ACTOR
John Cusack
49 archived facts 4 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
All facts (49)
- #001
Joan Cusack, John Cusack's sister, appeared in ten of his films: Class (1983), Sixteen Candles (1984), Grandview, U. S. A. (1984), Broadcast News (1987), Say Everything (1989), Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), Cradle Will Rock (1999), High Fidelity (2000), Martian Child (2007) and War, Inc. (2008).
- #002
A huge fan of punk rock music, his favorite band is The Clash.
- #003
He was originally cast to play John Bender in The Breakfast Club (1985). Things changed at the last minute and the role went to Judd Nelson.
- #004
On April 24, 2012, he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6644 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
- #005
As a kind of nod to his favorite bands (usually The Clash, The Ramones or The Specials), at least one of them appears at least once in most of his films. He often wears a T-shirt of one of the bands (Say Everything (1989), High Fidelity (2000), Must Love Dogs (2005), etc.), but sometimes (Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)) he works on a poster of one of the bands. These bands also often appear in the soundtracks of New Crime's productions.
- #006
In 1994 he attended his 10-year high school reunion in Illinois. He and the film's producers had bet that they would all attend their high school reunions if they found financing for Grosse Pointe Blank (1997).
- #007
He is close friends with the actor Jeremy Piven. They made ten films together: One Crazy Summer (1986), Elvis Stories (1989), Say Everything (1989), The Player (1992), Floundering (1994), The Grifters (1990), Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), Serendipity (2001) and Runaway Jury (2003).
- #008
He is the subject of the rock band Fall Out Boy's song "Honorable Mention".
- #009
He considers the screenplays of Max (2002) and Being John Malkovich (1999) to be the best scripts he has read.
- #010
Because Lloyd was a sports fan, he became interested in his role in Say Everything (1989) and began kickboxing training. He trained under kickboxing champion Benny Urquidiez and years later continued to train with him as a hobby, eventually earning a sixth-level black belt in Ukidokan kickboxing.
- #011
He owns a production company, New Crime Productions, which he founded with his high school friends Steve Pink and D. V. DeVincentis; its productions include Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) and various stage productions, among them The Jack Bull (1999).
- #012
When Total Film magazine asked him in 2006 for a "Top 5" list of his films, he answered The Grifters (1990), Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), The Thin Red Line (1998), High Fidelity (2000) and Max (2002).
- #013
Growing up, John and his siblings often played games at home. He stated that his older sister Ann once staged a production of "Cinderella" in their living room, in which she played Cinderella, his sister Joan played the Ugly Stepsister, his brother Bill played Prince Charming and John played the dog.
- #014
He beat out Robert Downey Jr., Christian Slater and Kirk Cameron for the role of Lloyd Dobler in Say Everything (1989).
- #015
In his spare time he likes to go "Helicopter Snowboarding" and to kickbox with stunt coordinator Benny Urquidez. He holds a black belt in Ukidokan.
- #016
He was once roommates with Jeremy Piven.
- #017
He was a good friend of Hunter S. Thompson and nearly played him in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998).
- #018
He lobbied heavily for the role of Thomas "Neo" Anderson in The Matrix (1999), but the role went to Keanu Reeves.
- #019
He attended a theater school in Chicago with his sisters Joan Cusack and Ann Cusack. The theater school was run by the parents of his best friend, Jeremy Piven.
- #020
Education: Piven Theatre Workshop (Evanston, Illinois), run by the parents of the actor Jeremy Piven. One semester at New York University.
- #021
John Cusack's role as Lloyd Dobler in Say Everything (1989) placed 72nd on Premiere magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.
- #022
John Cusack turned down the role of Fred Haise in Apollo 13 (1995), which went to Bill Paxton.
- #023
John Cusack turned down the role of David Murphy in Indecent Proposal (1993), which went to Woody Harrelson.
- #024
John Cusack and his close friend Tim Robbins made six films together: Bob Roberts (1992), Cradle Will Rock (1999), High Fidelity (2000), The Player (1992), The Sure Thing (1985) and Tapeheads (1988).
- #025
John Cusack is an Irish-American. The name Cusack is not Slavic, as many people believe. It is a Norman name brought to Ireland with the Norman invasion of 1169. "Cussac" is a town in south-central France.
- #026
John Cusack comes from a passionately liberal Irish Catholic family; while growing up he visited the radical Berrigan brothers, and like them his mother is still arrested for her anti-militarism and human rights protests.
- #027
John Cusack was considered for the role of Billy Flynn in Chicago (2002), but lost the part to Richard Gere.
- #028
John Cusack worked six times with actor/stuntman/fight coordinator Benny Urquidez, on Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), Con Air (1997), The Contract (2006), 1408 (2007), War, Inc. (2008) and Dragon Blade (2015).
- #029
John Cusack had 24 famous girlfriends: Uma Thurman; Lili Taylor; Claire Forlani; Alison Eastwood; Meg Ryan; Neve Campbell; Minnie Driver; Jennifer Love Hewitt; Jodi Lyn O'Keefe; Corina Katt Ayala; Janice Dickinson; Brooke Burns; Gina Gershon; Shoshanna Gruss; Jami Gertz; Huma Abedin; Rebecca Romijn; Gabriela Spanic; Pamela Anderson; Melissa Gilbert; Sheryl Crow; Susannah Melvoin; Britney Spears; and Alexandra Kerry (*not all at the same time*).
- #030
John Cusack is the brother of Joan Cusack, Ann Cusack, Susie Cusack and Bill Cusack. He is the son of Dick Cusack (actor, documentary producer) and Nancy Cusack (teacher).
- #031
Apocalypse Now (1979) is one of John Cusack's favorite films.
- #032
John Cusack played a limousine driver in two films, Identity (2003) and 2012 (2009); he appeared alongside Amanda Peet in both.
- #033
John Cusack tested for the role of Madmartigan in Willow (1988) but lost it to Val Kilmer.
- #034
John Cusack was said to have been considered for the role of Walter White in Breaking Bad (2008), which went to Bryan Cranston. In later interviews Cusack denied this, saying the role was never offered to him in any way.
- #035
John Cusack has homes in Malibu, California and Chicago, Illinois.
- #036
John Cusack attended and graduated from Evanston Township High School in Evanston, Illinois (1980).
- #037
John Cusack worked with Nicolas Cage twice, on Con Air (1997) and The Frozen Ground (2013). In the first film Cusack played a law enforcement officer and Cage a criminal; in the second the roles were reversed.
- #038
John Cusack was awarded the 1990 Joseph Jefferson Award for Director of a Play for "Methusalem" at the New Crime Productions Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.
- #039
John Cusack was a supporter and follower of U2 frontman Bono's DATA campaign (Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa).
- #040
John Cusack was initially set to play Walter Eberhart in The Stepford Wives (2004). He had to leave due to disagreements, and the role went to Matthew Broderick.
- #041
For a long time, John Cusack was determined to play the role of Nite Owl in the ill-fated film adaptation of Alan Moore's comic book miniseries Watchmen (2009).
- #042
John Cusack was named one of the 100 Sexiest Movie Stars in the World by Empire Magazine, ranking 70th (2007).
- #043
John Cusack's surname is pronounced Q-zack.
- #044
John Cusack was considered for the role of Paul Brenner in The General's Daughter (1999), but he was thought to be too young at the time, so the role went to John Travolta instead.
- #045
John Cusack is good friends with professional volleyball player Gabrielle Reece.
- #046
John Cusack was born on the same date as Mary Stuart Masterson.
- #047
John Cusack ranked 22nd on VH1's Top 100 Young Stars countdown.
- #048
John Cusack has appeared in only two animated films: Anastasia (1997) and Igor (2008).
- #049
John Cusack is the most famous member of the Cusack family.
Continue through the archive
Being John Malkovichas Craig Schwartz- Better Off Dead...as Lane Meyer
- Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evilas John Kelso
- The Paperboyas Hillary Van Wetter
- Love & Mercyas Brian - Future
- Maps to the Starsas Dr. Stafford Weiss
- The Griftersas Roy Dillon
- Cellas Clay Riddell
- The Sure Thingas Walter 'Gib' Gibson
- Classas Roscoe
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
Sources for the entries on this page
- IMDb IMDb kaydı
Information from external sources is independently selected, consolidated and edited by Arka Evren. Sources are listed for verification and further reading. Encyclopedia text is used under its licence (CC BY-SA). How we work