Who Played Fredo Corleone? John Cazale, the Actor's Actor
Mobsters DailyJohn Cazale played Fredo Corleone, the weak middle brother, in The Godfather and The Godfather Part II — and his entire film career consisted of five movies, every one of them a classic. No actor has ever done more with less time.
The actor's actor
Cazale's five films were The Godfather, The Conversation, The Godfather Part II, Dog Day Afternoon and The Deer Hunter — all nominated for Best Picture. As Fredo he is a study in need: passed over, sent to Las Vegas, seduced by Moe Greene's world, and finally broken open in the Havana confrontation retold in why Michael killed Fredo. Set his wounded softness against Brando and De Niro's Vitos and the family's whole tragedy is visible in one frame: power, everywhere except where it was wanted most.
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Gone at 42
Cazale was diagnosed with lung cancer during The Deer Hunter. The studio wanted him replaced; his partner Meryl Streep and co-star Robert De Niro fought to keep him, and his scenes were shot first so he could finish them. He died in March 1978, aged 42, before the film was released. "I know it was you, Fredo" is Michael's line, but the face in that scene — stunned, small, already forgiving the unforgivable — is Cazale's, and it is why his peers called him the best of them.
Frequently asked questions
How many films did John Cazale make? Five feature films, and all five were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture — a record no other actor matches.
How did John Cazale die? He died of lung cancer in 1978, aged 42, having completed his scenes in The Deer Hunter while terminally ill.
What is Fredo's most famous scene? His Part II outburst — "I can handle things! I'm smart!" — and Michael's kiss of death in Havana are the two that define him.
Keep reading: Who played Sonny Corleone? · The Godfather Part II ending, explained · The baptism scene, explained · Armand Assante vs John Travolta: Who Played John Gotti Best?
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