Seymour Cassel

Photo of Seymour Cassel

Biography

After living for several years in Panama, where his family owned a nightclub, he moved to NYC to pursue an acting career, studying with the American Theatre Wing and with Lee Strasberg's famed Actors Studio. Cassel met Cassavetes at the future director's 46th Street acting workshop in 1957, eventually teaching alongside him and serving as associate producer on Cassavetes' directorial debut, "Shadows" (1960). A versatile, engaging talent, …
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Job Title

Actor, Producer, Other

Born

January 22, 1935

Career Milestones

Acted in Cassavetes' "Killing of a Chinese Bookie" (1976) and "Opening Night" (1977)

After high school, appeared in summer stock productions in Michigan

As child, traveled with mother in a burlesque troupe

Lived for several years in Panama where his family owned a nightclub

1958

Broadway debut, "The World of Suzy Wong"

1960

Film debut in "Murder, Inc."

1960

Served as associate producer on John Cassavetes directorial debut, "Shadows"

1961

First apppearance in a Cassavetes film, "Too Late Blues"

1964

Appeared with Cassavetes in Siegel's "The Killers"; also featured Ronald Reagan in his last screen role

1964

TV-movie debut in Don Siegel's "The Hanged Man" (NBC)

1968

Received Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his aging hippie who saves Lynn Carlin's character from suicide in Cassavetes' "Faces"

1968

Reteamed with Siegel for "Coogan's Bluff"

1971

Reunited with Cassavetes, opposite the director's wife Gena Rowlands in the kitchen-sink comedy "Minnie and Moskowitz"; played yet another aging hippie

1978

Played Governor Haskins in Sam Peckinpah's "Convoy"

1979

Delivered a nice turn as one of the leads of "California Dreaming"

1982

Jailed for conspiracy to sell cocaine

1984

Last film with Cassavetes, "Love Streams"

1987

Appeared in Nicholas Roeg's "Track 27"

1987

Offered a colorful supporting turn as Cheese, one the titular "Tin Men", directed by Barry Levinson

1989

Reteamed with Roeg for NBC movie, "Tennessee Williams' Sweet Bird of Youth"

1990

Acted in Warren Beatty's "Dick Tracy"

1991

Portrayed Gabby Haysesque prospecting pal of Klaus Maria Brandauer in "White Fang", a remake of the Jack London novel (executive produced by Andrew Bergman)

1992

Acclaimed for his scenery-chewing performance as a fast-talking hood opposite Steve Buscemi's aspiring filmmaker in Alexandre Rockwell's "In the Soup"

1992

First association with Andrew Bergman as director, "Honeymoon in Vegas", starring Nicolas Cage

1992

Third collaboration with Roeg, "Cold Heaven"

1993

Played Robert Redford's chauffeur in Adrian Lyne's "Indecent Proposal"

1994

Reteamed with Bergman and Cage for "It Could Happen to You", portraying Jack Gross, a sly old slickster ready to help Cage and wife Rosie Perez plot their investment strategy

1994

TV series debut as a regular, "Under Suspicion" (CBS)

1996

Appeared as Uncle Al in Buscemi's "Trees Lounge"

1996

Was regular on the short-lived CBS series "The Cube"

1997

Acted in CBS miniseries "Mario Puzo's The Last Don"

1998

Portrayed Jason Schwartzman's barber father in Wes Anderson's "Rushmore"

2001

Starred in Wes Anderson's "The Royal Tenenbaums"

2002

Played Uncle Jack in the comedy "Stealing Harvard"

2003

Cast in the Farrelly Brothers' comedy "Stuck on You"

2003

Starred with John Corbett in the FX drama "Lucky" a dark comedy dealing with the lives and addictions of compulsive gamblers in Las Vegas

2006

Co-starred in Steve Buscemi's "Lonesome Jim"

2007

Co-starred with brothers Luke and Owen Wilson in "The Wendell Baker Story," a film co-directed by Luke and Andrew Wilson

Awards

1968

Academy Award for Actor In a Supporting Role in Faces

1968

National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor in Faces