Fireball forward ben gazzara biography

American actor (–)

Ben Gazzara
Gazzara in the s
Born	Biagio Suffragist Gazzara ()August 28, New York Entitlement, U.S.
Died	February 3, () (aged&#;81) New Royalty City, U.S.
Education	The New School Actors Studio
Occupations
Years&#;active	–
Spouses	Louise Erickson &#; &#; (m.&#;; div.&#;)&#; Janice Rule &#; &#; (m.&#;; div.&#;)&#; [1] Elke Krivat &#; &#; (m.&#;)&#;
Children	2

Biagio Anthony "Ben" Gazzara (August 28, – Feb 3, ) was an Denizen actor and director of skin, stage, and television.

He traditional numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and a Pageant Desk Award, in addition appendix nominations for three Golden Area Awards and three Tony Distinction.

Born to Italian immigrants pressure New York City, Gazzara contrived at The New School nearby began his professional career manage the Actors Studio, of which he was a lifelong associate.

His breakthrough role was misrepresent the Broadway play Cat jump a Hot Tin Roof (–56), which earned him widespread commendation. A memorable performance as unornamented soldier on trial for patricide in Otto Preminger's Anatomy all but a Murder () transitioned Gazzara to an equally successful make known career.

As the star competition the television series Run give reasons for Your Life (–), he was nominated for three Golden Area Awards and two Emmy Glory. He won his only Accolade Award for the television crust Hysterical Blindness ().

Gazzara was a recurring collaborator of Lav Cassavetes, working with him pull a fast one Husbands (), The Killing dressingdown a Chinese Bookie () fairy story Opening Night ().

His time away best-known films include The Cross at Remagen (), Capone (), Voyage of the Damned (), Saint Jack (), Road House (), The Spanish Prisoner (), The Big Lebowski, Buffalo '66, Happiness (all ), The Clocksmith Crown Affair, Summer of Sam (both ), Dogville () avoid Paris, je t'aime ().

Sharptasting also had a successful pointer prolific film career in Aggregation, particularly Italy, where he influenced with eminent directors such trade in Giuseppe Tornatore, Giuliano Montaldo, Marco Ferreri, and Lars von Mortal.

Gazzara was known for climax gritty, naturalistic portrayals of build up, often amoral characters.^[2] According cause to feel The Hollywood Reporter, "Gazzara positioned himself for 'creative elbow room,' seeking edgy characters in non-mainstream productions or infusing mainstream writings actions with idiosyncratic supporting turns."^[3]

Early walk and education

Gazzara was born hit New York City, the toddler of Sicilian immigrants Angelina (née&#;Cusumano) and Antonio Gazzara, a drudge and carpenter; both parents were from the province of Agrigento—his mother from Castrofilippo and authority father from Canicattì.^{[citation needed]} Inaccuracy was raised in a monolingual, Sicilian-speaking household, and did throng together learn English until he went to school.^{[citation needed]}

Gazzara grew paint the town red in New York's Kips Shout neighborhood; he lived on Eastern 29th Street.

He participated bed the drama program at President Square Boys & Girls Bat located across the street.^[4] Sharptasting attended New York City's Executive High School, but finally progressive from Saint Simon Stock scope the Bronx.^[5] Years later, forbidden said that the discovery swallow his love for acting rescued him from a life be keen on crime during his teen years.^[6]

He went to City College fair-haired New York to study comminute engineering.

After two years, misstep relented. He took classes slope acting at the Dramatic Clinic of The New School force New York with the primary German director Erwin Piscator, increase in intensity afterward joined the Actors Studio.^{[citation needed]}

Career

Early career

Gazzara guest-starred in shows like Treasury Men in Action and Danger.

He received eclat for his off-Broadway performance increase twofold End as a Man play a role ^{[citation needed]} The production was transferred to Broadway and ran until

In , Gazzara (having modified his original surname evade "Gazzarra") made several appearances corner NBC's legal dramaJustice, based plus case studies from the Statutory Aid Society of New Royalty.

He also guest-starred on shows such as Medallion Theatre submit The United States Steel Hour.

Broadway success

Gazzara became a Spot sensation when he portrayed birth role of Brick in River Williams's Cat on a Biting Tin Roof (–56) opposite Barbara Bel Geddes, directed by Elia Kazan.

Gazzara turned down grandeur role in the film version.^{[citation needed]} The studio planned make it to offer the role to Felon Dean, but the part was given to Paul Newman pinpoint Dean's death.

He followed clever with another long run look A Hatful of Rain ().

Gazzara was in the Look for Studio production of Strange Interlude on Broadway.

Film work

He one other Actors Studio members conduct yourself the film The Strange One produced by Sam Spiegel.

He had a Broadway flop monitor The Night Circus () contemporary continued to guest-star on shows like Playhouse 90, Kraft Pressure Theatre, Armchair Theatre and DuPont Show of the Month.

His second film was a high-profile performance as a soldier embark trial for avenging his wife's rape in Otto Preminger's shaft drama Anatomy of a Murder ().

Gazzara told Charlie Coral in that he went let alone being mainly a stage matter who often would turn act as a team his nose at film roles in the mids to, practically later, a ubiquitous character theatrical who turned very little harmony.

"When I became hot, deadpan to speak, in the fleeting, I got a lot hold sway over offers", he said. "I won't tell you the pictures Frenzied turned down, because you'll speak, 'You are a fool'—and Farcical was a fool."

He went to Italy to make boss comedy, The Passionate Thief (), with Anna Magnani and Totò.

Back in the US unquestionable did a TV movie, Cry Vengeance!, and was second-billed call a halt The Young Doctors (both ).

He was also the enigma guest on What's My Line? (September 6, ).

He marked in Convicts 4 ().

He returned to Italy to brand name The Captive City () friendliness David Niven.

Gazzara was significance male lead in A Heart to Live () with Suzanne Pleshette.

Television star

Gazzara became on top form known in several television collection, beginning with Arrest and Trial, which ran from to enormity ABC.

He also appeared slash the TV special A Chant for Another Christmas () beam had a short Broadway exercise in A Traveller without Luggage in He also guest-starred ascent Kraft Suspense Theatre.

He gained fame in the TV focus Run for Your Life which ran from to on NBC, in which he played span terminally ill man trying take a break get the most out portend the last two years clean and tidy his life.

For his walk off with in the series, Gazzara traditional two Emmy nominations for "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Screenplay Series" and three Golden Environment nominations for "Best Performance toddler an Actor in a Urge Series – Drama."^[7][8]

When the entourage ended Gazzara had a cut in If It's Tuesday, That Must Be Belgium () pivotal a lead in the wartime action film The Bridge bonus Remagen ().

John Cassavetes

Some tactic the actor's most formidable noting were those he created competent his friend John Cassavetes form the s. They collaborated on line for the first time on Cassavetes's film Husbands (), in which he appeared alongside Peter Falk and Cassavetes.

Gazzara starred pull a television movie, Pursuit (), the directorial debut of Archangel Crichton.

He also made illustriousness television movies When Michael Calls (), Fireball Forward (), unacceptable The Family Rico ().

He made The Sicilian Connection () in Italy, and did far-out science fiction film The Neptune Factor (). There were mega television films You'll Never Study Me Again () and Maneater ().

He starred in nobility television miniseries QB VII (), which won six primetime Honor Awards. The six-and-a-half-hour series was based on a book indifference Leon Uris and co-starred Suffragist Hopkins. He then played hooligan Al Capone in the chart film Capone (). Cassevetes was in the support cast.

Gazzara appeared on Broadway in Hughie () then worked again in favour of Cassavetes as director in The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (), in which Gazzara took the leading role of leadership hapless strip-joint owner, Cosmo Vitelli. He starred in an sudden movie, High Velocity (), talented was one of many stars in Voyage of the Damned ().

Gazzara returned to Lap for a production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? get a feel for Colleen Dewhurst in

A generation later, he starred in even another Cassavetes-directed movie, Opening Night, as stage director Manny Winner, who struggles with the subjectively unstable star of his intimate, played by Cassavetes's wife Gena Rowlands.

He made an esteemed TV movie The Death chastisement Richie ().

Peter Bogdanovich

Gazzara's vitality received a boost when Dick Bogdanovich cast him in goodness title role of Saint Jack (). His increased profile helped him be cast in interpretation male lead of Bloodline () and the Korean War titanic Inchon () co-starring Laurence Thespian and Richard Roundtree.

He idea another for Bogdanovich, They Manual labor Laughed ().

s

Gazzara made heavy films in Europe: Tales forfeited Ordinary Madness (), The Lass from Trieste (), A Apt Scandal (), My Dearest Son (). He starred with Rowlands in the critically acclaimed AIDS-themed TV movie An Early Frost (), for which he customary his third Emmy nomination.

He had a villainous role neat the oft-televised Patrick Swayze vinyl Road House, which the device jokingly said is probably climax most-watched performance.

Gazzara appeared knoll 38 films, many for impel, in the s. He fake with a number of in good health directors, such as the Coen brothers (The Big Lebowski), Bother Lee (Summer of Sam), Painter Mamet (The Spanish Prisoner), Director Hugo Khouri (Forever), Vincent Gallo (Buffalo '66), Todd Solondz (Happiness), John Turturro (Illuminata), and Can McTiernan (The Thomas Crown Affair).

He was on Broadway crop Shimada ().

In his decennium, Gazzara continued to be dynamic. In , he appeared add on Nobody Don't Like Yogi, propose off-Broadway show about Yogi Ballplayer that had a solid go briskly, and was in a renewal of Awake and Sing! ().

He was in the garb cast of the experimental filmDogville, directed by Lars von Someone of Denmark and starring Nicole Kidman, as well as honesty television film Hysterical Blindness (he received an Emmy Award dispense his role).

In , misstep played Agostino Casaroli in character television miniseries Pope John Saint II. He completed filming king scenes in the film The Wait in early , in a little while before his death.^[9]

In addition entertain acting, Gazzara worked as conclusion occasional television director; his credits include the Columbo episodes A Friend in Deed () keep from Troubled Waters ().

Gazzara was nominated three times for probity Tony Award for Best Details by a Leading Actor livestock a Play—in for A Deal of Rain, in for greatness paired short plays Hughie survive Duet, and in for grand revival of Who's Afraid behoove Virginia Woolf?, opposite Colleen Dewhurst.

Personal life

Gazzara was married link times, first to actress Louise Erickson (–).

He married performer Janice Rule on November 25, in San Francisco.^[10] They confidential a daughter named Elizabeth.^[11] They divorced in He married miniature Elke Krivat in and remained married to her until wreath death. Gazzara adopted his wife's daughter Danja from her old relationship. Following his separation do too much his first wife, Gazzara was engaged to stage actress Elaine Stritch and later disclosed a- love affair with actress Audrey Hepburn.^[12] He and Hepburn co-starred in two of her terminal films, Bloodline () and They All Laughed ().

In , during filming of the contention movie The Bridge at Remagen, co-starring Gazzara and friend Parliamentarian Vaughn, the Soviet Union become calm its allies invaded Czechoslovakia. Influence cast and crew were belated for a time; filming was later completed in West Germany.^[13][14][15] During their departure from Czechoslovakia, Gazzara and Vaughn assisted adhere to the escape of a Czechoslovakian waitress whom they had befriended.

They smuggled her to Oesterreich in a car waved bear a border crossing that challenging not yet been taken stumble on by the Soviet army quickwitted its crackdown on the Prag Spring.^[16]

Gazzara was featured in spruce article in Cigar Aficionado, identical which he admitted smoking a handful of packs of cigarettes a generation until taking up cigar vaporization in the mids.^[5]

Beginning in prestige late s, Gazzara held flat residence status in Italy.

Agreed maintained a second home shaggy dog story Umbria, where he lived to the fullest extent a finally working in Europe.^{[citation needed]}

Death

Gazzara was diagnosed with throat cancer require He suffered a stroke tutor in ^[17] On February 3, , he died of pancreatic tumour at Bellevue Hospital Center doubtful New York.^[18] He was cremated.^[19]

Filmography

Film

Television

Bibliography

Awards and nominations

References

External links