St Mary’s was thrilled to welcome actor, producer and writer John Cusack to the College on Saturday, 1st April, to take part in a special “In Conversation” event.

In partnership with Belfast Film Festival and INTO Film, the event offered an exclusive opportunity for young people to join in conversation with the Golden Globe, BAFTA-nominated actor to discuss his latest book, Things that Can and Cannot Be Said.

Over 200 students with a particular interest in politics and film, along with their teachers and youth volunteer workers, attended the event.

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Background

John Cusack is a Golden Globe, BAFTA-nominated actor, producer, and screenwriter who forged a career starring in ‘80s teen movies and went on to star in such cult classics as Grosse Pointe Blank, Being John Malkovich and High Fidelity.

Born in 1966 in Evanston, Illinois, he made his first feature film appearance in the teen comedy Class. In 1989, he starred in Cameron Crowe’s classic Say Anything. Then, in 1990 he won his first mature role in The Grifters. After a series of dramatic and comedic roles in the mid-nineties, Cusack co-produced, co-wrote and starred in the above-mentioned Grosse Pointe Blank. This darkly comedic film received wide critical acclaim.

Other Cusack films have included Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997) and Pushing Tin (1999).

Continuing to take on an interesting mix of projects, he starred in the 2007 hotel horror film 1408 and the political satire War, Inc. (2008). More recently, he has portrayed one of America’s most infamous presidents, Richard M. Nixon, in The Butler (2013). Cusack also played an aging Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys’ musical genius, in Love & Mercy (2014). Politically conscious, Cusack regularly speaks out and writes on issues of human rights, government transparency and accountability. He co-authored, with acclaimed author Arundhati Roy, the book “Things That Can and Cannot Be Said”. He is a board member of The Freedom of the Press Foundation.