Shootout

John Cusack

With an impressive body of work spanning the course of two decades, John Cusack has evolved into one of Hollywood’s most accomplished, and respected actors of his generation. He has garnered both critical acclaim as well as prestigious accolades for his dramatic as well as comedic roles.

Currently, Cusack is in production on Jan de Bont’s action thriller Stopping Power, which will be distributed by IM Global. In this film, Cusack stars as a test pilot who sets off on a series of high-speed chases to save his kidnapped daughter from an escaped thief.

Cusack will next be seen in The Weinstein Company film, Grace Is Gone, which Cusack starred in and produced under his New Crime Productions banner, premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and was recognized with an “Audience Award.” Cusack plays Stanley Phillips, a young father who takes his two daughters on an impulsive road trip upon learning that his wife, Grace, has been killed in service in Iraq. The film is written and directed by James C. Strouse and will be released on October 6th.

Following, Cusack will star opposite Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt and Joan Cusack as a writer who, crushed by the death of his fiancé, adopts a six year old boy who is convinced he is from Mars in the romantic comedy Martian Child. The film, scheduled for release on October 26th, is directed by Menno Meyjes and written by Seth Bass and Jonathan Tolins.

In the summer of 2007, Cusack starred in the box office hit 1408 for Dimension Films. In this film, Cusack plays the role of Mike Enslin, a supernatural phenomena specialist who sets out to prove that a haunted New York hotel is just an urban legend. As research for his novel, Enslin stays in the notorious room 1408 only to discover the hard way that these myths and coincidences are in fact anything but. The film is directed by Mikael Hafstrom and the story has been adapted by Matt Greenberg, Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski from the Stephen King novel of the same title.

Cusack most recently finished production on Brand Hauser: Stuff Happens with Joan Cusack, Marissa Tomei, Hilary Duff and Sir Ben Kingsley, which he also produced under New Crime Productions. The film was shot in Sofia, Bulgaria and is directed by Joshua Seftel. Cusack wrote the screenplay with Jeremy Pikser and Mark Leyner. In the film, Cusack plays the role of a hit man hired to kill the CEO of a major corporation. Set in the future in the desert town of Turagistan, Cusack finds himself torn between obligation and love.

In 2005, Cusack starred opposite Billy Bob Thornton in the dark comedy, The Ice Harvest. Based on a Scott Phillips novel, Harold Ramis-directed the film for Focus Features. The previous year in Runaway Jury, he stared opposite Hollywood legends Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman. The film was based on John Grisham’s best selling novel of the same title and was directed by Gary Fleder. In 2003, Cusack joined Amanda Peet, Alfred Molina and Ray Liotta in the thriller Identity, directed by James Mangold for Columbia Pictures.

In the controversial film, Max, directed by Menno Meyjes and released by Lions Gate in December 2002, Cusack portrayed Max Rothman, an elegant, sophisticated former cavalry officer who returns to his native Munich to set up an art gallery, when he meets another aspiring artist, a young Adolf Hitler (played by Noah Taylor). The film, which Cusack also produced, garnered strong reactions at the 2002 Toronto Film Festival and has been debated extensively throughout the country because of its controversial subject matter.

In 2001, Cusack was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical for his role in the feature version of Nick Hornby's English novel, High Fidelity, for Touchstone Pictures. In addition to starring in the film, Cusack also co-produced and co-wrote the script with Steve Pink and D.V. DeVincentis. The film also stars Jack Black, Lisa Bonet, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Joan Cusack.

In 1999, Cusack starred in the dark comedy Being John Malkovich for USA Films. Cusack’s performance earned him an Independent Spirit Award nomination in the category of Best Actor. That year, Cusack also co-starred in Cradle Will Rock, an ensemble drama written and directed by Tim Robbins, portraying Nelson Rockefeller opposite an ensemble cast that included Emily Watson, Cary Elwes, Angus McFadden, Susan Sarandon, Hank Azaria, John Turturro, Ruben Blades and Vanessa Redgrave. He also starred with Billy Bob Thornton, Angelina Jolie and Cate Blanchett in Mike Newell’s comedy Pushing Tin. In the same year, he starred in HBO’s The Jack Bull, a traditional Western written by his father Dick Cusack. John served as executive producer on this film along with Steve Pink and D.V. DeVincentis under New Crime Productions.

In December 1998, Cusack appeared in the World War II combat epic, The Thin Red Line, based on the James Jones novel about the Battle of Guadalcanal. Directed by Terrence Malick for 20th Century Fox, the ensemble cast included George Clooney, Woody Harrelson, Nick Nolte, Gary Oldman, Sean Penn, Bill Pullman and John Travolta. In 1997, Cusack starred opposite Joan Cusack, Dan Aykroyd and Minnie Driver in Buena Vista Pictures, Grosse Pointe Blank. Cusack received rave reviews for the comedy that he also produced and co-wrote about a hit man who goes through a spiritual crisis during his high school reunion. This was the first project New Crime developed and produced under their banner.

Also in 1997, Cusack starred with Nicolas Cage, John Malkovich and Steve Buscemi in Buena Vista's blockbuster, Con Air from director Simon West. Later that year he starred with Kevin Spacey in the Warner Bros. feature, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil directed by Clint Eastwood. Based on John Berendt's nonfiction bestseller of the same name, Cusack portrayed John Kelso, the movie version of the author/narrator. Additionally, Cusack lent his voice to FOX's full-length animated feature, Anastasia, opposite the voices of Meg Ryan as Anastasia, Christopher Lloyd as Rasputin and Kelsey Grammer as Vladimir.

In 1995, Cusack starred opposite Al Pacino in Castle Rock's political thriller, City Hall, directed by Harold Becker for Columbia Pictures. In 1994, he re-teamed with Woody Allen, who cast him in the 1991 film Shadows and Fog, to portray playwright David Shayne in the acclaimed Bullets Over Broadway for Miramax. The ensemble cast included Chazz Palminteri, Jennifer Tilly, Dianne Wiest and Tracey Ullman. Some of his other feature film credits include The Road to Wellville, True Colors, Broadcast News, Stand By Me and Better Off Dead. Cusack also starred in several romantic comedies, including Miramax’s Serendipity, directed by Peter Chelsom and co-starring Kate Beckinsale; as well as starring with Julia Roberts, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Billy Crystal in America’s Sweethearts for Sony Pictures.

Cusack first gained the attention of audiences by starring in a number of 1980’s film classics such as The Sure Thing, Say Anything and Sixteen Candles. Following these roles, Cusack successfully shed his teen-heartbeat image by demonstrating his ability to expand his film repertoire by starring in a wide range of dramas, thrillers and comedies including The Grifters, Eight Men Out, Adaptation, Being John Malkovich, High Fidelity, and Grosse Pointe Blank.

Cusack divides his time between Los Angeles and Chicago.