John Cazale made exactly five of them before he died of bone cancer at the age of 42. If his name doesn't ring a bell, maybe you've heard of the films: Godfather l & ll. The Conversation. The Deer Hunter. Dog Day Afternoon. Every one of them nominated for Best Picture, in no small part because of his riveting performances.
Performances that just keep getting better over time. Performances that have informed so many others since. Performances so iconic, the mention of a line or two from them has become shorthand for anyone who loves film (I'm betting just the title of this post immediately brings back the scene it's from).
It's usually never a good thing to dwell on the "what could've beens" in any situation. Yet watching his work, it's hard not to.
It's a shame he isn't around to know the effect his work has had on a generation of actors and audiences.
In fact it's heartbreaking.
