John was born into an acting Irish-Catholic family on June 28, 1966, in Evanston, Illinois. He was the youngest of five children and his mother Nancy was a math teacher. John's dad Dick, however, was an actor; as were his four siblings, Ann, Bill, Susie, and Working Girl sister, Joan Cusack. Growing up Joan, the second oldest Cusack kid, would "produce" plays for the family to act out. And in big sister fashion, John was always cast as a dog. Naturally, John entered professional acting early.
He joined the Piven Theater Workshop in Chicago. The troupe was organized by family friends Byrne and Joyce Piven and John quickly latched on to the Piven's son, Jeremy. The two remain best friends today. By the time he was thirteen, John had already done many voice-over projects.
His first starring role came in 1983, with his role in the teen flick Class. The following year, both John and older sister Joan landed small roles another Brat Pack film, Sixteen Candles with 80s teen queen Molly Ringwald in the lead role. He was slated for the role of John Bender in cult classic The Breakfast Club in 1985, but he was replaced by Judd Nelson. He briefly attended the prestigious New York University but withdrew after one semester, citing a "fire in his belly."
John is largely remembered for his "last adolescent role," which ironically came at the end of the decade. Say Anything, in 1989, featured Cusack in the role of shiftless underdog, Lloyd Dobler. Lloyd falls in love with antisocial egghead (also known as genius) Diane Court, played by Ione Skye. Only two things stand in their way, Diane's college scholarship in England and her equally aloof father, James Court, played by John Mahoney. John wasn't interested in taking the part because he didn't like high school kids when he was one and wasn't too keen on having to go back, even for a movie. American women fell in love with the scene where Lloyd holds his boom box above his head and plays Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" for Diane. The honorary brat packer was now a small heart-throb.
Cusack wanted to play more mature roles, so when The Grifters with Angelica Huston fell in his lap he jumped at the chance to play a con-man. The movie garnered a lukewarm reception. He took up with quirky director (and step-daughter wedder) Woody Allen. Woody gave John bit parts in the beginning.
Cusack came back with a stellar run in Bullets Over Broadway. His dream was realized and he was finally seen as a mature actor. John worked alongside Michael Corleone in City Hall, although most probably know Mike better as Al Pacino. Bridget Fonda also co-starred in the political drama about the corrupt mayor of New York City and his Southern aide with his head in the clouds, performed to perfection by Cusack. Cusack himself is a bit political, even blasting filmmaker Michael Moore for not supporting Al Gore's bid for president.
Even with moderate success in "funny neurotic guy" roles, his big break came in 1997 alongside Minnie Driver and Dan Aykroyd in Grosse Point Blank. John played a hit-man who goes back to his hometown for his ten year class reunion with hopes of winning the girl who got away. It was voted the twenty-first greatest comedy of all-time by Total Film Magazine.
John Cusack is also a humanitarian of sorts, although he can be bashful about it. In 2002, he funded three new schools in New York through the city's Schoolhouse Foundation.
YUDDY
