Gazzara on Cassavettes

Actor Ben Gazzara shared his reflections on his artistically fruitful collaboration with actor/director John Cassavettes:

o "John was a brilliant guy. A genius! Now I don't mean genius in the brainy sense, like a guy who keeps telling you that Peking Duck isn't really from Peking when all you want to do is eat some goddamn dim sum, or a guy who knows the square root of pi and all that college stuff. No, John was a genius in the you-can't-make-heads-or-tails-out-of-what-he's-saying sense. He'd come up with a concept like 'the Chinese bookie you're about to kill isn't really a Chinese bookie.' And I'd run with it."

o "If John was so self-indulgent, like all the little critics liked to write, how did he get a piece of ass like Gena Rowlands? Huh? Huh? You tell me, buster?"

o "John used to be famous for his acting. Now he gets praise for his pictures. He was Quentino Taranto before Quentin Taranto was born, kiddio. But he should be remembered for his acting, too. His performances in Marjorie's Baby and The Baker's Dozen still bring it. First class stuff."

o "John has a son named Rick who's in showbiz. Nice kid. A chip off the old block. He acts, directs, dances - just like his old man."

- Brian Moore