After studying Drama at Oberlin College and Boston University, wiry-nosed, melancholy character actor John Cazale established himself as one of the off-Broadway scene's most intensely fascinating talents. He won Obie Awards for his stage performances in The Indian Wants the Bronx and The Line. At the invitation of his close friend Al Pacino, Cazale tried out for a role in The Godfather (1972), landing the part of Fredo Corleone. He was subsequently seen in The Godfather Part II (1974) and Dog Day Afternoon (1975). Looking far older than his forty-two years, John Cazale made his last appearance in The Deer Hunter (1978), which co-starred his then-fiancée Meryl Streep, but died of cancer before it was released.