Seymour Cassel
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Notes
Cassel's feature credits during the 90s number well over 30.
Biography
A blond, often mustachioed, and scruffy character player best known as an integral member of John Cassavetes' informal clan of actors, Seymour Cassel received an early introduction to show business, traveling with a troupe of touring burlesque performers that included his mother. 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, Cassel made the first of seven appearances for Cassavetes in "Too Late Blues" (1961) and also acted three times under director Don Siegel. He first achieved prominence as an aging hippie street hustler who saves a middle-aged housewife (Lynn Carlin) from suicide in Cassavetes' "Faces" (1968), earning an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor. His largest role for Cassavetes came as yet another hippie opposite the director's wife Gena Rowlands in "Minnie and Moskowitz" (1971), a kitchen sink romantic comedy with roles galore for Cassel and Cassavetes family members.
Cassel went on to fashion a prolific career, splitting his time between big Hollywood pictures and independent features in the spirit of Cassavetes. He delivered a colorful supporting turn as Cheese, one of the "Tin Men" (1987), appeared as Sam Catchem in "Dick Tracy" (1990) and paid tribute to Gabby Hayes as Skunker, Klaus Maria Brandauer's prospecting pal in "White Fang" (1991), a film which introduced him to executive producer Andrew Bergman. After stealing the show from Steve Buscemi as the over-the-top, fast-talking hood of Alexandre Rockwell's indie "In the Soup" (1992), he teamed with director Bergman for first "Honeymoon in Las Vegas" (also 1992) and later "It Could Happen to You" (1994), both starring Nicolas Cage. Other memorable 90s films include Adrian Lyne's "Indecent Proposal" (1993, as Robert Redford's chauffeur), Buscemi's directing debut "Trees Lounge" (1996, playing Uncle Al) and Wes Anderson's "Rushmore" (1998, as Jason Schwartzman's barber father.)
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Producer (Feature Film)
Special Thanks (Feature Film)
Misc. Crew (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
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
TV-movie debut in Don Siegel's "The Hanged Man" (NBC)
1964
Appeared with Cassavetes in Siegel's "The Killers"; also featured Ronald Reagan in his last screen role
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
Offered a colorful supporting turn as Cheese, one the titular "Tin Men", directed by Barry Levinson
1987
Appeared in Nicholas Roeg's "Track 27"
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
TV series debut as a regular, "Under Suspicion" (CBS)
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
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
Starred with John Corbett in the FX drama "Lucky" a dark comedy dealing with the lives and addictions of compulsive gamblers in Las Vegas
2003
Cast in the Farrelly Brothers' comedy "Stuck on You"
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
Videos
Movie Clip
Family
Companions
Bibliography
Notes
Cassel's feature credits during the 90s number well over 30.
