“What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about kids playing with guns, or watching violent videos, that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally thousands of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery and loss. Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?”

Movie: High Fidelity (2000)
Character: Rob
Actor: John Cusack

Screenplay by: D.V. DeVincentis, Steve Pink, John Cusack
and Scott Rosenberg
Based on a book by: Nick Hornby
Director: Stephen Frears

1. Being John Malkovich
2. Say Anything
3. High Fidelity
4. Identity
5. Grosse Point Blank
6. Con Air
7. Serendipity
8. Must Love Dog
9. Pushing Tin
10. America’s Sweethearts.

John Paul Cusack was born on 28 June 1966 in Evanston, Illinois, USA . His mother is a former teacher. His father is a filmmaker and his 4 siblings are all actors. His sister Joan is a comedic film actress who has appeared in several of his movies. In 2000 The Cusack family won the CFCA (Chicago Film Critics Association Awards) “Commitment to Chicago Award”.

While he was still in primary school he joined Chicago’s Piven Theatre Workshop. At the age of 17, he made his film debut in Class (1983). He won the CFCA “Emerging Actor” Award for his performance as Lloyd in the coming-of- age romantic-comedy,  Say Anything (1990).  The image of Llyod serenading his love interst, holding a boom-box above his head became a pop-culture icon. This performance was the highlight of his early career.

He starred co-wrote in High Fidelity (2000)  for which he shared nominations for  the “best adapted screenplay” WGA  and BAFTA awards. His performance as Rob the list-making music-junky,  also earned him a nomination for the  ”best hissy fit”  Teen Choice Award.

He was also a writer on Grosse Point Blank (1997) and War, Inc (2008). Cusack has also been a blogger for the Huffington Post since 2005.

He usually plays complex characters in quirky movies.His performance as a obsessive puppeteer in Being John Malkovich also earned him several award nomination. This is my favourite John Cusack movie.

John Cusack is one of my favourite actors and his movies (on DVD- yay bonus features) are the kind I like to pop into the DVD player often.

Source: IMDB
Picture: Wikipedia Creative Commons

MARK
Give me my firebird keys!

LLOYD
You must chill! You must chill! I have hidden your keys. CHILL!

MARK
I love you man.

LLOYD
Alright, I love you too. Go to sleep.

Lloyd played by: John Cusack

Movie: Say Anything
Screenplay & director: Cameron Crowe