<P> John Holland Cazale ( / kəˈzeɪl / ; Italian pronunciation : ( kaˈdzaːle ) ; August 12 , 1935 -- March 13 , 1978 ) was an American actor . He appeared in five films over a period of six years , all of which were 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 multi-film distinction . From his start as a theater actor , he became one of Hollywood 's premier character actors , starting with his role as the doomed , weak - minded Fredo Corleone opposite longtime friend Al Pacino in Francis Ford Coppola 's film The Godfather and its 1974 sequel . Cazale chose to continue acting despite being diagnosed with lung cancer . He died in New York City on March 13 , 1978 , shortly after completing his role in The Deer Hunter . </P>
<P> John Holland Cazale ( / kəˈzeɪl / ; Italian pronunciation : ( kaˈdzaːle ) ; August 12 , 1935 -- March 13 , 1978 ) was an American actor . He appeared in five films over a period of six years , all of which were 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 multi-film distinction . From his start as a theater actor , he became one of Hollywood 's premier character actors , starting with his role as the doomed , weak - minded Fredo Corleone opposite longtime friend Al Pacino in Francis Ford Coppola 's film The Godfather and its 1974 sequel . Cazale chose to continue acting despite being diagnosed with lung cancer . He died in New York City on March 13 , 1978 , shortly after completing his role in The Deer Hunter . </P>
the actor who played fredo in the godfather
the actor who played fredo in the godfather
John Holland Cazale
John Holland Cazale