Seymour Cassel Biography

Birthday: 1935-01-22
Place of Birth: Detroit, Michigan USA
Height: 5' 7¾" (1.72 m)
Wiki Biography: Seymour Cassel, the veteran character actor who was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as the hippie swinger Chet in John Cassavetes' Faces (1968/I), studied acting at the American Theatre Wing and at the Actors Studio. He made his movie debut in Cassavetes' first film, Shadows (1959), on which he also served as associate producer.
Cassel's early career was tied to Cassavetes, who himself had a flourishing career as an actor on television and in major Hollywood productions in addition to becoming, arguably, the first great independent movie director after the collapse of the studio system in the late 1950s/early 1960s. As for Cassel, after his uncredited role in "Shadows," he co-starred with Cassavetes in The Webster Boy (1962) and Too Late Blues (1961) before winding up in support of his friend in Don Siegel's The Killers (1964), a movie shot for TV that had to be released theatrically due to its heightened violence (it was also Ronald Reagan's last movie). Cassel primarily made his living on TV in the 1960s, frequently typecast as beatniks and hippies. He had a supporting role in the Cassavetes-directed episode "A Pair of Boots" (1962) for "The Lloyd Bridges Show" (1962) as well as appearing on such popular programs as "12 O'Clock High" (1964), "Combat!" (1962) and "The F.B.I." (1965) before scoring with his aging hippie in "Faces" at the end of that tumultuous decade.
Along with "Shadows," "Faces" remains his favorite Cassavettes film. In addition to acting, Cassel was also a crew member on the film, as the technical staff numbered all of seven. He helped shoot the film as a second cameraman, as well as adjusting the lighting. As the film was financed by Cassavettes himself, there were no union regulations to deal with, nor a studio schedule to keep.
Several of Cassavettes' films were shot in continuity, so the actors could develop a character in sequence--similar to stage acting--rather than the traditional method of film making, which is shot out of sequence. Cassel has stated that this technique enhanced the success of his works by eliminating the "fourth wall" between the audience and the actors. He believes that acting tells the film's story, not the images and that what is important is how the audience relates to the characters on screen.
As their careers matured, Cassel also co-starred with Cassavetes in two TV movies, Nightside (1973) (TV) and Nightside (1973) (TV) and appeared in supporting roles in three more Cassavetes-directed films: The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976), Opening Night (1977) and Love Streams (1984).
In addition to appearing in studio films, Cassel has remained prominent in the American independent film community since the death of his friend and collaborator. He contributed a cameo appearance in the directorial debut of Steve Buscemi (with whom he appeared as a co-star in the black comedy In the Soup (1992)), Trees Lounge (1996), and has appeared in three films by Wes Anderson: Rushmore (1998), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004).
Cassel is prized by independent directors for two things: his positive nature, and his (perhaps) facetious declaration that he'd be in any independent film for the price of a plane ticket if he liked the script.
Seymour CasselPhotos & Pictures






Filmography
TV Title | Appeared As | Year | Genre |
---|---|---|---|
White Fang | Skunker | 1991 | Adventure |
Good Company | Jack O'Shea | 1996 - 1996 | |
To Love and Die | 2008 | Drama |
Movies Title | Appeared As | Year | Genre |
---|---|---|---|
Too Late Blues | 1962 | ||
Minnie and Moskowitz | Seymour Moskowitz | 1972 | Comedy, Drama, Romance |
The Killing of a Chinese Bookie | 1976 | Game Show, Comedy | |
California Dreaming | 1979 | ||
The Mountain Men | 1980 | Adventure | |
Love Streams | 1984 | Comedy, Drama | |
Eye of the Tiger | Sheriff | 1986 | 0 |
Survival Game | Dave Forrest | 1987 | Action, Drama |
Johnny Be Good | Wallace Gibson | 1988 | |
Track 29 | Dr. Bernard Fairmont | 1988 | 0 |
Wicked Stepmother | 1989 | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror | |
Plain Clothes | Ed Malmburg | 1989 | Comedy, Mystery, Romance |
Dick Tracy | Sam Catchem | 1990 | Game Show, Comedy, 0, 0 |
Diary of a Hitman | 1991 | Comedy, 0 | |
White Fang | Skunker | 1991 | Adventure, Drama |
In the Soup | 1992 | ||
Cold Heaven | Tom Farrelly | 1992 | Drama, Mystery, Thriller |
Love Is Like That | Uncle Bud | 1992 | Drama |
Honeymoon in Vegas | 1992 | Comedy, Romance, Thriller | |
Adventures in Spying | Ray Rucker | 1992 | |
Indecent Proposal | 1993 | Biography | |
Trouble Bound | Santino | 1993 | 0, Game Show, 0 |
Chain of Desire | Mel | 1993 | Drama, Romance |
Imaginary Crimes | 1994 | ||
Dark Side of Genius | Samuel Rourke | 1994 | Game Show, 0 |
When Pigs Fly | Frank | 1994 | Comedy |
It Could Happen to You | 1994 | Comedy, Drama, Romance | |
There Goes My Baby | Pop | 1994 | Comedy, Drama |
Hand Gun | Jack McCallister | 1994 | Action, Crime, Thriller |
Tollbooth | Larry / Leon | 1994 | Action, Drama, Thriller |
Dream for an Insomniac | Uncle Leo | 1996 | Romance, Comedy, Drama |
I sfagi tou kokora | Ahilleas | 1996 | Drama |
Caméléone | Francis | 1996 | Thriller |
Dead Girl | Ira Golub | 1997 | Comedy |
Obsession | Jacob Frischmuth | 1997 | Drama, Music, Romance |
Motel Blue | Capistrano Minister | 1997 | Thriller |
Rushmore | Bert Fischer | 1998 | 0 |
Cosas que nunca te dije | Frank | 1998 | Comedy, Drama, Romance |
Relax... It's Just Sex | Emile Pillsbury | 1998 | Comedy |
Snapped | Bob | 1998 | Drama |
Smoking Cuban Style | Dragan | 1999 | Comedy, Drama |
Me and Will | Roy | 1999 | Drama |
Animal Factory | Lt. Seeman | 2000 | Crime, Drama |
The Crew | 2000 | Crime, Comedy | |
Just One Night | Arthur Imperial | 2000 | Comedy |
Bartleby | 2001 | ||
The Royal Tenenbaums | Dusty | 2001 | 0 |
61* | Sam Simon | 2001 | 0 |
The Sleepy Time Gal | Bob | 2001 | Drama |
Women of the Night | Sally | 2001 | Thriller |
The Cure for Boredom | Eddie | 2001 | Comedy |
Passionada | 2002 | ||
Stealing Harvard | 2002 | 0, 0, 0 | |
Les frères Gravet | Himself | 2002 | |
Cannes Man | Sy Lerner | 2002 | Comedy, Drama |
Manna from Heaven | Stanley | 2002 | Comedy |
Sonny | Albert | 2003 | Crime, Drama |
A Good Night to Die | Guy | 2003 | Action, Comedy, Thriller |
Stuck on You | Morty O'Reilly | 2003 | Comedy |
The Burial Society | Sam Goldberg | 2004 | |
Sweet Underground | Wally | 2004 | Drama |
Lonesome Jim | 2005 | Biography | |
The Wendell Baker Story | Boyd Fullbright | 2005 | Comedy, Drama, Romance |
Welcome to California | Jim's Father | 2005 | Drama |
The Tenants | 2006 | 0, 0, Game Show, Biography | |
Beer League | 2006 | Comedy, Sport | |
Before It Had a Name | Jeff | 2007 | Drama, Romance |
Hollywood Dreams | Rupert | 2007 | Comedy, Drama, Romance |
Sea of Dreams | Tomaso | 2007 | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery |
Bittersweet Place | Jack "Pappy" Schaffer | 2008 | Drama |
Beau Jest | Abe Goldman | 2008 | Comedy, Romance |
Barbiere, IL | Mort | 2008 | Drama |
Big Heart City | Larry | 2008 | Drama |
Not Dead Yet | Francis | 2009 | Comedy, Drama |
Reach for Me | Alvin | 2009 | Comedy, Drama |
Little New York | Jasper Sabiano | 2009 | Comedy, Crime, Drama |
Chasing 3000 | 2010 | Sport | |
Now Here | Commissioner | 2010 | Crime, Drama, Fantasy |
L!fe Happens | Pop Pop | 2011 | |
Pete Smalls Is Dead | Saco | 2011 | Comedy, Crime |
Silver Case | Dealer | 2012 | Action, Adventure, Comedy |
Booster | Harold | 2012 | Crime, Drama |
Freerunner | Gramps | 2012 | Action |
Without Borders | Detective McKenneth | 2012 | Drama |
Lost Angeles | Film Critic | 2012 | Comedy, Drama |
Broken Kingdom | Clayton | 2012 | Drama |
The Biz | Eugene Hinkle | 2013 | |
The Last Beat | Fred Kantor | 2014 | Drama |
Faces | 2014 | ||
Fort McCoy | Father Mivkovek | 2014 | Romance, 0 |
The Algerian | Professor Wright | 2014 | Drama |
Pride of Lions | Dominic Ackers | 2014 | Drama |
Lucky Dog | The Real Spencer | 2014 | Family |
Silver Case: Director's Cut | Dealer | 2015 | Comedy |
Sunburn | 2018 |