If he were alive today….
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jhnyn — 15 years ago(July 10, 2010 02:10 PM)
I think he'd have status somewhat like Harvey Keitel. Probably never achieve huge popularity with mainstream audiences, just because he wasnt'a pretty boy, but nevertheless considered an actor's actor and very respected within the industry.
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radonner — 15 years ago(August 12, 2010 10:08 AM)
I think DeNiro may have actually been a better actor, but with Cazale having been so limited (alas) by time5b4, we'll never know. I don't think Pacino belongs in the pantheon that DeNiro, Walken, etc occupy, by the way, though I did like his work when he was youngercoincidentally, when he was working with Cazale.
I agree with the comparisons to Buscemi and Hoffman, both of them are superior actors who will never be matinee idol types, through no fault of their own.
As for the guy who has posted numerous times that he didn't see anything to lead him to believe the greatness of Cazale, well, it's your loss. Not everyone thinks that Monet was a great painter, or that Beethoven was a great composer. You're the guy who doesn't believe that Cazale was a great actor. I'm not disrespecting your opinion, though I don't agree with it, and no one else here is going to be convinced you're right. I would simply ask you to reexamine your assessment of the actor and try to appreciate what he did, but if you don't want to, that's fine too.
We'll never know what Cazale could have done had he lived longer, nor Randy Rhoads, nor Jimi Hendrix, nor John F. Kennedy, nor John Lennon, nor James Deanad infinitum. That doesn't take away from any of their greatness. -
littledarkpoet11 — 14 years ago(May 25, 2011 02:02 AM)
Highly revered without question, but not famous or "iconic" on the level of some of his contemporaries. Not because he wasn't as talented (he was arguably even more gifted), but he probably would have continued to be a supporting actor with just a few leading roles sprinkled about his filmography. If he did break into more leading roles he probably would have been sharing roles with Dustin Hoffman.
You're gonna be bad for business I can tell. -
Sparrow-Prince — 14 years ago(July 31, 2011 06:34 PM)
This is idiotic to begin with because all we have is a troll On our hands. Any intelligent person wouldn't sum up the body of work on an actor by the roles he embodies but by the performance and making them something more. An actor could play idiots his entire life in new and incredible ways but it doesn't make him an idiot. Obviously we are not beep 9 year olds and know that it's the quality not subject matter. So if Cazale played romantic leads or action hero's that would be different but your ignorant ass would insult his physical traits because bunts like you have nothing else to do.
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TheMann3 — 14 years ago(December 15, 2011 03:20 PM)
He is still a much better actor than these ex supermodels with superficial looks and no talent calling themselves actors who rely on111c their looks in Hollywood and sadly some casting agents cast these wannabes over actors with real talent.
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Conspirator_Slash — 13 years ago(February 08, 2013 01:21 AM)
I think he would be the kind like Harvey Keitel and Robert Duvall - very talented character actor who makes any movie better but rarely the 5b4main character, except in roles like Willy Loman or Solness the Builder, which require exactly this type.
Valar morghulis
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KhaledKalache — 11 years ago(November 16, 2014 06:35 PM)
i thought that too .. specially when i saw the deer hunter .. i knew that he died the same year .. and i asked myself the same question .. maybe oot de niro or pacino but maybe like joe pesci kinda guy
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rogueforte — 10 years ago(September 21, 2015 09:48 PM)
He could have done comedy. Just look at his classic response to Pacino in
Dog Day Afternoon
when asked which country he wanted to go, and Cazale responds, "Wyoming".
My take is he would have been like Harry Dean Stanton or M. Emmett Walsh. Ebert once said that if one of those two guys were in the cast of any movie, you knew it was going to be watchable, if not outright good.
That's about how Cazale would have ended up. I can't imagine him not elevating any picture in which he took a role, regardless of how bad the project might otherwise have seemed. -
pipe8609 — 18 years ago(November 29, 2007 10:25 PM)
If he were alive today, he would be probably one of the best actors alive among Al Pacino, Robert Deniro, Jack Nicholson, Dustin Hoffman. Death deprived us from a genious. He could have give a lot to movies. Cazale, one of my favorite actors anyway.
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missgangsmashers — 18 years ago(November 30, 2007 12:22 PM)
I agree! We know he would have done LOTS of movies with his
best friend Al Pacino. He stated that he would have acted
with John for life! That's a wonderful compliment coming
from Al.
A classical people demand a classical art.
~Toni Cade Bambara