New Yorkeko auzo txirotan hezitutako Biagio Gazzara, hautzarotik Ben izenez ezaguna, aktore izateko ametsarekin hazi zen. Siziliako etorkin baten semea agudo nabarmendu zen Erwin Piscatoren eskoletan eta Actors’ Studioko ikastaroetan, bertan bere soiltasun bikain eta neurridunagatik gailendu zelarik.

Gazzara Broadwayn hasi zen antzezpenean, eta hain sendo hasi zen, ezen antzeztokian izan zuen lehen agerpenarekin (End as a Man, Calder Willingham) 1954 urteko aktore onenaren saria irabazi zuela. Bere hurrengo lanengatik ere izendapenak jaso zituen, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Katemea zink beroko teilatuan) eta A Hatful of Rain (Kapela bete euri), biak 1956an. Aurki telebistaren deia jasoko zuen, eta bertan lan ugari antzeztu eta zuzendu ere egin zituen. Zinean, J. Garfeinen The Strange One filmeko kadete sadikoarena eginaz hasi zen, hurrengo urtean, 1959an, sekulako ospea bereganatu zuen, zazpi Oscar sarietarako izendaturiko Otto Premingerren Anatomy of a Murder (Hilketa baten anatomia) pelikulari esker.

John Cassavetesek bere aktore kutunena zuen, Gazzarak beti aberasten dituen psikologia konplexuko pertsonaia horietako batzuren ardura emanez: Husbands (1970), The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976), Opening Night (1977). Peter Bogdanovichekin ere behin baino gehiagotan aritu zen: Saint Jack (1979) eta They All Laughed (Denek barre egin zuten, 1981). Marco Ferreriren agindupean, Bukowskiren ipuinetako protagonista haragitu zuen Storie di ordinaria follia (Erokeria arruntaren istorioa) pelikulan, 1981ean Donostiako Zinemaldiari hasiera eman ziona. Ez dio sekula zuzendari hasiberriekin lan egiteari utzi: David Mametekin, The Spanish Prisoner (1977), Jesús Garay katalanarekin, Els de devant (1994), Vincent Gallorekin, Buffalo ’66, John Turturrorekin, Illuminata, edo Todd Solondzekin, Happiness pelikulatan.

Outsider kutsua eta aktore menderazin ospea bere nortasun ikur bihurtu dira bere jardunbide luzean zehar, eta 75 urte beteak dituen honetan nekerik gabe lanean darrai, honen adibide Lars Von Trierren Dogville (2003) lanean izandako parte-hartzea, edo berriki burutu duen Paris, je t’aime (2006) talde-lana direla.

filmografia

Ben Gazzara
1930/09/28 (New York, New York, EE.UU.)

Aktore lanetan

• Paris, je t'aime (Askoren artean , 2006)
• The Shore (Denis Adam Zervos, 2004)
• Quiet Flows the Don (Sergei Bondarchuk, 2004)
• Dogville (Lars von Trier, 2003)
• L’ospite segreto (The Secret Guest) (Paolo Modugno, 2003)
• Hysterical Blindness (Mira Nair, 2002) (TV)
• Schubert (Jorge Castillo, 2002)
• Brian's Song (John Gray, 2001) (TV)
• Nella terra di nessuno (Gianfranco Giagni, 2001)
• The List (Sylvain Guy, 2000)
• Jack of Hearts (Serge Rodnunsky, 2000)
• Undertaker's Paradise (Matthias X. Oberg, 2000)
• Very Mean Men (Tony Vitale, 2000)
• Believe (Robert Tinnell, 2000)
• Blue Moon (John A. Gallagher, 2000)
• Home Sweet Hoboken (Yoshifumi Hosoya, 2000)
• Piovuto dal cielo (José María Sánchez, 2000) (TV)
• The Thomas Crown Affair (John McTiernan, 1999)
• Summer of Sam (Spike Lee, 1999)
• “Tre stelle” (Pier Francesco Pingitore, 1999) (TV Series)
• Un bacio nel buio (Roberto Rocco, 1999) (TV)
• Paradise Cove (Bob Clapsaddle, 1999)
• "Il Tesoro di Damasco" (1998) (TV Series)
• Angelo nero (Roberto Rocco, 1998) (TV)
• Illuminata (John Turturro, 1998)
• Happiness (Todd Solondz, 1998)
• The Big Lebowski (Joel Coen, 1998)
• Buffalo '66 (Vincent Gallo, 1998)
• Too Tired to Die (Wonsuk Chin, 1998)
• Poor Liza (Slava Tsukerman, 1998)
• Shark in a Bottle (Mark Anthony Little, 1998)
• Valentine's Day (Duane Clark, 1998) (TV)
• The Spanish Prisoner (David Mamet, 1997)
• Stag (Gavin Wilding, 1997)
• Shadow Conspiracy (George P. Cosmatos, 1997)
• Farmer & Chase (Michael Seitzman, 1997)
• The Notorious 7 (Glen Morgan, James Wong, 1997) (TV)
• Vicious Circles (Sandy Whitelaw, 1997)
• The Zone (Barry Zetlin, 1996)
• Una donna in fuga (Roberto Rocco, 1996)
• Ladykiller (Terence H. Winkless, 1996)
• Convict Cowboy (Rod Holcomb, 1995) (TV)
• Banditi (Stefano Mignucci, 1995)
• Fatal Vows: The Alexandra O'Hara Story (John Power, 1994) (TV)
• Parallel Lives (Linda Yellen, 1994) (TV)
• Els de devant/Los de enfrente (Jesús Garay, 1994)
• Les hirondelles ne meurent pas à Jerusalem (Ridha Behi, 1994)
• Nefertiti, figlia del sole (Guy Gilles, 1994)
• Sherwood's Travels (Ron Coswell, Steve Miner, 1994)
• Love, Honor & Obey: The Last Mafia Marriage (John Patterson, 1993) (TV)
• Blindsided (Thomas Michael Donnelly, 1993) (TV)
• Lies Before Kisses (Lou Antonio, 1991) (TV)
• Per sempre (Walter Hugo Khouri, 1991)
• People Like Us (William Hale, 1990) (TV)
• Oltre l'oceano (Ben Gazzara, 1990)
• Road House (Rowdy Herrington, 1989)
• Quicker Than the Eye (Nicolas Gessner, 1989)
• Don Bosco (Leandro Castellani, 1988)
• Downpayment on Murder (Waris Hussein, 1987) (TV)
• Police Story: The Freeway Killings (William A. Graham, 1987) (TV)
• Il Giorno prima (Giuliano Montaldo, 1987)
• Figlio mio infinitamente caro (Valentino Orsini, 1987)
• Champagne amer (Ridha Behi, Henri Vart, 1986)
• A Letter to Three Wives (Larry Elikann, 1985) (TV)
• An Early Frost (John Erman, 1985) (TV)
• Il Camorrista (Giuseppe Tornatore, 1985)
• La donna delle meraviglie (Alberto Bevilacqua, 1985)
• Uno scandalo perbene (Pasquale Festa Campanile, 1984)
• La ragazza di Trieste (Pasquale Festa Campanile, 1983)
• A Question of Honor (Jud Taylor, 1982) (TV)
• Storie di ordinaria follia (Marco Ferreri, 1981)
• They All Laughed (Peter Bogdanovich, 1981)
• Inchon (Terence Young, 1981)
• Saint Jack (Peter Bogdanovich, 1979)
• Bloodline (Terence Young, 1979)
• Opening Night (John Cassavetes, 1977)
• The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald (Gordon Davidson, David Greene, 1977) (TV)
• The Death of Richie (Paul Wendkos, 1977) (TV)
• Voyage of the Damned (Stuart Rosenberg, 1976)
• High Velocity (Remi Kramer, 1976)
• The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (John Cassavetes, 1976)
• Capone (Steve Carver, 1975)
• "QB VII" (Tom Gries, 1974 (TV Series)
• Maneater (Vince Edwards, 1973) (TV)
• The Neptune Factor (Daniel Petrie, 1973)
• You'll Never See Me Again (Jeannot Szwarc, 1973) (TV)
• Afyon oppio (Ferdinando Baldi, 1972)
• Pursuit (Michael Crichton, 1972) (TV)
• The Family Rico (Paul Wendkos, 1972) (TV)
• Fireball Forward (Marvin J. Chomsky, 1972) (TV)
• When Michael Calls (Philip Leacock, 1972) (TV)
• Husbands (John Cassavetes, 1970)
• The Bridge at Remagen (John Guillermin, 1969)
• If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (Mel Stuart, 1969)
• A Rage to Live (Walter Grauman, 1965)
• "Run for Your Life" (Leslie H. Martinson, John Rich, 1965-68) (TV Series)
• Carol for Another Christmas (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1964) (TV)
• "Arrest and Trial" (Earl Bellamy, Lewis Milestone, Jack Smight, 1963) (TV)
• Convicts 4 (Millard Kaufman, 1962)
• La città prigioniera (Joseph Anthony, 1962)
• The Young Doctors (Phil Karlson, 1961)
• Cry Vengeance! (Franklin J. Schaffner, 1961) (TV)
• Risate di gioia (Mario Monicelli, 1960)
• Anatomy of a Murder (Otto Preminger, 1959)
• The Strange One (Jack Garfein, 1957)

Zuzendari lanetan

• Oltre l'oceano (1990)
• Columbo: Troubled Waters (1975) (TV)
• Columbo: A Friend in Deed (1974) (TV)
• "The Name of the Game" (1968) (TV Series)

Gidoilari lanetan

• Oltre l'oceano (1990)