Gazzara, Ben 1930–

PERSONAL

Original name, Biagio Anthony Gazzara; born August 28, 1930, in New York, NY; son of Antonio (a laborer) and Angelina (maiden name, Cusumano) Gazzara; married Louise Erickson, 1952 (divorced, 1956 [some sources cite married in 1951 and divorced in 1957]); married Janice Rule (an actress), November 25, 1961 (divorced, 1979); married Elke Krivat (a costume jeweler; some sources cite surname as Kriwat or Stuckmann), 1982; children: (second marriage) Elizabeth (a film editor); (third marriage) Danja. Education: Attended City College of New York; studied acting at Erwin Piscator's dramatic workshop, New School for Social Research, 1948–49, and the Actors Studio.

Addresses: Agent—Stone Manners Talent and Literary Agency, 6500 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 550, Los Angeles, CA 90048; Cunningham/Escott/Dipene and Associates, 10635 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 140, Los Angeles, CA 90025. Manager—Parseghian/Planco Management, 23 East 22nd St., Suite 3, New York, NY 10010.

Career: Actor and director. Actors Studio, member, 1951–.

Member: Actors' Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, Directors Guild of America.

Awards, Honors: Drama Critics Award and Theatre World Award, both 1953, for End as a Man; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best actor—dramatic, 1956, for A Hatful of Rain; Golden Globe Award nomination, best television star—male, 1966, 1967, and 1968, all for Run for Your Life; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best actor—dramatic, 1975, for Hughie/Duet; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best actor—dramatic, 1977, for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding lead actor in a miniseries or special, 1986, for An Early Frost; National Board of Review Award (with others), best acting by an ensemble, 1998, for Happiness; Lifetime Achievement Career Award, Fort Lauderdale Film Festival, 1998; Golden Eagle Award, Marco Island Film Festival, 2000; Emmy Award, outstanding supporting actor in a miniseries or a movie, 2003, for Hysterical Blindness; Drama Desk Award nomination, outstanding solo performance, 2004, for Nobody Don't Like Yogi.

CREDITS

Stage Appearances:

Micah, Jezebel's Husband, Pocono Playhouse, PA, 1952.

Day of Grace, Westport, CT, 1953.

Jocko de Paris, End as a Man, Vanderbilt Theatre, New York City, 1953, then Lyceum Theatre, New York City, 1953–54.

Brick, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Morosco Theatre, New York City, 1955–56.

Johnny Pope, A Hatful of Rain, Lyceum Theatre, 1955–56, then Plymouth Theatre, New York City, 1956.

Joy, The Night Circus, John Golden Theatre, New York City, 1958, later produced in 1959.

Epitaph for George Dillon, Playhouse in the Park, Philadelphia, PA, 1959.

Two for the Seesaw, 1960.

Edmund Darrell, Strange Interlude, Martin Beck Theatre and Hudson Theatre, both New York City, 1963.

Gaston, Traveller without Luggage, American National Theatre and Academy, New York City, 1964.

Erie Smith, Hughie, First Chicago Center, Chicago, IL, c. 1975, also produced with Duet as Hughie/Duet, John Golden Theatre, 1975.

Leonard Pelican, Duet, produced with Hughie as Hughie/Duet, John Golden Theatre, 1975.

George, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Music Box Theatre, New York City, 1976.

Eric Dawson, Shimada, Broadhurst Theatre, New York City, 1992.

Chinese Coffee, New York City, 1994.

The Unexpected Man, Roundabout Theater's Gramercy on East, New York City, 2000.

Lawrence "Yogi" Berra, Nobody Don't Like Yogi (solo show), Bay Street Theatre, Sag Harbor, Long Island, NY, 2003, Lamb's Theatre, New York City, 2003–2004.

Appeared in Dance of Death and Thornhill.

Major Tours:

Micah, Jezebel's Husband, summer tour, 1952.

Film Appearances:

Card player, I'll Cry Tomorrow, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1955.

Sergeant Jocko de Paris, The Strange One (also known as End as a Man), Columbia, 1957.

Lieutenant Frederick Manion, Anatomy of a Murder (also known as Anatomy of Murder), Columbia, 1959.

Lello, Joyful Laughter (also known as Laugh for Joy, The Passionate Thief, and Risate di gioia), Embassy, 1960.

Dr. David Coleman, The Young Doctors (also known as No Deadly Machine), United Artists, 1961.

John Resko, Convicts Four (also known as Reprieve), Allied Artists, 1961.

Roger Bannon, A Rage to Live, United Artists, 1964.

Captain Stubbs, Conquered City (also known as The Captive City and La citta prigioniera), American International Pictures, 1965.

Card player, If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium, United Artists, 1969.

Sergeant Angelo, The Bridge at Remagen, United Artists, 1969.

Harry, Husbands, Columbia, 1970.

Narrator, King: A Filmed Record … Montgomery to Memphis (documentary), Maron Films, 1970.

Commander Adrian Blake (U.S. Navy), The Neptune Factor (also known as The Neptune Disaster and An Underwater Odyssey), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1973.

Al Capone (title role), Capone (also known as Al Capone), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1974.

Cosmo Vitelli, Killing of a Chinese Bookie (also known as The Killing of a Chinese Bookie), Faces, 1976.

Morris Troper, Voyage of the Damned, Avco-Embassy, 1976.

Clifford Baumgartner, High Velocity, First Asian, 1977.

Joseph Coppola, Afyon oppio (also known as Action Heroine, The Sicilian Connection, and La filiere), Joseph Green, 1977.

Manny Victor (the director), Opening Night, Faces, 1977.

Jack Flowers, Saint Jack, New World, 1979.

Rhys Williams, Bloodline (also known as Sidney Sheldon's "Bloodline" and Blutspur), Paramount, 1979.

John Russo, They All Laughed, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1980.

Charles Serking, Tales of Ordinary Madness (also known as Conte de la folie ordinaire and Storie di ordinaria follia), Fred Baker, 1981.

Major Frank Hallsworth, Inchon (also known as Inchon! and Oh, Inchon!), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1981.

Dino Romani, The Girl from Trieste (also known as La ragazza di Trieste), Golden Era, 1982.

Amnesiac, Uno scandalo perbene (also known as A Lovely Scandal and A Proper Scandal), 1984.

Alberto, La donna delle meraviglie (also known as Woman of Wonders), 1985.

Paul Riviere, Champagne amer (also known as Secret Obsession, Tattooed Memory, and La memoire tatouee), 1985.

The professor, Il camorrista (also known as The Professor), 1985.

Antonio Morelli, My Dearest Son (also known as Figlio mio infinitamente caro), 1987.

Ben Norrell, Quicker Than the Eye (also known as Supertrick and Schneller als das Auge), Condor Productions/Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen/Crocodile Productions, 1987.

Title role, Don Bosco, 1988.

Brad Wesley, Road House (also known as Roadhouse), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1989.

John, Beyond the Ocean (also known as Oltre l'oceano), 1990.

Marcelo Rondi, Forever (also known as Per sempre), 1992.

Pharaoh Amenophis III, Nefertiti, figlia del sole (also known as Nefertiti: Daughter of the Sun), 1992.

People across the Way, 1993.

Moshe, Swallows Never Die in Jerusalem (also known as Les hirondelles ne meurent pas a Jerusalem), Alma Films/Baba Films, 1994.

Amos, Banditi, 1995.

Central Intelligence Agency chief Dick Althorp, The Zone (also known as The Dogfighters), LIVE Home Video, 1996.

Una donna in fuga, 1996.

Farmer, Farmer and Chase, Arrow Releasing, 1997.

Jimmy Brown, Buffalo '66, Lion's Gate Films/Muse Productions, 1997.

March, Vicious Circles, Trimark Pictures, 1997.

Mr. Klein, The Spanish Prisoner, Sony Pictures Classics, 1997.

Vice president Saxon, Shadow Conspiracy (also known as The Shadow Program), Buena Vista, 1997.

The arranger, Shark in a Bottle, 1998.

Flavio, Illuminata, Artisan Entertainment/Overseas Film-Group, 1998.

Jackie Treehorn, The Big Lebowski, Gramercy Pictures, 1998.

John Sage, Too Tired to Die, Phaedra Cinema/Dream Search Entertainment/Black Swan Productions, 1998.

Lenny Jordan, Happiness, Good Machine, 1998.

Poor Liza, 1998.

Andrew Wallace (Thomas Crown's lawyer), The Thomas Crown Affair, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1999.

Luigi, Summer of Sam, Buena Vista, 1999.

Paradise Cove, 1999.

Bartossa, Jack of Hearts, 2000.

Himself, A Constant Forge: The Life and Art of John Cassavetes (documentary; also known as A Constant Forge), The Criterion Collection, 2000.

District attorney Bernard Salman, The List (also known as La liste), Moonstone Entertainment/York Entertainment, 2000.

Ellicott Winslowe, Believe, Avalanche Home Entertainment, 2000.

Frank, Blue Moon, Castle Hill Productions/Curb Entertainment, 2000.

Gino Minetti, Very Mean Men, Miracle Entertainment, 2000.

Jim, Undertaker's Paradise (also known as Ein todsicheres Geschaft), 2000.

Home Sweet Hoboken, Allied Entertainment Group, 2000.

L'avvocato Scalzi, Nella terra di nessuno, 2001.

Himself, Quien es Alejandro Chomski? (documentary; also known as Who Is Alejandro Chomski?), 2002.

Don Jose, Schubert, Viriato Films, 2002.

Himself, Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There (documentary; also known as Broadway, Broadway: The Golden Age, and Broadway: The Movie), Dada Films, 2003.

Himself, Dogville Confessions (documentary), 2003.

Jack McKay, Dogville (also known as U—Der Film "Dogville" erzaehlt in neun Kapiteln und einem Prolog.), Lions Gate Films, 2003.

Solomos, L'ospite segreto (also known as The Secret Guest), 2003.

General Secretov, … And Quiet Flows the Don, Madison Motion Pictures, 2004.

Ben, "5th arrondissement," Paris, je t'aime, Celsius Entertainment, 2005.

Himself, Wiseguys and Beyond: Italian Americans and the Movies (documentary), Pacific Street Films, 2005.

Vince, Victor in December, Wild Bear Films, 2005.

Film Director:

Beyond the Ocean (also known as Oltre l'oceano), 1990.

Television Appearances; Series:

Detective sergeant Nick Anderson, Arrest and Trial, ABC, 1963–64.

Paul Bryan, Run for Your Life, NBC, 1965–68.

Narrator, PaleoWorld (also known as Paleoworld), The Learning Channel, beginning c. 1994.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Abe Cady, QB VII, ABC, 1974.

Anson "Kip" Roberts, The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald, ABC, 1977.

Nick Pierson, An Early Frost, NBC, 1985.

Gus Bailey, People Like Us, 1990.

Joseph "J. B. Bananas" Bonanno, Love, Honor and Obey: The Last Mafia Marriage, NBC, 1993.

Gregorio Kos, Il tesoro di damasco, [Italy], 1998.

Padre Guelfi, Angelo nero, [Italy], 1998.

Colonel Marshall, Tre stelle, [Italy], 1999.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Fred, Carol for Another Christmas, ABC, 1964.

Doremus Connelly, When Michael Calls (also known as Shattered Silence), ABC, 1972.

Eddie Rico, The Family Rico, CBS, 1972.

Major general Joe Barrett, Fireball Forward, ABC, 1972.

Steven Graves, Pursuit (also known as Binary), ABC, 1972.

Nick Baron, Maneater, ABC, 1973.

You'll Never See Me Again, 1973.

George Werner, The Death of Richie (also known as Richie), NBC, 1977.

Detective Joe DeFalco, A Question of Honor, CBS, 1982.

Porter Holloway, A Letter to Three Wives, NBC, 1985.

Henry Cardell, Down Payment on Murder (also known as Downpayment on Murder), NBC, 1987.

Mike Zeller (some sources cite Mike Zella), Control (also known as Mind Control, Controle, and Il giorno prima), HBO, 1987.

Grant Sanders, Lies before Kisses, 1991.

John, Les gens d'en face (also known as The Window over the Way, Els de dewart, Else de devant, and Los de enfrente), 1992.

Ira Gold, Blindsided, 1993.

Charlie Duke, Parallel Lives, Showtime, 1994.

Papa, Fatal Vows: The Alexandra O'Hara Story, 1994.

Warden, Convict Cowboy, 1995.

Lieutenant Jack "Jigsaw" Lasky, Scene of the Crime (also known as Lady Killer and Ladykiller), Showtime, 1996.

Frank, Stag, HBO, 1997.

Joe Buddha, Valentine's Day (also known as Protector), HBO, 1998.

Raphael de Pietro, Never Love a Thief (also known as Sherwood's Travels), PAX TV, c. 1998.

Un bacio nel buio, 1999.

Piovuto dal cielo, 2000.

Coach George Halas, "Brian's Song," The Wonderful World of Disney, ABC, 2001.

Nick, Hysterical Blindness, HBO, 2002.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Davidde, Cry Vengeance, NBC, 1961.

Narrator, The American Dream: The General (documentary; also known as The General), CBS, 1974.

Narrator, The Life of Leonardo di Vinci, syndicated, 1974.

John Cassavetes (documentary), PBS, 1990.

Himself, Anything for John (documentary; also known as Cassavetes: Anything for John), Independent Film Channel, 1995.

Himself, Cassavetes: Claroscuro americano, 2001.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

"Fresh as a Daisy," Danger, CBS, 1952.

"The Last Mile," Kraft Television Theatre, NBC, 1952.

"A Case of Escape," The Web, CBS, 1953.

Richard Elgin, Jr., "The Notebook Warrior," The U.S. Steel Hour, ABC, 1954.

"The Alibi Kid," Medallion Theatre, CBS, 1954.

"The First Hold Up," Danger, CBS, 1954.

"The Gunman," Danger, CBS, 1954.

"Positive Identification," Justice, NBC, 1954.

"The Timid Thief," Justice, NBC, 1954.

"Witness to Murder," Justice, NBC, 1954.

Stanley Carr, "The Troublemakers," Playhouse 90, CBS, 1957.

M. Paul, "The Violent Heart," Playhouse 90, CBS, 1958.

"Mooney's Kid Don't Cry" (also known as "Three Plays by Tennessee Williams: Moony's Kid Don't Cry"), Kraft Television Theatre, NBC, 1958.

"Body and Soul," DuPont Show of the Month, CBS, 1959.

Guest panelist, What's My Line?, CBS, 1959 (multiple episodes), 1960, 1961.

Sidney, "Free of Charge," Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theater, NBC, 1967.

Himself, The Dick Cavett Show, ABC, 1970.

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, NBC, 1970, 1971 (multiple episodes), 1973.

Captain Tom Wright, "The Freeway Killings," Police Story, NBC, 1987.

Himself, Howard Stern, E! Entertainment Television, 1996.

Stasi, "A New Life," Strangers, [Canada and France], 1996.

Himself, "Lee Strasberg: The Method Man," Biography (documentary), Arts and Entertainment, 1998.

Executive assistant district attorney, "Wrath," Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (also known as Law & Order: SVU and Special Victims Unit), NBC, 2001.

Himself, The Tony Danza Show, syndicated, 2005.

Television Appearances; Pilots:

Paul Bryan, Rapture at Two-Forty, NBC, 1965, broad-cast as an episode of Kraft Suspense Theatre.

Host, Hollywood's Most Sensational Mysteries, NBC, 1984.

Dom Diablo, The Notorious (also known as The Notorious 7), Fox, 1997.

The Webster Report, CBS, 2004.

Television Director; Movies:

Columbo: A Friend in Deed (also known as "A Friend in Deed," Columbo), NBC, 1974.

Columbo: Troubled Waters (also known as "Troubled Waters," Columbo), NBC, 1975.

Television Director; Episodic:

"The Killing Scene," Run for Your Life, NBC, 1968.

"Appointment in Palermo," The Name of the Game, NBC, 1971.

Radio Appearances; Episodic:

Himself, The Howard Stern Radio Show, 1996.

WRITINGS

Screenplays:

(With others) Beyond the Ocean (also known as Oltre l'oceano), 1990.

Nonfiction:

In the Moment: My Life as an Actor (autobiography), Carroll & Graf, 2004.

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals:

Detour, June/July, 1998.

Los Angeles Times, April 12, 1998.

Variety, September 13, 1999, p. 59.