John Cusack Biography

John Paul Cusack was born on June 28, 1966, in Evanston, Illinois, United States, into a Catholic Irish-American family. His father Richard Cusack was an actor and documentary filmmaker. His mother Nancy Cusack worked as a mathematics teacher. He has four siblings.

At the age of nine, he attended ‘Piven Theatre Workshop.’ While attending ‘Nicolas Junior High School,’ he performed in various local stage productions and gradually became a well-known voiceover actor.

His debut film as an actor is ‘Class,’ a comedy film released in 1983. In the next year, he appeared in the film ‘Grandview U.S.A.’ The same year, he played a small role in ‘Sixteen Candles.’

After his graduation from ‘Evanston Township High School,’ he took admission at ‘New York University.’ After several months, he left the university without finishing his studies.

He played the central character in the film ‘The Sure Thing,’ which released in 1985. In the same year, he also acted in ‘The Journey of Natty Gann.’ His film ‘Better Off Dead’ was also released in the same year. In this film, he played the role of a high school student who thinks about ending his life after breaking up with his girlfriend.

In 1986, he acted in ‘Stand By Me.’ In 1987, he featured in ‘Hot Pursuit,’ a comedy. Released in 1988, the story of his film ‘Eight Men Out’ revolves around the ‘Black Sox’ scandal of ‘Major League Baseball.’

Released in 1989, the film ‘Fat Man and Little Boy’ had him playing a nuclear physicist. ‘Grifters,’ a 1990 film, shows him portraying the character of a conman.

In 1991, he played a small role in ‘Shadows and Fog.’ In the next year, he made a guest appearance in ‘Roadside Prophets.’ In the same year, he also appeared in ‘Bob Roberts.’

In 1992, he acted in the satirical film ‘The Player.’ Released in 1993, the film ‘Map of the Human Heart’ is known for his notable performance in a supporting role.

The film ‘Bullets Over Broadway’ had him playing the character of a playwright. He also appeared in a supporting role in ‘The Road to Wellville,’ a comedy-drama film.

Released in 1996, the film ‘City Hall’ showcases his excellent acting skills. After acting in the action film 'Con Air' in 1997, he voiced ‘Dimitri,’ the lead male character of the animated film 'Anastasia,' which released in 1997.

In 1997, he also appeared in the film 'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,' which established him as a bankable actor.

In the film 'The Thin Red Line,' which was based on ‘World War II,’ Cusack portrayed the role of a captain. This film was released in 1998. In the film 'The Jack Bull,' which released the next year, his terrific performance as a horse trader was praised. In 1999, his comedy film 'Pushing Tin' failed at the box office.

Besides performing in the film 'Being John Malkovich,' he also appeared in the film 'Cradle Will Rock' in 1999. In 2000, his film 'High Fidelity' was released. In this comedy film, he played the character of an immature record shop owner.

His portrayal of ‘Nicholas Easter’ in the film 'Runaway Jury,' which released in 2003, was praised by the critics. Besides performing in the comedy film 'Must Love Dogs' in 2005, he also delivered a stellar performance as an accountant in 'The Ice Harvest.'

He acted in the 2007 documentary 'The Future is Unwritten,' which was based on the life of punk rocker J Strummer. In the same year, he portrayed the role of a novelist in the horror film '1408.'

His next blockbuster hit was the 2009 released disaster film ‘2012.’ He then acted in the James McTeigue’s fictionalized version of Edgar Allen Poe’s biopic ‘The Raven’ in 2012.

In the ensuing years, he appeared in various roles in films like ‘The Paperboy,’ ‘The Butler,’ ‘Grand Piano,’ and ‘The Bag Man.’ He shared screen space with Julianne Moore and Robert Pattinson in the satirical drama ‘Maps to the Stars’ in 2014. Unfortunately, the film failed at the box office.

His films from 2014 to 2018 include ‘Drive Hard,’ ‘Love & Mercy,’ ‘Chi-Raq,’ ‘Cell,’ ‘Blood Money,’ and ‘Singularity.’ In 2018, he was part of the movie ‘River Runs Red.’ The following year, he was seen in ‘Never Grow Old.’

As of 2020, the actor is busy shooting for his new web series ‘Utopia’ where he is part of the main cast.

In 1988, he acted in ‘Tapeheads’ in which he portrayed the character of ‘Ivan.’ The film unfolds Ivan’s endeavor to start a music video production company along with his friends.

In 1989, he portrayed the role of a high school student in the film ‘Say Anything.’ His portrayal of ‘Lloyd Dobler’ was praised by the critics.

Besides playing the role of ‘Martin Q. Blank,’ he was also the writer and co-producer of the film ‘Grosse Pointe Blank.’ His portrayal of a hit man in this film was highly appreciated by the critics as well as the fans.

His exemplary work in the 2009 disaster film ‘2012’ is commendable. His portrayal of a father who strives to survive the apocalypse and save mankind was praised by the critics. The film garnered a whopping $769 million at the box-office.

He is not married. He was romantically involved with several beautiful women, including actresses like Neve Campbell, Lili Taylor, Minnie Driver, and Claire Forlani.

The actor was condemned for his controversial anti-Semitic tweet in 2019. He later apologized for the misattributed quote and deleted the tweet.

He was one among the three people who met the whistleblower and US fugitive Edward Snowden in Moscow. Their conversation became the base of Indian author Arundhati Roy’s book ‘Things That Can and Cannot Be Said.’