Lee J. Cobb

See also:. He is not married. Other notable films he's appeared in include The Left Hand of God (1955), Twelve Angry Men (1957), The Brothers Karamazov (1958), Exodus (1960), How the West Was Won (1962), Coogan's Bluff (1968) and The Exorcist (1973), his last movie. He frequently appears in films with members of his family (particularly Joan) and with Jeremy Piven, whose parents, Byrne and Joyce Piven, founded and continue to run the Piven Theatre Workshop. Following the hearing he resumed his career and worked with Kazan and Budd Schulberg, two other HUAC "friendly witnesses" on the 1954 film On the Waterfront which is widely seen as an allegory and aplogia for tesifying. Cusack is often cast as an anti-hero, but has played a wide variety of characters. Later, Cobb explained why he "named names" saying:. After success at an early age as the star of several teen-oriented films, he has generally sought roles which cast him as an ethically conflicted Everyman.

He was called to testify before HUAC but refused to do so for two years until, with his career threatened by the blacklist, he relented in 1953 and gave testimony in which he named twenty people as former members of the Communist Party USA. In 1988, John founded a theatre group ("The New Criminals") and has directed several productions. Cobb was named as a possible Communist in testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee because of his involvement in the Group Theatre. His first film was the comedy Class in 1983. Cobb was nominated for an Emmy Award for the performance. He attended the Piven Theatre Workshop in Chicago and by the age of 12, John had done voice-overs for commercials and appeared in some stage productions. He was in the original live TV movie, "Death of a Salesman" which included then unknown actors like Gene Wilder, Bernie Kopell, and George Segal. John began acting in childhood.

He also played James Coburn's supervisor in the psychedelic flicks, In Like Flint and Our Man Flint. His father Richard Cusack was an actor, and his siblings Ann, Bill, Joan, and Susie have all been actors. He is probably best known for creating the role of Willy Loman in Arthur Miller's stage play Death of a Salesman directed by Elia Kazan. John Paul Cusack (born June 28, 1966) is an American film actor, born in Evanston, Illinois. In 1937 he made his movie debut in Ali Baba Goes to Town. The Sure Thing (1985). He was born Lee Jacoby in New York City. Cobb had studied at New York University when he joined the left wing Group Theatre in 1935 and appeared in its production of Clifford Odets' play Waiting for Lefty. Better Off Dead... (1985).

Cobb (1911-1976) was an American actor. Stand by Me (1986). Lee J. Eight Men Out (1988). Red Scare. Tapeheads (1988). McCarthyism. Say Anything... (1989).