Dick Cusack
| Dick Cusack | |
|---|---|
| Born | Richard John Cusack August 29, 1925 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | June 2, 2003 (aged 77) Evanston, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor, filmmaker |
| Years active | 1970s–2003 |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Spouse | Nancy Cusack |
Richard John "Dick" Cusack (August 29, 1925 – June 2, 2003) was an American film actor and filmmaker.
Contents |
[edit] Life
Cusack was born in New York City to Irish-American Catholic parents.[citation needed] He served with the U.S. Army in the Philippines in World War II. After the war Cusack attended College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, and played on the school's 1947 championship basketball team.
Cusack and his wife Nancy had five children: Ann Cusack, Bill Cusack, Susie Cusack, Joan Cusack, and John Cusack all followed him into the acting profession.[1]
He was a friend and college room-mate of peace activist Philip Berrigan.[2][1]
Dick Cusack died on June 2, 2003 in Evanston, Illinois from pancreatic cancer.[1]
[edit] Career
Until 1970 Cusack worked as a Clio Award winning advertising executive.
He then pursused a career as a film actor, beginning with minor roles. Most of his acting roles were playing authority figures, such as a United States Senate Chairman, minister/chaplain, and U.S. Secretary of State; he played a judge in the TV movie Overexposed, and in theatrical releases Things Change and Eight Men Out.
Cusack was a documentary filmmaker;[3] his 1971 abortion documentary The Committee won an Emmy Award. He also owned a film production company[4]
He was honored with an award from the Evanston Arts Council for preserving a school and converting it into the Noyes Cultural Arts Center, which houses the Piven Theatre Workshop where his famous acting children trained. Two weeks prior to his death, he completed the final draft of a play to memorialize his former college roommate entitled, Backoff Barkman, which was produced posthumously in the Midwest.
[edit] Filmography
[edit] Films
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Return to Me | Mr. Bennington | |
| High Fidelity | Minister | ||
| 1999 | The Jack Bull | Jury Foreman | Television |
| 1996 | Chain Reaction | Senate Chairman | |
| Evil Has a Face | Lester | Television | |
| 1995 | While You Were Sleeping | Doctor Rubin | |
| 1993 | The Fugitive | Attorney Walter Gutherie | |
| 1992 | Overexposed | Judge | Television |
| 1990 | Crazy People | Mort | |
| 1989 | The Package | Secretary of State | |
| 1988 | Things Change | Judge | |
| Eight Men Out | Judge Friend | ||
| 1984 | The Lost Honor of Kathryn Beck | Unknown | Television |
| 1983 | Class | Chaplain Baker | |
| 1980 | My Bodyguard | Principal Roth |
[edit] Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Early Edition | Elderly Man | "The Wall: Part 2" (1 episode) |
| 1994 | Missing Persons | Champion | "If You Could Pick Your Own Parents..." (1 episode) |
| 1987 | Sable | Mahoney | "Watchdogs" (1 episode) |
[edit] Awards
| Year | Award | Result | Recipient(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Commitment to Chicago Award | Won | Shared with: Nancy Cusack Ann Cusack Bill Cusack Joan Cusack John Cusack Susie Cusack |
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Mark Caro (3 June 2003). "Obituary: Richard Cusack, 77 - Ad man, playwright who led acting clan". Chicago Tribune. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2003-06-03/news/0306030018_1_mr-cusack-nancy-cusack-richard-cusack.
- ^ Actor John Cusack on Hitler, politics and his movie 'Max', Beliefnet.com
- ^ "Being John Cusack" The Guardian, 1 July 2000
- ^ "Joan Cusack biography", Film Reference.com.
[edit] External links
- 1925 births
- 2003 deaths
- American film actors
- American television actors
- American screenwriters
- American military personnel of World War II
- College of the Holy Cross alumni
- American people of Irish descent
- Cusack family
- Deaths from pancreatic cancer
- People from Evanston, Illinois
- People from New York City
- Cancer deaths in Illinois
