Dick Cusack
American actor (1925–2003)
title: "Dick Cusack" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1925-births", "2003-deaths", "american-male-film-actors", "american-male-screenwriters", "united-states-army-personnel-of-world-war-ii", "college-of-the-holy-cross-alumni", "american-people-of-irish-descent", "cusack-family-(united-states)", "deaths-from-pancreatic-cancer-in-illinois", "male-actors-from-evanston,-illinois", "male-actors-from-new-york-city", "screenwriters-from-new-york-(state)", "screenwriters-from-illinois", "20th-century-american-male-actors", "20th-century-american-male-writers", "20th-century-american-writers", "20th-century-american-screenwriters"] description: "American actor (1925–2003)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Cusack" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary American actor (1925–2003) ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Dick Cusack |
| birth_name | Richard John Cusack |
| birth_date | |
| birth_place | New York City, U.S. |
| death_date | |
| death_place | Evanston, Illinois, U.S. |
| spouse | |
| education | College of the Holy Cross (BA) |
| occupation | Actor, documentary filmmaker, playwright |
| years_active | 1970–2003 |
| children | 5, including Ann, Joan and John |
| relatives | Jim Piddock (son-in-law) |
| :: |
| name = Dick Cusack | image = | caption = | birth_name = Richard John Cusack | birth_date = | birth_place = New York City, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = Evanston, Illinois, U.S. | spouse = | education = College of the Holy Cross (BA) | occupation = Actor, documentary filmmaker, playwright | years_active = 1970–2003 | children = 5, including Ann, Joan and John | relatives = Jim Piddock (son-in-law) Richard John Cusack ( ; August 29, 1925 – June 2, 2003) was an American actor, documentary filmmaker and playwright.
Early life
Cusack was born Richard John Cusack on August 29, 1925 in New York City, the son of Margaret Cusack (née McFeeley) and Dennis Joseph Cusack. His family was of Irish Catholic background. He served with the U.S. Army in the Philippines in World War II. After the war, he attended College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he played basketball with Bob Cousy and roomed with Philip F. Berrigan, the peace activist.
Career
Until 1970, Cusack worked as a Clio Award-winning advertising executive.
He then pursued a career as a film actor, beginning with minor roles. Most of his acting roles were playing authority figures, such as a United States Senate chairman, minister/chaplain, and U.S. secretary of state. He played a judge in the TV movie Overexposed and in the theatrical releases Things Change and Eight Men Out.
Cusack was a documentary filmmaker. He also owned a film production company.
He was honored with an award from the Evanston Arts Council for preserving a school and converting it into the Noyes Cultural Arts Center, which houses the Piven Theatre Workshop where his famous acting children trained. Two weeks before his death, he completed the final draft of a play to memorialize his former college roommate entitled, Backoff Barkman, which was produced posthumously in the Midwest.
Personal life
Cusack married his wife, Ann Paula "Nancy" (née Carolan; 1929–2022) in 1960. Together they had five children: Ann Cusack, Joan Cusack, Bill Cusack, John Cusack and Susie Cusack, all of whom followed him into the acting profession. Circa 1963–1966, the Cusack family moved from New York City to Evanston, Illinois, where the five children grew up.
Death
Cusack died on June 2, 2003, in Evanston, Illinois, from pancreatic cancer, aged 77.
Filmography
Film
::data[format=table]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | My Bodyguard | Principal | |
| 1983 | Class | Chaplain Baker | |
| 1984 | The Lost Honor of Kathryn Beck | Unknown | Television film |
| 1988 | Eight Men Out | Judge Friend | |
| 1988 | Things Change | Judge | |
| 1989 | The Package | Secretary of State | |
| 1990 | Crazy People | Mort | |
| 1992 | Overexposed | Judge | Television film |
| 1993 | The Fugitive | Attorney Walter Gutherie | |
| 1995 | While You Were Sleeping | Doctor Rubin | |
| 1996 | Evil Has a Face | Lester | Television film |
| 1996 | Chain Reaction | Senate Chairman | |
| 1999 | The Jack Bull | Jury Foreman | Television film, writer |
| 2000 | High Fidelity | Minister | |
| 2000 | Return to Me | Mr. Bennington | Final film role |
| :: |
Television
::data[format=table]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Missing Persons | Champion | Episode: "If You Could Pick Your Own Parents..." |
| 1987 | Sable | Mahoney | Episode: "Watchdogs" |
| 1997 | Early Edition | Elderly Man | Episode: "The Wall: Part 2" |
| :: |
Awards
::data[format=table]
| Year | Award | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Commitment to Chicago Award | Shared with his wife and children | |
| :: |
References
References
- Martin, Douglas. (June 4, 2003). "Dick Cusack, Playwright, 77, And an Actor". The New York Times.
- (February 14, 1960). "Miss Carolan, Newton Centre, Is Bride of Richard Cusack". [[Daily Boston Globe]].
- Fanning, Evan. (9 March 2012). "About a boy". [[Irish Times]]}}
– {{cite news. - O'Donnell, Paul. "Is Art Mightier Than War?".
- Mark Caro. (3 June 2003). "Obituary: Richard Cusack, 77 – Ad man, playwright who led acting clan". [[Chicago Tribune]].
- (1 July 2000). "Being John Cusack". [[Guardian News & Media Limited]].
- (December 6, 1959). "Newton Girl Plans February Wedding". [[Daily Boston Globe]].
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