Nicholas David Rowland Cassavetes (born May 21, 1959)[1] is an American actor, director, and writer. He has directed such films as She's So Lovely (1997), John Q. (2002), The Notebook (2004), Alpha Dog (2006), and My Sister's Keeper (2009). His acting credits include an uncredited role in Husbands (1970)—which was directed by his father, John Cassavetes—as well as roles in the films The Wraith (1986), Face/Off (1997), and Blow (2001).
Nick Cassavetes | |
|---|---|
 Cassavetes in June 2009 | |
| Born | Nicholas David Rowland Cassavetes May 21, 1959 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1970–present |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
| Parents | |
| Family |
|
Early life and career
editCassavetes was born in New York City,[2] the son of Greek-American actor and film director John Cassavetes and actress Gena Rowlands.[1] As a child, he appeared in his father's film Husbands (1970). After spending so much of his youth surrounded by the film industry, Cassavetes initially decided he did not want to go into the field. He instead attended Syracuse University on a basketball scholarship, but after an injury effectively ended his athletic career, he decided to rethink his aspirations, ultimately deciding to attend his parents' alma mater, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York.[3]
He has appeared in the films Face/Off, The Wraith, Life, Class of 1999 II: The Substitute, Backstreet Dreams and The Astronaut's Wife, among others.[1] He has directed several films, including John Q, Alpha Dog, She's So Lovely, Unhook the Stars, The Notebook, and My Sister's Keeper.[1] He also adapted the screenplay for Blow[3] and wrote the dialogue for the Justin Timberlake music video "What Goes Around... Comes Around".[4]
Cassavetes finished in fifth place in the World Poker Tour Invitational Season 5, attempting a bluff.[5] He also appeared on season 5 of The Game Show Network's High Stakes Poker.[6]
He also has played himself in the season 7 opener of Entourage on HBO and Tattoo Joe as a cameo in The Hangover: Part II, replacing Liam Neeson from the cast due to scheduling conflicts.[7]
Personal life
editIn 1985, Cassavetes married Isabelle Rafalovich.[8] They had two daughters together before divorcing. Their daughter Sasha was born with a heart defect and underwent substantial surgery; Cassavetes' film John Q. was dedicated to Sasha, and his later adaptation of My Sister's Keeper was based in part on Sasha's medical experience.[9]
Cassavetes later married Heather "Queenie" Wahlquist,[8] and they have a daughter together. Wahlquist has appeared in several of his films, including a small role in The Notebook as Sara, a secondary character and best friend to the female lead Allie Hamilton, portrayed by Rachel McAdams.[10] Cassavetes' mother, Gena Rowlands, appears as the older, married Allie (Hamilton) Calhoun.
Filmography
editActor
editFilm
edit| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Husbands | Nick | Uncredited |
| 1985 | Mask | T.J. | |
| 1986 | The Wraith | Packard Walsh | |
| Black Moon Rising | Luis | ||
| Quiet Cool | Valence | ||
| 1988 | Under the Gun | Tony Braxton | |
| Assault of the Killer Bimbos | Wayne-O | ||
| 1989 | Blind Fury | Lyle Pike | |
| 1990 | Backstreet Dreams | Mikey | |
| 1991 | Delta Force 3: The Killing Game | Charlie | Direct-to-DVD |
| 1992 | Twogether | Wolfgang Amadeus "John" Madler | |
| 1993 | Sins of Desire | Barry Mitchum | |
| Sins of the Night | Jack Neitsche | ||
| Broken Trust | Alan Brogan | ||
| 1994 | Class of 1999 II: The Substitute | Emmett Grazer | |
| Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle | Robert Sherwood | ||
| 1996 | Black Rose of Harlem | Johnny | |
| 1997 | Face/Off | Dietrich Hassler | |
| Farticus | Adonis Papadapadopounopoulopoulos | ||
| 1999 | Life | Sergeant Dillard | |
| The Astronaut's Wife | Capt. Alex Streck | ||
| 2001 | Blow | Man in Derek's Salon | Uncredited |
| 2011 | The Hangover Part II | Tattoo Joe | |
| 2013 | Love and Skin | Uncle Nicky | Short film |
| 2021 | Prisoners of the Ghostland | Psycho | [11] |
| Queenpins | Captain Pain |
Television
edit| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Reunion | Steve Cowan | TV movie |
| 1987 | Matlock | Foley | Episode: "The Convict" |
| L.A. Law | Richard Bertrand | Episode: "Sparky Brackman R.I.P. ????-1987" | |
| 1988 | Shooter | Tex | TV movie |
| 1989 | Quantum Leap | Primo La Palma | Episode: "Double Identity - November 8, 1965" |
| 1990 | The Marshall Chronicles | Gus | Episode: "Do the Write Thing" |
| 2010 | Entourage | Nick Cassavetes | 2 episodes |
| 2017 | Tales | Rodney King | Episode: "F*ck the Police" |
Director
edit| Year | Film | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Unhook the Stars | |
| 1997 | She's So Lovely | |
| 2002 | John Q. | |
| 2004 | The Notebook | |
| 2006 | Alpha Dog | |
| 2009 | My Sister's Keeper | |
| 2012 | Yellow | |
| 2014 | The Other Woman | |
| 2023 | God Is a Bullet |
Writer
edit| Year | Film | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Unhook the Stars | |
| 2001 | Blow | |
| 2003 | Whatever We Do | Short film |
| 2006 | Alpha Dog | |
| 2007 | Justin Timberlake: What Goes Around ...Comes Around | Short film |
| 2009 | My Sister's Keeper | Co-writer |
| 2012 | Yellow | |
| 2023 | God Is a Bullet |
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Nick Cassavetes". NNDB. Retrieved September 19, 2009.
- ^ "Nick Cassavetes." Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television. Vol. 76. Gale, 2007. Gale Biography In Context. Web. March 21, 2011.
- ^ a b "Nick Cassavetes". VideoDetective.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2010. Retrieved September 10, 2009.
- ^ "What Goes Around, Comes Around". JustinTimberlake.com. Archived from the original on October 5, 2009. Retrieved September 19, 2009.
- ^ "Nick Cassavetes WPT Celebrity Invitational Profile". World Poker Tour. Archived from the original on April 2, 2010. Retrieved September 19, 2009.
- ^ "High Stakes Poker 5 - Nick Casavetes". GSN Pressroom. Archived from the original on September 13, 2009. Retrieved September 19, 2009.
- ^ Ward, Kate (April 9, 2011). "'The Hangover Part II': Liam Neeson's cameo cut from film". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
- ^ a b "Nick Cassavetes". Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved September 19, 2009.
- ^ Dedications at the end of movies, and what they mean
- ^ Cassavetes, Nick (Director) (February 8, 2005). The Notebook (DVD). United States of America: New Line Home Entertainment. ISBN 978-0-7806-4883-8. Retrieved September 19, 2009.
- ^ Evangelista, Chris (January 26, 2021). "'Prisoners of the Ghostland' With Nicolas Cage Picked Up by RLJE Films Ahead of Sundance Premiere". /Film. Retrieved February 1, 2021.