John Cusack
Template:Short description Template:About Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox person John Paul Cusack (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell; born June 28, 1966)<ref name="santasent">(28 June 1996). Today's birthdays, Santa Cruz Sentinel, ("Actors John Cusack is 30")</ref> is an American actor. With a career spanning over four decades, he has appeared in over 80 films. He began acting in films during the 1980s, appearing in coming-of-age dramedies such as Sixteen Candles (1984), Better Off Dead (1985), The Sure Thing (1985), Stand by Me (1986), and Say Anything... (1989). Transitioning from his teen idol image, he went on to appear in a variety of genres, such as the crime thrillers The Grifters (1990) and The Paperboy (2012), the black comedies Bullets Over Broadway (1994) and Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), and the psychological horror film 1408 (2007).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Cusack has been nominated for several awards, including a Golden Globe for his starring role in High Fidelity (2000). Cusack won the 2014 Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Maps to the Stars (2014).
Early life
Cusack was born John Paul Cusack on June 28, 1966 in Evanston, Illinois, into an Irish Catholic family. His parents are writer-actor-producer and documentary filmmaker Richard J. "Dick" Cusack (1925–2003), originally from New York City,<ref name="enb" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Ann Paula "Nancy" Cusack (née Carolan; 1929–2022),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> originally from Massachusetts, a former mathematics teacher and political activist.<ref name="enb">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> John's older sisters, Ann and Joan, are also actors. Cusack has two other siblings, Bill and Susie.<ref name="enb" /> The family moved from Manhattan, New York, to Illinois<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>"Being John Cusack." guardian.co.uk. July 1, 2000.</ref> and were friends of activist Philip Berrigan.<ref>"Actor John johan on Hitler, politics and his movie 'Max'." Beliefnet.com.</ref> Cusack graduated from Evanston Township High School in 1984, where he met Jeremy Piven.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Cusack spent a year at New York University before dropping out, saying that he had "too much fire" in his belly and "not enough smarts" in his brain.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Career
1980s
Cusack began acting in films in the early 1980s. In 1980 he appeared in a 16mm educational film short about teen problem solving titled “Why Is It Always Me?”. His first on-screen theatrical film appearances were in minor roles, Class (1983) and John Hughes' directorial debut film Sixteen Candles (1984).<ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref> On the set of Grandview, U.S.A. (1984), his co-star Jamie Lee Curtis gifted Cusack with his first car, a 1974 Chevrolet Impala, which she had named 'La Bamba'.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 16-year-old Cusack made his breakthrough performance in Rob Reiner's teen comedy The Sure Thing (1985). It was a critical success, but has since become an underrated film.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
He then took on the small-town teen dark comedy film Better Off Dead (1985). Cusack was initially embarrassed and disappointed by the film, describing it as the "worst thing he had ever seen" on his first watch.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The film had a budget of $3 million and grossed $10.3 million at the box office, but the studio still considered it a failure. Cusack also worked with the director Savage Steve Holland on One Crazy Summer (1986).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Cusack then had a brief appearance in Reiner's Stand by Me (1986), a film based on Stephen King's The Body. On the film, co-star Kiefer Sutherland recalled, "John Cusack was on the film for at least a week. I admired what he was doing and thought he was an actor I wanted to emulate."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1988, Cusack went on and starred in the independent film Eight Men Out (1988), about Major League Baseball's Black Sox Scandal during the 1919 World Series.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He also appeared in the cult comedy Tapeheads (1988), a film by executive producer Michael Nesmith.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In the late 1980s, Cusack starred in Cameron Crowe's directorial debut film, Say Anything... (1989). He starred opposite actress Ione Skye. Cusack was reluctant to do the film at first, but he gave his character dimension through referencing the punk bands The Clash and The Replacements.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the film, Cusack became known for the boombox scene, in which his character, Lloyd Dobler, stands near his girlfriend Diane's bedroom window, and wordlessly holds up a cassette player above his head, blasting Peter Gabriel's 1986 song "In Your Eyes".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His character has since become influential in popular culture, such as the band Lloyd Dobler Effect,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Frank Iero's band Pencey Prep with their misspelled song "Lloyd Dobbler".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1990s
In the 1990s, Cusack played a con artist in Stephen Frears' 1990 neo-noir film The Grifters. He then appeared in a series of independent films such as True Colors (1991), and Money for Nothing (1993).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> For Quentin Tarantino's second film, Pulp Fiction (1994), Cusack declined the role of Lance, which went to Eric Stoltz.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
After establishing New Crime Productions, Cusack co-wrote the screenplay for and starred in George Armitage's crime film Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), in which he played an assassin who goes to his 10-year high school reunion to win back his high school sweetheart.<ref>"Actor John Cusack." NPR.</ref> Released in the same year, Cusack also starred in the Nicolas Cage action film Con Air (1997) as the FBI agent Vince Larkin,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and in Clint Eastwood's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He also voiced Dimitri in the animated film Anastasia (1997).
In the critically acclaimed Spike Jonze film Being John Malkovich (1999), with a script written by Charlie Kaufman, Cusack played a puppeteer who finds a portal leading into the mind of the actor, John Malkovich.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The film was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Director (Jonze), Best Original Screenplay (Charlie Kaufman) and Best Supporting Actress (Catherine Keener).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2000s
Cusack was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his performance in High Fidelity (2000),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> based on Nick Hornby's novel about Rob, a record store owner, and the history of his failed relationships.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the early 2000s, Cusack appeared in a few romantic comedies such as America's Sweethearts (2001), Serendipity (2001), Must Love Dogs (2005), playing opposite lead actresses Julia Roberts, Kate Beckinsale, and Diane Lane.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Cusack starred in a series of thriller films such as Identity (2003), Runaway Jury (2003), The Contract (2006), and 1408 (2007),<ref name=":3" /> based on Stephen King's 1408.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The film largely went unnoticed at the time of release, but is now considered an underrated horror film.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He also appeared in the action comedies The Ice Harvest (2005), and War, Inc. (2008), as well as James C. Strouse's directorial debut film Grace Is Gone (2007), in which he played the grieving widower of a soldier killed in the Iraq War.
In Roland Emmerich's epic disaster film 2012 (2009), Cusack starred as Jackson Curtis, a struggling novelist who attempts to save his family during a global cataclysm.<ref name="ponders">Template:Cite journal</ref>
2010s
In the 2010s, Cusack starred in and produced the comedy film Hot Tub Time Machine (2010);<ref name=":4">Template:Cite news</ref> he did not feature in the sequel, Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (2015), however. Both films were directed by Steve Pink.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
In 2012, Cusack played Edgar Allan Poe in James McTeigue's biopic film The Raven (2012).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On acting in a real life role, Cusack said, "You have to get yourself as close to insanity as you can, but yet, be able to not go insane." He referred to the source of Poe's letters and writing, and used it as material for his role.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Cusack then starred in another real life role as Richard Nixon in Lee Daniels' The Butler (2013). Daniels later said, "I love working with John Cusack. He's terrifying, he's electrifying, and he inspires me to be a better director. He's a fiery, intense presence on set. We never, ever rub up against each other but he fuels me."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2014, Cusack appeared in another biopic film, Love & Mercy (2014) as Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, and worked closely with Wilson himself during the making of the film.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the same year, Cusack also starred in David Cronenberg's Maps to the Stars (2014).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He won a Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Maps to the Stars (2014).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This era was a new peak in his career,<ref name=":5">Template:Cite news</ref> however, in 2014, Cusack infamously criticized Hollywood, calling it "a whorehouse" where "people go mad."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Later, Cusack starred in several video on demand films, including The Factory (2012), The Numbers Station (2013), The Frozen Ground (2013), Grand Piano (2013), Drive Hard (2014), The Prince (2014), Reclaim (2014), Cell (2016), Arsenal (2017), Blood Money (2017), and Singularity (2017).<ref name=":5" />
2020s–present
Cusack starred in his first television series, Utopia in 2020.<ref name=":5" /> In a 2020 interview with The Guardian, Cusack admitted to the decline of his acting career. "In the last few years, I haven’t been able to get projects financed. That could be a function of getting older. Or it could be a function of being cold."<ref name=":4" />
In 2025, Cusack took on a significant role in the Chinese film Detective Chinatown 1900, portraying Congressman Grant, a character central to the film's exploration of anti-Chinese sentiment in early 20th-century San Francisco. The movie, a prequel to the successful Detective Chinatown franchise, was released on January 29, 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Circular reference
Critics have noted Cusack's performance in the film. Phil Hoad of The Guardian highlighted the movie's engaging narrative and cultural commentary, mentioning Cusack's role as part of the ensemble cast.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Political views
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Cusack is anti-war, having tweeted, "Being anti-war — is pro-troops — pro-human".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Cusack endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark in the 2004 presidential election.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Between 2005 and 2009, Cusack wrote blogs for The Huffington Post, which included an interview with Naomi Klein. He voiced his opposition to the war in Iraq and the George W. Bush administration, calling the government's worldview "depressing, corrupt, unlawful, and tragically absurd".<ref>John Cusack – Politics on The Huffington Post.</ref> He also appeared in a June 2008 MoveOn.org advertisement, where he said that George W. Bush and John McCain had the same governing priorities.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Cusack criticized the Obama administration for its drone policy in the Middle East and its support of the National Defense Authorization Act, and became one of the initial supporters of the Freedom of the Press Foundation in 2012. In June 2015, he stated in an interview with The Daily Beast that "when you talk about drones, the American Empire, the NSA, civil liberties, attacks on journalism and whistleblowers, [Obama] is as bad or worse than Bush".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He later criticized the publication for misquoting him in order to make an interesting headline.<ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref><ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref>
At a Moscow hotel room in 2015, Cusack, Daniel Ellsberg, and Arundhati Roy met Edward Snowden, who had fled the US because of his leaks of classified information surrounding illegal population surveillance.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This meeting was converted into a book co-authored with Roy titled Things That Can and Cannot Be Said.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Cusack endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders in his 2016 and 2020 presidential bids.<ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref><ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref> He is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.<ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref>
During May 2020, Cusack was recording a George Floyd protest in Chicago on social media when he was attacked by police with batons and later pepper-sprayed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Cusack has also been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, calling him "an evil fuck who grinds our faces in it every day".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During the 2020 presidential election, he pledged on social media that he would vote to "kick Trump's loathsome Nazi ass out of the White House and into prison".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On March 19, 2025, Cusack joined the "#TeslaTakedown Mass Mobilizing Call", a remote protest targeting Tesla, Inc. and its CEO, Elon Musk, for his role in the Trump administration, especially his leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). During the call, Cusack said, "Like Trump, Musk is a pathological liar. He’s a criminal. He’s a sociopath and a ghoul."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On August 21, 2025, Cusack tweeted a quote by friend and activist Philip Berrigan from the new book of Philip’s writings A Ministry of Risk: “A Ministry of risk goes unerringly to the side of the victims, to those threatened by greed, prejudice, and war. From the side of those victims, it teaches two simple, indispensable lessons: first, that we all belong in the ditch, or in the breach with the victims: and second, that until we go to the ditch, or into the breach, victimizing will not cease.”Template:Citation needed
Israel–Palestine
Template:Broader Cusack has been fiercely critical of Israel's military actions against Palestinians. He criticized Israel's killing of Palestinians in the 2014 Gaza War,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and retweeted articles supporting Gaza for weeks.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2018, Cusack signed an open letter in support of Lorde cancelling performances in Israel, which was in response to a request from the BDS movement.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In June 2019, Cusack tweeted out an image of a large fist with a blue Star of David crushing a small crowd of people next to a quote by neo-Nazi Kevin Alfred Strom often misattributed to Voltaire: "To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the tweet, Cusack added the words "Follow the money." He said that the tweet was meant to criticize Israel's policies against Palestinians, but nonetheless deleted the tweet and apologized, saying that "antisemitism has no place in any rational political dialogue".<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":2">Template:Cite news</ref>
Following the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel and the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, Cusack signed another open letter (Artists4Ceasefire) urging Joe Biden to "call for and facilitate a ceasefire without delay..."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> He also blocked and direct messaged pro-Israel and Zionist Twitter users' insults, and asserted that Israel is conducting a genocide in Gaza.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On July 7, 2025, Cusack posted a meme on social media website Bluesky linking former United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Jeffrey Epstein, leading to Cusack being accused of antisemitism. Cusack later deleted the post within two hours after posting it.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Personal life
Cusack trained in kickboxing under former world kickboxing champion Benny Urquidez for over 20 years. He began training under Urquidez in preparation for his role in Say Anything... and holds the rank of a level six black belt in Urquidez's Ukidokan Kickboxing system.<ref>Ukidokan Black Belts and Levels Template:Webarchive. URL accessed on March 19, 2010.</ref>
In March 2008, police arrested Emily Leatherman outside Cusack's Malibu, California, home for stalking him. On October 10, 2008, Leatherman pleaded no contest and received five years' probation and mandatory psychiatric counseling, and was ordered to stay away from Cusack, his home, and business for the next 10 years.<ref>Accused John Cusack stalker, Emily Leatherman, accepts plea deal Template:Webarchive. New York Daily News. October 10, 2008.</ref>
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Class | Roscoe Maybaum | |
| 1984 | Sixteen Candles | Bryce | |
| Grandview, U.S.A. | Johnny Maine | ||
| 1985 | The Sure Thing | Walter "Gib" Gibson | |
| Better Off Dead | Lane Myer | ||
| The Journey of Natty Gann | Harry | ||
| 1986 | Stand by Me | Dennis "Denny" Lachance | |
| One Crazy Summer | Hoops McCann | ||
| 1987 | Hot Pursuit | Dan Bartlett | |
| Broadcast News | Angry Messenger | ||
| 1988 | Tapeheads | Ivan Alexeev | |
| Eight Men Out | Buck Weaver | ||
| 1989 | Say Anything... | Lloyd Dobler | |
| Fat Man and Little Boy | Michael Merriman | ||
| 1990 | The Grifters | Roy Dillon | |
| 1991 | True Colors | Peter Burton | |
| Shadows and Fog | Student Jack | ||
| 1992 | Roadside Prophets | Caspar | |
| The Player | Himself | Cameo | |
| Map of the Human Heart | The Mapmaker | ||
| Bob Roberts | Cutting Edge Host | ||
| 1993 | Money for Nothing | Joey Coyle | |
| 1994 | Floundering | JC | |
| Bullets Over Broadway | David Shayne | ||
| The Road to Wellville | Charles Ossining | ||
| 1996 | City Hall | Kevin Calhoun | |
| 1997 | Grosse Pointe Blank | Martin Q. Blank | Also co-writer and producer |
| Con Air | Vince Larkin | ||
| Chicago Cab | Scary Man | ||
| Anastasia | Dimitri | Voice role | |
| Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil | John Kelso | ||
| 1998 | This Is My Father | Eddie Sharp | |
| The Thin Red Line | Capt. Gaff | ||
| 1999 | Pushing Tin | Nick Falzone | |
| Cradle Will Rock | Nelson Rockefeller | ||
| Being John Malkovich | Craig Schwartz | ||
| 2000 | High Fidelity | Rob Gordon | Also co-writer and producer |
| 2001 | America's Sweethearts | Eddie Thomas | |
| Serendipity | Jonathan Trager | ||
| 2002 | Max | Max Rothman | Also associate producer |
| Adaptation | Himself | Uncredited cameo | |
| 2003 | Identity | Edward "Ed" Dakota | |
| Runaway Jury | Nicholas Easter | ||
| 2005 | Must Love Dogs | Jake Anderson | |
| The Ice Harvest | Charlie Arglist | ||
| 2006 | The Contract | Ray Keene | Direct-to-video |
| 2007 | Grace Is Gone | Stanley Philipps | Also producer |
| 1408 | Michael "Mike" Enslin | ||
| Martian Child | David Gordon | ||
| 2008 | War, Inc. | Brand Hauser | Also co-writer and producer |
| Igor | Igor | Voice role | |
| 2009 | 2012 | Jackson Curtis | |
| 2010 | Hot Tub Time Machine | Adam Yates | Also producer |
| Shanghai | Paul Soames | Direct-to-video | |
| 2012 | The Raven | Edgar Allan Poe | |
| The Paperboy | Hillary Van Wetter | ||
| The Factory | Mike Fletcher | Direct-to-video | |
| 2013 | The Numbers Station | Emerson Kent | |
| The Frozen Ground | Robert Hansen | ||
| The Butler | Richard Nixon | ||
| Grand Piano | Clem | ||
| We're No Animals<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Tony Lovecraft | Also co-writer and executive producer | |
| Adult World | Rat Billings | ||
| 2014 | The Bag Man | Jack | Direct-to-video |
| Maps to the Stars | Stafford Weiss | ||
| Drive Hard | Simon Keller | Direct-to-video | |
| The Prince | Sam | ||
| Love & Mercy | Brian Wilson | ||
| Reclaim | Benjamin | Direct-to-video | |
| 2015 | Dragon Blade | Lucius | |
| Hot Tub Time Machine 2 | Adam Yates | Uncredited cameo in unrated version | |
| Chi-Raq | Fr. Mike Corridan | ||
| 2016 | Boom Bust Boom | Self | Documentary |
| Cell | Clayton Riddell | Also executive producer; direct-to-video | |
| 2017 | Arsenal | Sal | Direct-to-video |
| Blood Money | Miller | ||
| Singularity | Elias van Dorne | ||
| 2018 | Distorted | Vernon Sarsfield | |
| River Runs Red | Horace | Direct-to-video | |
| 2019 | Never Grow Old | Dutch Albert | |
| 2022 | Pursuit | John Calloway | Direct-to-video |
| 2024 | Decoded | Liseiwicz | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 2025 | Detective Chinatown 1900 | Grant | |
| Fog of War | Robert | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Frasier | Greg | Voice role; Episode: "Our Father Whose Art Ain't Heaven" |
| 1999 | The Jack Bull | Myrl Redding | Television film; also executive producer |
| 2014 | Doll & Em | John | Episode: "Three" |
| 2020 | Utopia | Dr. Kevin Christie | 8 episodes |
Awards and nominations
References
Further reading
- Barnes, Henry (September 26, 2014). "John Cusack: 'Hollywood is a whorehouse and people go madTemplate:'". The Guardian. Accessed February 27, 2015.
- Robinson, Tasha (November 27, 2007). "John Cusack" (interview). The A.V. Club.
External links
Template:ACCT Best Supporting Actor Template:Authority control
- Pages with broken file links
- 1966 births
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- American activists for Palestinian solidarity
- American anti–Iraq War activists
- American bloggers
- American male bloggers
- Film producers from Illinois
- American male kickboxers
- American male film actors
- American male screenwriters
- American male television actors
- American male voice actors
- American people of Irish descent
- Television producers from Illinois
- Best Supporting Actor Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners
- Cusack family (United States)
- Evanston Township High School alumni
- Living people
- Male actors from Chicago
- Male actors from Evanston, Illinois
- Tisch School of the Arts alumni
- Writers from Chicago
- Screenwriters from Illinois
- Members of the Democratic Socialists of America from Illinois
- Progressivism in the United States
- Male actors from Malibu, California
- Activists from Malibu, California
- Writers from Malibu, California
- Mass media people from Malibu, California