John Holland Cazale (; ; August 12, 1935 – March 12, 1978) was an American actor. He appeared in five films during six years that were nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Picture:
The Godfather,
The Conversation,
The Godfather Part II,
Dog Day Afternoon, and
The Deer Hunter. He appeared in archival footage in
The Godfather Part III, also nominated for Best Picture, making him the only actor to have this multi-film distinction. From his start as a theater actor, he became one of Hollywood's premier
character actors, starting with his role as the doomed, weak-minded
Fredo Corleone opposite longtime friend
Al Pacino in
Francis Ford Coppola's film
The Godfather and its 1974 sequel. Cazale chose to continue acting despite being diagnosed with
lung cancer. He died in
New York City on March 12, 1978, shortly after completing his role in
The Deer Hunter.