Appearing in more than 90 films, John Cusack is one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood. From rising to fame with numerous heartwarming romantic comedies in the 1980s to later starring in critically acclaimed films, the actor boasts a celebrated career. However, dealing with fame, attention, and scrutiny from such a young age is not easy, as seen with several celebrities.

Fortunately, Cusack had his father’s guidance to help him deal with the pressures of fame and maintain a balance throughout his career. His father’s advice was invaluable in his career as he learned to handle both his success and the attention that came with it.

John Cusack recently joined Josh Horowitz for a conversation on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. When asked about how he handled fame at such a young age, the actor credited his upbringing and shared that the way his parents raised him kept him grounded. When Horowitz pointed out that Cusack has always had great taste when it comes to choosing films, the actor once again credited his father.

"I think my my father was always like he just said, 'to be a celebrity is death for an artist. He was always about like what's the script, what's the part, what's this thing saying, right? And so, like he was wasn't impressed by any of that. So, I think that rubbed off on me," he said.

Now, as the actor recalled during the podcast, this may be one reason why the actor transitioned so effortlessly from teen roles to more serious projects across different genres, including crime thrillers and action films. Many remember Cusack from one of Rob Reiner’s swoon-worthy romantic comedies, The Sure Thing. He later appeared in films such as The Grifters and The Paperboy. In 2000, he earned a Golden Globe nomination for his role in High Fidelity.

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Interestingly, Cusack was also almost cast in one of the most popular coming-of-age films of the 80s, The Breakfast Club.

During the same segment of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Josh Horowitz asked Cusack whether he was ever set to appear in The Breakfast Club. Surprisingly, the actor revealed that he was almost considered for a role in the film and that he really liked the script. However, he did not get the role. As Horowitz mentioned, Cusack was initially considered for the role of John Bender, but Judd Nelson ultimately secured the part. 

Written and directed by John Hughes, The Breakfast Club follows five high school students who spend a Saturday together in detention. Although Cusack did not land a role in The Breakfast Club, he went on to become part of several memorable coming-of-age films throughout the 1980s.

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What do you think about the advice John Cusack got from his father? Let us know in the comments.