Nick Cassavetes is an American director, actor, and writer. He has directed the films The Notebook, Alpha Dog, and My Sister’s Keeper, among others. Nick is the son of actress Gena Rowlands Virginia Cathryn "Gena" Rowlands is an American actress, whose career in film, stage, and television has spanned over six decades. A four-time Emmy and two-time Golden Globe winner, she is known for her collaborations with her late actor-director husband John Cassavetes in ten films, including …Gena Rowlands
Who is Nick Cassavetes’s dad?
Nick Cassavetes was born in New York City, the son of actress Gena Rowlands and Greek-American actor and film director John Cassavetes.
Is Nick Cassavetes related to Gena Rowlands?
Nick Cassavetes (I) Nick Cassavetes was born in New York City, the son of actress Gena Rowlands and Greek-American actor and film director John Cassavetes. As a child, he appeared in two of his father's films: Husbands (1970) and A Woman Under the Influence (1974).
How many children did Nick Cassavetes have?
children: Alexandra Cassavetes, Nick Cassavetes, Zoe R. Cassavetes. John Nicholas Cassavetes was born in New York City on December 9, 1929 to Katherine Cassavetes, an actress by profession, and Nicholas John Cassavetes, an immigrant from Greece. He went to Greece as a little child and returned at the age of seven.
Where was Cassavetes born and raised?
Cassavetes was born in New York City, the son of Greek American actress Katherine Cassavetes (née Demetre), who was to be featured in some of his films, and Greek immigrant Nicholas John Cassavetes ( Νικόλαος Ιωάννης Κασσαβέτης ), who was born in Larissa to Aromanian ( Vlach) parents from the village of Vrysochori. He had an older brother.
Are John and Nick Cassavetes related?
Nick Cassavetes began his career as a film and television actor, but made a stronger impact when he discovered his talent for writing and directing. He was born into independent film royalty as the son of Oscar-nominated writer-director-actor John Cassavetes and Oscar-nominated actress Gena Rowlands.
What happened to John Cassavetes?
A long-term alcoholic, Cassavetes died on February 3, 1989, at the age of 59, from complications of cirrhosis of the liver. He is buried at Westwood Village Memorial Park cemetery in Los Angeles.
Who are Nick Cassavetes parents?
Gena RowlandsJohn CassavetesNick Cassavetes/Parents
Did John Cassavetes have any children?
Nick CassavetesZoe CassavetesAlexandra CassavetesJohn Cassavetes/Children
How old is John Cassavetes?
59 years (1929–1989)John Cassavetes / Age at death
How old is Nick Cassavetes?
63 years (May 21, 1959)Nick Cassavetes / Age
How did Nick Cassavetes get so tall?
6′ 6″Nick Cassavetes / Height
Why was the movie John Q dedicated to Sasha?
A film very much close to director Nick Cassavetes' heart as his own daughter Sasha was born with a congenital heart defect.
Who is Nick Cassavetes wife?
Heather WahlquistHeather Wahlquist (born May 23, 1977) is an American film and television actress. She was married to director/writer Nick Cassavetes and has appeared in several of his films....Heather WahlquistAlma materUniversity of Oklahoma (dropped out)OccupationActressYears active1998–2012SpouseNick Cassavetes ( m. 2017)4 more rows
Was Cassavetes a heavy drinker?
Cassavetes died prematurely, aged 59. The cause was long-term cirrhosis brought on by longer-term alcoholism: “hobnailed liver” as career drunks grimly call it.
Where is Cassavetes buried?
Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park & Mortuary, Los Angeles, CAJohn Cassavetes / Place of burialPierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park & Mortuary is a cemetery and mortuary located in the Westwood Village area of Los Angeles. It is located at 1218 Glendon Avenue in Westwood, with an entrance from Glendon Avenue. Wikipedia
Is Cassavetes alive?
February 3, 1989John Cassavetes / Date of death
Where is Cassavetes buried?
Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park & Mortuary, Los Angeles, CAJohn Cassavetes / Place of burialPierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park & Mortuary is a cemetery and mortuary located in the Westwood Village area of Los Angeles. It is located at 1218 Glendon Avenue in Westwood, with an entrance from Glendon Avenue. Wikipedia
Who is Cassavetes wife?
Gena RowlandsJohn Cassavetes / Wife (m. 1954–1989)Gena Rowlands, byname of Virginia Cathryn Rowlands, (born June 19, 1930, Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.), American actress who was perhaps best known for the 10 films she made with her husband, director John Cassavetes. Their most-notable collaborations were A Woman Under the Influence (1974) and Gloria (1980).
Is Jenna Rowland still alive?
Virginia Cathryn "Gena" Rowlands (born June 19, 1930) is a retired American actress, whose career in film, stage, and television has spanned seven decades....Gena RowlandsOccupationActressYears active1950–2014Spouse(s)John Cassavetes ( m. 1954; died 1989) Robert Forrest ( m. 2012)5 more rows
How tall is John Cassavetes?
5′ 7″John Cassavetes / Height
Who is John Cassavetes?
John Nicholas Cassavetes ( Greek: Ιωάννης Νικόλαος Κασσαβέτης, / ˌkæsəˈvɛtiːz /; December 9, 1929 – February 3, 1989) was a Greek-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, ...
What did Cassavetes do to a prank?
Shortly after opening the workshop, Cassavetes was invited to audition at the Actors Studio, and in response he and Lane devised a prank: they claimed to be performing a scene from a recent stage production but in fact improvised a performance on the spot, fooling an impressed Strasberg. Cassavetes then fabricated a story about his financial troubles, prompting Strasberg to offer him a full scholarship to the Studio; Cassavetes promptly rejected it on the basis that Strasberg couldn't know anything about acting to have been so easily fooled by the two ruses.
How many plays did Cassavetes leave?
At the time of his death, Cassavetes had amassed a collection of more than 40 unproduced screenplays, as well as a novel, Husbands. He also left three unproduced plays: Sweet Talk, Entrances and Exits and Begin the Beguine. But Begin the Beguine, in German translation, was co-produced by Needcompany of Belgium and Burgtheater of Vienna; it premiered on stage at Vienna's Akademietheater in 2014.
What was the role of Cassavetes in Dirty Dozen?
For his role in The Dirty Dozen, Cassavetes received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. As a filmmaker, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Faces (1968) and the Academy Award for Best Director for A Woman Under the Influence (1974).
What movies did Cassavetes star in?
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).
Why was it important for Cassavetes to work in a 'communal', '?
To make the kind of films he wanted to make, it was essential to work in this 'communal', 'off the grid' atmosphere because Hollywood's "basis is economic rather than political or philosophical", and no Hollywood executives were interested in Cassavetes's studies of human behaviour.
Where did Cassavetes and Mia Farrow live?
Cassavetes and Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby (1968) With payment for his work on television, as well as a handful of film acting jobs, he was able to relocate to California and to make his subsequent films independent of any studio, as Shadows had been made. The films in which he acted with this intention include Don Siegel 's The Killers (1964), ...
Who is Nick Cassavetes?
Nick Cassavetes is an American director, actor and scriptwriter who is famous for directing the hit film 'The Notebook' . Born to prestigious actors, cinema and acting were natural part of Nick's growing up years. As a child, he also worked in a couple of films, starring his father.
What was Nick Cassavetes' childhood like?
Born to two prominent actors, it was only natural for Nick Cassavetes to spend a lot of his childhood on movie sets. As a child actor , he made an early debut in his father’s films: 'Husbands' (1970) and 'A Woman Under the Influence' (1974). However, his interest in films began to wane as he grew up, and he decided to become a sportsman instead. As a gifted athlete, he earned a scholarship to attend the ‘Syracuse University’, but his dreams of making a name for himself as a sportsperson were marred by a serious injury. Subsequently, Cassavetes decided to follow into his parents' footsteps and enrolled in the ‘American Academy of Dramatic Arts’.
What was the first movie that Cassavetes made?
Cassavetes made his directorial debut with drama movie 'Unhook the Stars' in 1996 and followed it up with the 1997 film 'She’s So Lovely'. While both movies failed to perform well at the box office, they received moderately positive reviews.
What did Cassavetes dream of?
In his childhood, Cassavetes was passionate about sports and dreamt of pursuing a career in basketball, but an unfortunate injury thwarted his dreams.
What was John Q's biggest hit?
His biggest hit till date is the romance drama 'The Notebook', which established him as a successful film director.
Who is Cassavetes married to?
Cassavetes got married to Isabelle Rafalovich in 1985, but they got divorced later. The couple has two daughters: Virginia Sara and Sasha. He was next married to actress Heather Wahlquist, but this marriage ended in a divorce as well.
When did Nicholas Sparks make the Notebook?
Cassavetes then directed the Nicholas Sparks adaptation 'The Notebook' in 2004. The movie was a blockbuster and performed exceedingly well at the box office. It also cemented his position as a director in Hollywood.
How many children did Nick Cassavetes have?
The couple had three children, Nick Cassavetes, Alexandra Cassavetes, and Zoe R. Cassavetes. They remained married until Cassavetes’ death. He died of liver cirrhosis on February 3, 1989, in Los Angeles, California. At the time of his death, he had a collection of over 40 unproduced scripts and three unproduced plays.
Where was John Cassavetes born?
John Nicholas Cassavetes was born in New York City on December 9, 1929 to Katherine Cassavetes, an actress by profession, and Nicholas John Cassavetes, an immigrant from Greece. He went to Greece as a little child and returned at the age of seven. He didn’t speak English initially.
What did John Cassavetes do after graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts?
After graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1950, John Cassavetes started playing minor roles in stage productions. Eventually, he began conducting a workshop in New York City where he taught his students an alternate style of method acting, something he himself was known for in the acting department.
Overview
Career
By 1956, Cassavetes had begun teaching an alternative to method acting in his own workshop—co-founded with friend Burt Lane in New York City—in which performance would be based on character creation, rather than backstory or narrative requirements. Cassavetes particularly scorned Lee Strasberg's Method-based Actors Studio, believing that the Method was "more a form of p…
Early life and education
Cassavetes was born in New York City, the son of Greek American actress Katherine Cassavetes (née Demetre), who was to be featured in some of his films, and Greek immigrant Nicholas John Cassavetes (Νικόλαος Ιωάννης Κασσαβέτης), who was born in Larissa to Aromanian (Vlach) parents from the village of Vrysochori. He had an elder brother. Members of the Cassavetes family later settled in Volos and Zagora. His early years were spent with his family in Greece; when he re…
Death
A long-term alcoholic, Cassavetes died on February 3, 1989, at the age of 59, from complications of cirrhosis of the liver. He is buried at Westwood Village Memorial Park cemetery in Los Angeles.
At the time of his death, Cassavetes had amassed a collection of more than 40 unproduced screenplays, as well as a novel, Husbands. He also left three unpr…
Legacy
Cassavetes is the subject of several biographies. Cassavetes on Cassavetes is a collection of interviews collected or conducted by Boston University film scholar Ray Carney, in which the filmmaker recalled his experiences, influences and outlook on the film industry. In the Oscar 2005 edition of Vanity Fair, one article features a tribute to Cassavetes by three members of his stock company, Rowlands, Gazzara and Falk.
Filmmaking style
Cassavetes's films aim to capture "small feelings" often repressed by Hollywood filmmaking, emphasizing intimate character examination and relationships rather than plot, backstory, or stylization. He often presented difficult characters whose inner desires were not easily understood, rejecting simplistic psychological or narrative explanations for their behavior. Cassavetes also disregarded the "impressionistic cinematography, linear editing, and star-centre…
Further reading
• Carney, Raymond Francis, Junior, American Dreaming: The Films of John Cassavetes and the American Experience, Berkeley, CA / Los Angeles / London: University of California Press, 1985.
• Warren, Charles, "Cavell, Altman and Cassavetes" in the Stanley Cavell special issue: Crouse, Jeffrey (ed.) Film International, Issue 22, Vol. 4, No. 4, 2006, pp. 14–20.
External links
• John Cassavetes at IMDb
• John Cassavetes at the Internet Broadway Database
• The Criterion Collection
• Playboy Magazine interview (07/1971)