John Cusack was born in Evanston, Illinois on June 26th, 1966. He was the fourth of five children born to a math-teacher mother, and a filmmaker father. At the age of 8, he joined the Piven Theatre Workshop. By the time he was 12 he had a string of industry films, had acted radio spots and commercial voice overs a his belt. When he was 17 he got his first real acting break in the teen comedy ''Class''(1983).Cusack remained busy the remainder of the '80's in hit's like ''Sixteen Candles'' with Molly Ringwald, ''Better Off Dead'', ''The Sure Thing'', ''The Journey of Natty Gann,'' and Cameron Crowe's classic eighties movie, ''Say Anything.'' Cusack has said that of all the characters he had ever played, his character in ''Say Anything'' ,Lloyd Dobler , was the most like himself. His performance in the movie effectively confirmed that he was capable of carrying a film and better offers began to role in.
He won his first grown-up role in ''The Grifters''(1990), where he played a small-time hustler caught between the attention of two rival women. His costars in the film Angelica Houston and Annette Benning both received Oscar nominations for their performance in the film but John had to settle for the rave reviews he received instead of a nomination.Next, he appeared in ''True colors'' with James Spader and had a cameo role in ''The Player''. He has gone on to continue enjoying roles opposite box office champs. He has given wonderful performances in dramatic films such as 'True Colors'', ''Shadows and Fog'', and ''Map of the Human Heart'' as well as comedic roles in ''Money for Nothing'' and ''Bullets Over Broadway''. In 1996 he co-starred with Al Pacino in ''City Hall''.The next turning point in Cusack's career was when he starred in ''Grosse Point Blank'' with Minni Driver. The movie was critically acclaimed and darkly funny and Cusack not only starred in the flick he also co-wrote and co-produced it. Recently he has appeared in ''Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,'' ''Pushing Tin'' and ''Being John Malkovich.'' His latest film was in the lead role of Steven Frears' winning adaptation of Nick Hornby's cult-fave novel ''High Fidelity'' which Cusack also logged co-producing and writing credits for the flick.
Despite many fine performances, Cusack hasn't launched into the realms of super-stardom. Not that he cares. With his taste for the offbeat combined with his continued loathing for celebrity and for semi-literate, sensationalist film-making. It is unlikely his feeling swill be hurt if he doesn't command the lead in the type of conventional big budget flicks that keep the Tom Cruises of Hollywood in the $20 million club. You have to admit, the guys got heart.
