Nick Cassavetes

{{Short description|American actor, director, and screenwriter (born 1959)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Nick Cassavetes

| image = NickCassavetesJune09.jpg

| caption = Cassavetes in June 2009

| birthname = Nicholas David Rowland Cassavetes

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|5|21|mf=y}}

| birth_place = New York City, New York, U.S.

| occupation = {{hlist|Actor|director|writer}}

| yearsactive = 1970–present

| parents = {{ubl|John Cassavetes|Gena Rowlands}}

| spouse = {{Plainlist|

{{Marriage|Isabelle Rafalovich|1985|end=div}}
{{Marriage|Heather Wahlquist||2017|end=div}}

}}

| children = 3

| family = {{ubl|Alexandra Cassavetes (sister)|Zoe Cassavetes (sister)|Katherine Cassavetes (paternal grandmother)|Lady Rowlands (maternal grandmother)|Edwin Myrwyn Rowlands (maternal grandfather)}}

}}

Nicholas David Rowland Cassavetes (born May 21, 1959){{cite news|url=http://www.nndb.com/people/642/000042516/|title=Nick Cassavetes|publisher=NNDB|access-date=September 19, 2009}} 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).

Early life and career

Cassavetes was born in New York City,"Nick Cassavetes." Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television. Vol. 76. Gale, 2007. Gale Biography In Context. Web. March 21, 2011. the son of Greek-American actor and film director John Cassavetes and actress Gena Rowlands. 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.

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. He has directed several films, including John Q, Alpha Dog, She's So Lovely, Unhook the Stars, The Notebook, and My Sister's Keeper. He also adapted the screenplay for Blow{{cite news|url=http://www.videodetective.com/ActorDetails.aspx?performerid=6124|title=Nick Cassavetes|publisher=VideoDetective.com|access-date=September 10, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100402081749/http://www.videodetective.com/ActorDetails.aspx?performerid=6124|archive-date=April 2, 2010|url-status=dead}} and wrote the dialogue for the Justin Timberlake music video "What Goes Around... Comes Around".{{cite news|url=http://www.justintimberlake.com/videos/what_goes_around_comes_around|title=What Goes Around, Comes Around|publisher=JustinTimberlake.com|access-date=September 19, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091005203212/http://www.justintimberlake.com/videos/what_goes_around_comes_around|archive-date=October 5, 2009}}

Cassavetes finished in fifth place in the World Poker Tour Invitational Season 5, attempting a bluff.{{cite news |url=http://www.worldpokertour.com/Live_Updates/Player_Profile.aspx?pl=%7B96EC0D1E-0411-493E-9119-6B91406D6C86%7D&q=%7BB6E9BB41-C627-494E-9D12-F827BC7E0744%7D |title=Nick Cassavetes WPT Celebrity Invitational Profile |publisher=World Poker Tour |access-date=September 19, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100402014312/http://www.worldpokertour.com/Live_Updates/Player_Profile.aspx?pl=%7B96EC0D1E-0411-493E-9119-6B91406D6C86%7D&q=%7BB6E9BB41-C627-494E-9D12-F827BC7E0744%7D |archive-date=April 2, 2010 }} He also appeared on season 5 of The Game Show Network's High Stakes Poker.{{cite news|url=http://corp.gsn.com/bios/high-stakes-poker-5-nick-casavetes|title=High Stakes Poker 5 - Nick Casavetes|publisher=GSN Pressroom|access-date=September 19, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090913051504/http://corp.gsn.com/bios/high-stakes-poker-5-nick-casavetes|archive-date=September 13, 2009|url-status=dead}}

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.{{cite news |last=Ward |first=Kate |date=April 9, 2011 |title='The Hangover Part II': Liam Neeson's cameo cut from film |publisher=Entertainment Weekly |url=https://ew.com/article/2011/04/09/liam-neeson-hangover-2-scene-cut |access-date=November 1, 2023}}

Personal life

In 1985, Cassavetes married Isabelle Rafalovich.{{cite news|url=https://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800025163/bio|title=Nick Cassavetes|publisher=Yahoo! Movies|access-date=September 19, 2009}} 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.[http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/movie-dedications/28196/dedications-at-the-end-of-movies-and-what-they-mean Dedications at the end of movies, and what they mean]

Cassavetes later married Heather "Queenie" Wahlquist, 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.{{cite video | people=Cassavetes, Nick (Director) | date=February 8, 2005 | url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0332280/dvd | title=The Notebook | medium=DVD | location=United States of America | publisher=New Line Home Entertainment|isbn=978-0-7806-4883-8|access-date=September 19, 2009}} Cassavetes' mother, Gena Rowlands, appears as the older, married Allie (Hamilton) Calhoun.

Filmography

=Actor=

==Film==

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Film ! Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
1970 \| Husbands \| Nick \| Uncredited
1985 \| Mask \| T.J. \|
rowspan="3" \| 1986 \| The Wraith \| Packard Walsh \|
Black Moon Rising \| Luis \|
Quiet Cool \| Valence \|
rowspan="2" \| 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 \|
rowspan="3" \| 1993 \| Sins of Desire \| Barry Mitchum \|
Sins of the Night \| Jack Neitsche \|
Broken Trust \| Alan Brogan \|
rowspan="2" \| 1994 \| Class of 1999 II: The Substitute \| Emmett Grazer \|
Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle \| Robert Sherwood \|
1996 \| Black Rose of Harlem \| Johnny \|
rowspan="2" \| 1997 \| Face/Off \| Dietrich Hassler \|
Farticus \| Adonis Papadapadopounopoulopoulos \|
rowspan="2" \| 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
rowspan="2" \| 2021 \| Prisoners of the Ghostland \| Psycho \|{{cite web \|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/prisoners-of-the-ghostland-rlje/ \|title='Prisoners of the Ghostland' With Nicolas Cage Picked Up by RLJE Films Ahead of Sundance Premiere \|website=/Film \|first=Chris \|last=Evangelista \|date=January 26, 2021 \|access-date=February 1, 2021}}
Queenpins \| Captain Pain \|

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Film

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

1970

| Husbands

| Nick

| Uncredited

1985

| Mask

| T.J.

rowspan="3" | 1986

| The Wraith

| Packard Walsh

Black Moon Rising

| Luis

Quiet Cool

| Valence

rowspan="2" | 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

rowspan="3" | 1993

| Sins of Desire

| Barry Mitchum

Sins of the Night

| Jack Neitsche

Broken Trust

| Alan Brogan

rowspan="2" | 1994

| Class of 1999 II: The Substitute

| Emmett Grazer

Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle

| Robert Sherwood

1996

| Black Rose of Harlem

| Johnny

rowspan="2" | 1997

| Face/Off

| Dietrich Hassler

Farticus

| Adonis Papadapadopounopoulopoulos

rowspan="2" | 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

rowspan="2" | 2021

| Prisoners of the Ghostland

| Psycho

|{{cite web |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/prisoners-of-the-ghostland-rlje/ |title='Prisoners of the Ghostland' With Nicolas Cage Picked Up by RLJE Films Ahead of Sundance Premiere |website=/Film |first=Chris |last=Evangelista |date=January 26, 2021 |access-date=February 1, 2021}}

Queenpins

| Captain Pain

==Television==

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Film ! Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
1980 \| Reunion \| Steve Cowan \| TV movie
rowspan="2" \| 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"

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Film

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

1980

| Reunion

| Steve Cowan

| TV movie

rowspan="2" | 1987

| Matlock

| Foley