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Actor Ben Gazzara passes away

Actor Ben Gazzara passes away

THE actor Ben Gazzara has passed away. He was 81.

Mr. Gazzara, who was born in New York, had enjoyed success on both the stage and screen.

He had studied under Lee Strasberg at the famous Actors Studio in New York and his early success was in the original production of Cat On A Hot Tin Roof on Broadway in 1955, opposite Barbara Bel Geddes and Burl Ives.

His early films included The Strange One (1957), in which he played Jock de Paris — a role in which he had won critical acclaim in the stage production of End As A Man.

Two years later he was cast in Otto Preminger’s Anatomy Of A Murder (1959) with James Stewart.

But Mr. Gazzara had an early suspicion of film which was to result in him turning down a number of roles which many believe would have seen his career reach greater heights.

However, he continued to produce powerful performances on the screen. He was to forge a particular strong working relationship with the director John Cassavetes. One of his finest performances came in The Killing Of A Chinese Bookie (1976), see below.

He also enjoyed success on numerous television productions, but it was the stage which kept drawing him back. His last Broadway appearance was in 2006 in the revival of Awake And Sing.

In recent years he had spent long periods living and working in Italy.

Mr. Gazzara passed away in New York. He had been suffering from pancreatic cancer.

To see Ben Gazzara discuss the film The Killing Of A Chinese Bookie click here.

 

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