# Nick Cassavetes
**Nick Cassavetes** is an American film director, screenwriter, and actor, the son of independent filmmaker [John Cassavetes](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-cassavetes) and actress [Gena Rowlands](https://www.edgepedia.org/gena-rowlands), best known for directing *The Notebook* (2004), *Alpha Dog* (2006), and *[My Sister's Keeper](https://www.edgepedia.org/my-sisters-keeper-film)* (2009).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001024/bio/) • [2](https://www.fandango.com/people/nick-cassavetes-104884/film-credits)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1959, New York City; birth name Nicholas David Rowland Cassavetes[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001024/bio/) |
| Parents | Actress Gena Rowlands and Greek-American actor and film director John Cassavetes[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001024/bio/) |
| Child roles | Appeared in two of his father's films, *Husbands* (1970) and *A Woman Under the Influence* (1974)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001024/bio/) |
| Directing credits | *Unhook the Stars* (1996), *She's So Lovely* (1997), *John Q* (2002), *The Notebook* (2004), *Alpha Dog* (2006), *My Sister's Keeper* (2009), *The Other Woman* (2014), *God Is a Bullet* (2023)[2](https://www.fandango.com/people/nick-cassavetes-104884/film-credits) |
| Writing credits | Screenplay for *Blow* (2001); writer of *Alpha Dog*[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001024/) • [2](https://www.fandango.com/people/nick-cassavetes-104884/film-credits) • [13](https://nicholassparks.com/work/the-notebook/) |
| Notable acting | Dietrich Hassler in *Face/Off* (1997), Capt. Alex Streck in *The Astronaut's Wife* (1999)[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001024/) |
| Family collaboration | His mother Gena Rowlands plays the older, married Allie Calhoun in *The Notebook*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001024/bio/) |
## Early life and education
Nick Cassavetes was born in New York City in 1959, the firstborn child of actress Gena Rowlands and actor-director John Cassavetes.[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nick-cassavetes/) As a child he appeared in two of his father's films, *Husbands* (1970) and *[A Woman Under the Influence](https://www.edgepedia.org/a-woman-under-the-influence)* (1974).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001024/bio/) His father cast him as Nick in *Husbands* and credited him as N. J. Cassavetes playing Adolph in *A Woman Under the Influence*.[5](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/PersonDetails/117313)
Despite growing up around the film industry, he initially decided against a career in it. He attended [Syracuse University](https://www.edgepedia.org/syracuse-university) on a basketball scholarship; an injury effectively ended his athletic career, and he rethought his plans, ultimately attending his parents' alma mater, the [American Academy of Dramatic Arts](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-academy-of-dramatic-arts) in New York.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001024/bio/) He stands 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m) tall.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001024/bio/)
## Acting career
Cassavetes worked first as a film and television actor.[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nick-cassavetes/) His feature credits include *The Wraith* (1986), *Blind Fury* (1990), *Face/Off* (1997), *Life* (1999), and *The Astronaut's Wife* (1999).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001024/bio/) In a 1994 Los Angeles Times review of *Twogether*, in which he played John Madler opposite [Brenda Bakke](https://www.edgepedia.org/brenda-bakke), the paper described him and his co-star as talented, spectacular-looking actors given roles of uncommon substance.[6](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-02-11-ca-21524-story.html) A 2009 profile described him as a character actor who had played heavies in films such as *Face/Off*.[7](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-jun-21-ca-sister21-story.html) Later acting appearances include Tattoo Joe in *The Hangover Part II* (2011) and roles in *Prisoners of the Ghostland* (2021) and *Bad Hombres* (2024).[2](https://www.fandango.com/people/nick-cassavetes-104884/film-credits)
## Directing career
Cassavetes made a stronger impact when he moved into writing and directing.[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nick-cassavetes/) His first credited feature as director was *Unhook the Stars* (1996), which he also wrote, followed by *She's So Lovely* (1997).[2](https://www.fandango.com/people/nick-cassavetes-104884/film-credits) He then directed *John Q* (2002) with [Denzel Washington](https://www.edgepedia.org/denzel-washington), adapted the screenplay for *Blow* (2001), directed *The Notebook* (2004), whose screenplay was by Jeremy Leven with an adaptation by Jan Sardi, and wrote and directed *Alpha Dog* (2006) and *My Sister's Keeper* (2009).[2](https://www.fandango.com/people/nick-cassavetes-104884/film-credits) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001024/) • [14](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/63180) In 2023 he directed and co-wrote *[God Is a Bullet](https://www.edgepedia.org/god-is-a-bullet-film)*, an adaptation of the novel by Boston Teran.[2](https://www.fandango.com/people/nick-cassavetes-104884/film-credits) • [8](https://elementsofmadness.com/2023/08/09/mmendelsohn/)
## The Notebook
*The Notebook*, adapted from the [Nicholas Sparks](https://www.edgepedia.org/nicholas-sparks) novel, became his best-known commercial success, and his mother's most financially successful film.[9](https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/8570-the-incomparable-gena-rowlands) Sparks said his own involvement centered on choosing the creative team: the script went through two different writers and numerous revisions, and three other directors were debated before Cassavetes was chosen as the one with the right vision for the film.[10](https://www.tvinsider.com/1141213/)
The production was effectively a family project: Rowlands appears as the older, married Allie Calhoun.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001024/bio/) In a 2014 interview with VH1, Cassavetes recounted that [Ryan Gosling](https://www.edgepedia.org/ryan-gosling) asked him to replace [Rachel McAdams](https://www.edgepedia.org/rachel-mcadams) during one difficult day of filming; after a screaming match in a room with a producer, the two worked things out.[11](https://time.com/2951143/ryan-gosling-rachel-mcadams-the-notebook/)
## Alpha Dog
*Alpha Dog* (2006) tells the true story of [Jesse James Hollywood](https://www.edgepedia.org/jesse-james-hollywood), a teenage drug dealer wanted by the FBI for kidnapping and murdering the brother of a client he blackmailed.[12](https://filmicpassion.blogspot.com/2007/05/interview-with-nick-cassavetes.html) The cast included [Sharon Stone](https://www.edgepedia.org/sharon-stone), Bruce Willis, Ben Foster, Justin Timberlake, Emile Hirsch, Anton Yelchin, and [Olivia Wilde](https://www.edgepedia.org/olivia-wilde).[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001024/)
## References
1. [Nick Cassavetes – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001024/bio/)
2. [Nick Cassavetes Filmography and Movies, Fandango](https://www.fandango.com/people/nick-cassavetes-104884/film-credits)
3. [Nick Cassavetes, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001024/)
4. [Nick Cassavetes – Actor, Director, Writer, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nick-cassavetes/)
5. [Nick Cassavetes filmography, AFI Catalog](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/PersonDetails/117313)
6. [Movie Review: 'Twogether': Uncommonly Reflective Love Story, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-02-11-ca-21524-story.html)
7. [He found a story that hits close to home, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-jun-21-ca-sister21-story.html)
8. [EoM Presents: A Conversation with 'God is a Bullet' producer Michael Mendelsohn, Elements of Madness](https://elementsofmadness.com/2023/08/09/mmendelsohn/)
9. [The Incomparable Gena Rowlands, The Criterion Collection](https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/8570-the-incomparable-gena-rowlands)
10. [Nicholas Sparks Reflects on 'The Notebook' 20 Years Later, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/1141213/)
11. [Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams Quarreled While Filming 'The Notebook', Time](https://time.com/2951143/ryan-gosling-rachel-mcadams-the-notebook/)
12. [Interview with Nick Cassavetes, Filmic Passion](https://filmicpassion.blogspot.com/2007/05/interview-with-nick-cassavetes.html)
13. [Official Website](https://nicholassparks.com/work/the-notebook/)
14. [AFI|Catalog](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/63180)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Film people and crafts › Directors, producers, and screenwriters*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license