Ray Keene | |
| 2007 | Grace Is Gone | Stanley Philipps | Also producer |
| 2007 | 1408 | Michael "Mike" Enslin | |
| 2007 | Martian Child | David Gordon | |
| 2008 | War, Inc. | Brand Hauser | Also co-writer and producer |
| 2008 | Igor | Igor | Voice |
| 2009 | 2012 | Jackson Curtis | |
| 2010 | Hot Tub Time Machine | Adam Yates | Also producer |
| 2010 | Shanghai | Paul Soames | |
| 2012 | The Raven | Edgar Allan Poe | |
| 2012 | The Paperboy | Hillary Van Wetter | |
| 2012 | The Factory | Mike Fletcher | Direct-to-VOD |
| 2013 | The Numbers Station | Emerson Kent | Direct-to-VOD |
| 2013 | The Frozen Ground | Robert Hansen | Direct-to-VOD |
| 2013 | The Butler | Richard Nixon | |
| 2013 | Grand Piano | Clem | |
| 2013 | We Are Not Animals | Tony Lovecraft | Also co-writer and executive producer |
| 2013 | Adult World | Rat Billings | |
| 2014 | The Bag Man | Jack | |
| 2014 | Maps to the Stars | Stafford Weiss | |
| 2014 | Drive Hard | Simon Keller | Direct-to-VOD |
| 2014 | The Prince | Sam | Direct-to-VOD |
| 2014 | Love & Mercy | Brian Wilson | |
| 2014 | Reclaim | Benjamin | Direct-to-VOD |
| 2015 | Dragon Blade | Lucius | Released in China |
| 2015 | Hot Tub Time Machine 2 | Adam Yates | Deleted cameo |
| 2015 | Chi-Raq | Fr. Mike Corridan | |
| 2016 | Cell | Clayton Riddell | Also executive producer, direct-to-VOD |
| 2017 | Arsenal | Sal | Direct-to-VOD |
| 2017 | Blood Money | Miller | Direct-to-VOD |
| 2017 | Singularity | Elias van Dorne | Direct-to-VOD |
| 2018 | Distorted | Vernon Sarsfield | |
| 2018 | River Runs Red | Horace | |
| 2019 | Never Grow Old | Dutch Albert | |
| 2022 | Pursuit | John Calloway |
Television[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Frasier | Greg | Voice; Episode: "Our Father Whose Art Ain't Heaven" |
| 1999 | The Jack Bull | Myrl Redding | Television film; also executive producer |
| 2014 | Wall Street | Ted | Unaired pilot; also executive producer |
| 2014 | Doll & Em | John | Episode: "Three" |
| 2020 | Utopia | Dr. Kevin Christie | 8 episodes |
Awards and nominations[]
| Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Chicago Film Critics Association | Most Promising Actor | Say Anything... | Won |
| 1999 | Independent Spirit Awards | Best Male Lead | Being John Malkovich | Nominated |
| 1999 | Online Film Critics Society | Best Ensemble | Being John Malkovich | Nominated |
| 1999 | Screen Actors Guild | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | Being John Malkovich | Nominated |
| 2000 | American Comedy Awards | Funniest Actor in a Motion Picture (Leading Role) | Being John Malkovich | Nominated |
| 2000 | BAFTA | Best Adapted Screenplay | High Fidelity | Nominated |
| 2000 | Empire Awards | Best Actor | High Fidelity | Nominated |
| 2000 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | High Fidelity | Nominated |
| 2000 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Hissy Fit | High Fidelity | Nominated |
| 2000 | University of Southern California | Scripter Award | High Fidelity | Nominated |
| 2000 | Writers Guild of America | Best Adapted Screenplay | High Fidelity | Nominated |
| 2001 | American Comedy Awards | Funniest Actor in a Motion Picture (Leading Role) | High Fidelity | Nominated |
| 2007 | Saturn Awards | Best Actor | 1408 | Nominated |
| 2009 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Actor – Sci-Fi | 2012 | Nominated |
| 2013 | Screen Actors Guild | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | The Butler | Nominated |
| 2014 | Canadian Screen Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role | Maps to the Stars | Won |
References[]
- ↑ "Famous birthdays for June 28: Kathy Bates, John Cusack". UPI. June 28, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
Actor John Cusack in 1966
{{cite web}}: - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Cusack, Richard J.[obituary"]. Chicago Tribune. June 3, 2003. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2003-06-03/news/0306030038_1_piven-theater-workshop-jonah-house-sheridan. "Richard J. Cusack, writer/producer/actor, beloved husband of Nancy, nee Carolan; loving father of Ann, Joan (Richard) Burke, Bill, John and Susie"
- ↑ Alstead, Robert (December 16, 2003). "John Cusack Takes Five [interview]". UK: iofilm. Archived from the original on October 22, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
Born into an Irish Catholic family in the Chicago suburb of Evanston in 1966, Cusack's father, Dick, was an actor and documentary maker and his mother, Nancy, a teacher. His sisters, Joan and Susie are actors....
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "John Cusack Interview-Max Movie". About.com Hollywood Movies. Archived from the original on August 16, 2013. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
I was raised Catholic....
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Miss Carolan, Newton Centre, Is Bride of Richard Cusack". Daily Boston Globe. February 14, 1960. https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/1901144112.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Feb+14%2C+1960&author=&pub=Daily+Boston+Globe+(1928–1960)&desc=Miss+Carolan%2C+Newton+Centre%2C+Is+Bride+of+Richard+Cusack&pqatl=google.
- ↑ "Newton Girl Plans February Wedding". Daily Boston Globe. December 6, 1959. https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/1901483702.html?FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Dec+06%2C+1959&author=&pub=Daily+Boston+Globe+(1928–1960)&desc=Newton+Girl+Plans+February+Wedding&pqatl=google.
- ↑ "Being John Cusack." guardian.co.uk. July 1, 2000.
- ↑ "Actor John johan on Hitler, politics and his movie 'Max'." Beliefnet.com.
- ↑ Johnson, Grace (May 12, 2009). "ETHS boasts celebrity graduates". The Daily Northwestern. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Duthel, C. (2012). Angelina Jolie – The Lightning Star. p. 323. ISBN 978-1-4710-8935-0. https://books.google.com/books?id=XN2fAwAAQBAJ&q=Angelina+Jolie+-+The+Lightning+Star&pg=PP1.
- ↑ "Actor John Cusack." NPR.
- ↑ "Julianne Moore, John Cusack, Sarah Gadon Join Robert Pattinson and in Maps to the Stars". April 18, 2013. Retrieved July 20, 2013.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Barnes, Henry H. (September 25, 2014). "John Cusack: 'Hollywood is a whorehouse and people go mad'". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/sep/25/john-cusack-hollywood-maps-to-the-stars-interview.
- ↑ John Cusack – Politics on The Huffington Post.
- ↑ "John Cusack Stars In MoveOn's New McCain Ad". Huffington Post. Associated Press. June 11, 2008.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Stern, Marlow (June 4, 2015). "John Cusack Talks 'Love & Mercy,' Drug Trips, and the Ways Obama Is 'Worse Than Bush'". The Daily Beast. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/06/04/john-cusack-talks-love-mercy-drug-trips-and-how-obama-is-worse-than-bush.html.
- ↑ Cusack, John [@johncusack] (June 4, 2015). "Shame on u – whomever is doing headlines & editing the interview for taking a long conversation abt Brian Wilson" (Tweet). Retrieved June 7, 2015 – via Twitter.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Cusack, John [@johncusack] (June 4, 2015). "the headlines are full of shit" (Tweet). Retrieved June 7, 2015 – via Twitter.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Roy, Arundhati (November 28, 2015). "Edward Snowden meets Arundhati Roy and John Cusack: 'He was small and lithe, like a house cat'". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/nov/28/conversation-edward-snowden-arundhati-roy-john-cusack-interview.
- ↑ "Things That Can and Cannot Be Said". Penguin Books. October 5, 2016.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ John Cusack [@johncusack] (August 25, 2015). "Why I Endorse Bernie Sanders" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Cusack, John [@johncusack] (February 19, 2019). "Join @OurRevolution Bernie wants 1 mill people in every state committed to changing America" (Tweet). Retrieved February 20, 2019 – via Twitter.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Cusack, John [@johncusack] (November 9, 2017). "What you mean join ;)" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Kline, Jennifer (May 23, 2019). "John Cusack Tells Trump Fans: 'You Don't Support Troops More Than Me'".
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Stimson, Brie (May 23, 2019). "John Cusack defends not standing 'fast enough' for Wrigley Field military salute". Fox News.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Sullivan, Gail (August 5, 2014). "Celebrities get nasty over Gaza and Israel". The Washington Post.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ D'Zurilla, Christie (August 1, 2014). "Madonna lobs shirtless pics in celebs' Israel-Gaza opinion campaign". Los Angeles Times.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Letters (January 5, 2018). "Lorde's artistic right to cancel gig in Tel Aviv | Letters" (in en-GB). The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jan/05/lordes-artistic-right-to-cancel-gig-in-tel-aviv.
- ↑ Ritman, Alex (June 28, 2018). "Filmmakers Back Right to Boycott Israel Following German Festival Controversy". https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/filmmakers-back-right-boycott-israel-german-festival-controversy-1123831.
- ↑ 30.0 30.1 Pulver, Andrew (June 18, 2019). "John Cusack under fire for antisemitic 'follow the money' tweet". The Guardian. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "John Cusack: Actor apologises for anti-Semitic tweet". BBC. June 18, 2019.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ 32.0 32.1 Andrews-Dyer, Helena (June 18, 2019). "John Cusack apologizes for anti-Semitic tweet — after defending why he posted it". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ 33.0 33.1 "John Cusack Slammed After Posting 'pro-Palestinian' Meme With neo-Nazi Quote". Haaretz. June 18, 2019.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Hunt, Elle (November 27, 2015). "Cory Bernardi mistakenly 'quotes' Voltaire on Twitter with neo-Nazi's line". The Guardian.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Spiro, Amy (June 18, 2019). "John Cusack Slammed for Antisemitic Retweet". The Jerusalem Post.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Moniusko, Sara M (June 18, 2019). "John Cusack apologizes for re-tweeting anti-Semitic image after initially blaming 'bot'". USA Today. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Ukidokan Black Belts and Levels Archived March 12, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. URL accessed on March 19, 2010.
- ↑ Accused John Cusack stalker, Emily Leatherman, accepts plea deal Archived February 14, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. New York Daily News. October 10, 2008.
- ↑ Andrew Goldman, "Being John Cusack", Elle magazine, November 23, 2009. URL accessed on January 20, 2018.
Further reading[]
- Barnes, Henry (September 26, 2014). "John Cusack: 'Hollywood is a whorehouse and people go mad'". The Guardian. Accessed February 27, 2015.
- Robinson, Tasha (November 27, 2007). "John Cusack" (interview). The A.V. Club.
External links[]
- John Cusack on Twitter
- John Cusack at AllMovie
- John Cusack at the Internet Movie Database
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