John Cazale

John Holland Cazale August 12 1935 March 12 1978 was an American actor He appeared in five films during six years each one nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture The Godfather The Conversation The Godfather Part II Dog Day Afternoon and The Deer Hunter He appeared in archival footage in The Godfather Part III also nominated for Best Picture making him the only actor to have this multifilm distinction From his start as a theater actor he became one of Hollywoods premier character actors starting with his role as the doomed weakminded Fredo Corleone opposite longtime friend Al Pacino in Francis Ford Coppolas film The Godfather and its 1974 sequel