The Godfather started the longest 5-film acting streak in cinema history

After John Cazale made his film acting debut in The GodIt kicks off an incredible hot streak in which he starred in five of the biggest movies of all time. Cazale started out as a theater actor in New York, hitting the boards in everything from regional theater to off-Broadway productions before appearing in Broadway shows alongside the likes of Al Pacino and Meryl Streep. Cazale was a gritty performer who embodied the principle that "acting is reacting," playing off his co-stars and highlighting the strengths of their performances, which is likely why he never landed an Oscar nomination.

In 1962, Cazale made his screen debut with the role of a beatnik in Marvin Starkman's short film The American wayAnd in 1968, he played his only television role as a guest star in NYPD Season 2, Episode 8, "The Pip Freak." Cazale made his film debut when Francis Ford Coppola cast him The GodAnd he immediately became one of Hollywood's favorite character actors. He followed The God With four more '70s classics, garnering a flawless track record And arguably the most impressive, spotless filmography in cinema history, before his career was tragically cut short.

John Cazale's role in The Goodfather explained

Cazale played the dark-witted Fredo Corleone in The Godfather and its first sequel

Coppola assembled one of the greatest ensemble casts in film history for his adaptation of Mario Puzo. The God. He cast the legend of Marlon Brando to play Vito, the powerful patriarch of the Corleone crime family, and rounded out the rest of the cast with up-and-coming actors who would soon be screen legends in their own right. He cast rising star Al Pacino as Vito's youngest son, Michael, who is dragged into the family business; James Caan as Vito's hot-headed eldest son, Sonny; Diane Keaton as Michael's girlfriend, Kay; and Robert Duvall as Vito's lawyer, Tom Hagen.

For the role of Fredo, Vito's middle son, who means well but is too dark and cowardly to carry the business, Coppola cast Cazale In his film debut. Making the leap from stage to screen isn't always an easy transition for an actor — theater and film require two completely different types of acting — but Cazale was a natural. He quickly adapted to the camera and held his own in scenes opposite an acting giant like Brando. Fredo is the laughingstock of the Corleone family, however Cazale played him with enough seriousness and authenticity to earn the sympathies of the audience.

John Cazale's 1970s acting streak from The Godfather to The Deer Hunter was amazing

Cazale appeared in five of the biggest movies ever made back-to-back

Cazale's role in The God Started an impeccable streak that saw him star in five of the greatest movies ever made back-to-back: The God, The conversation, The Godfather Part II, Dog day afternoonAnd The Deer Hunterwho was released again. It was an absurdly large run; All five of Cazale's movies were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. No other actor can boast of a filmography in which they have only appeared in Best Picture-nominated movies. And not only that, Cazale gives a fantastic performance in every single one of these films, leaving a lasting impression.

After appearing in The GodCoppola cast Cazale in his next film, the paranoid post-Watergate thriller The conversationIn 1974. Cazale plays Stan Ross, an associate of Gene Hackman's surveillance expert Harry Kaul, who hears something he didn't mean and begins to suspect that he is the target of a government conspiracy. After that, Cazale reunited with Coppola again to reprise his role as Fredo in The Godfather Part II. Fredo gets a bigger role in the sequelBetrayed by his brother Michael, and Cazale's palpable relationship with Pacino, which shone through on screen, made the betrayal all the more heartbreaking.

In 1975, Cazale and Pacino starred in Sidney Lumet's tense crime drama Dog day afternoonBased on the true story of a first-time geek who held up a bank with his friend to pay for his lover's gender confirmation surgery. The movie is a boiling pot of suspense, and Cazale and Pacino's performances keep their characters sympathetic as the police close in and the hostage situation drags out. Their unparalleled on-screen chemistry also goes a long way to sell the characters' ride-or-die friendship.

In 1978, Cazale made his final film appearance as a draft dodger in Michael Cimino's Vietnam War epic The Deer Hunter. While Robert De Niro's Mike, Christopher Walken's Nick and John Savage's Steven all leave their old town to fight on the deadly battlefields of Vietnam, Cazale's Stosh stays behind to be with his wife and child, to be friends. When Mike returns from Vietnam, he is disgusted by Stoch's cavalier attitude to gun violence, because he wouldn't be so cavalier if he went to war and was forced to play Russian roulette.

What Happened to John Cazale: His Death and Acting Legacy

Cazale died of lung cancer on March 13, 1978

In 1977, Cazale was diagnosed with terminal lung cancerBut decided to finish filming his role in The Deer Hunter. According to John Parker's book Robert De Niro: Portrait of a LegendThe studio wanted to fire Cazale due to his illness, but Streep, with whom he was in a relationship, and Cimino both threatened to leave if Cazale was fired. Since Casale was not insured, De Niro went into his own pocket to pay for Casale's insurance because he wanted him in the film. Cazale died shortly after filming wrapped and he never saw the finished movie.

Cazale died on March 13, 1978, but his legacy has lived on ever since. in 2009, Cazale was the subject of an HBO documentary called I Knew It Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale. The Doctor was directed by Richard Shepard and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Streep, Pacino, De Niro, Hackman, Coppola and Lumet all gave interviews for the documentary, which highlighted what a unique talent Cazale was.

What is John Cazale's best movie role?

Fredo is arguably his most iconic role

Cazale's movie roles are all memorable, but which one was the best? in The conversation And The Deer HunterCazale plays supporting roles that complement the lead performances of Hackman and De Niro, respectively. Cazale gives a big turn in Dog day afternoonBut he is slightly overshadowed by a manic, unpredictable Pacino. Arguably Cazale's most iconic role is Fredo from The God Saga. Fredo is his most quotable character, his most likable character, and his most prominent character in the pop culture landscape.