1929-1989. An early American indie filmmaker. He was, first, an actor - sometimes acting gigs (and those of his wife, Gena Rowlands) would help finance his DIY filmmaking. Got friends to do the acting (in later years, that meant people like Peter "Columbo" Falk and Ben Gazzara); fellow maverick Charles Mingus did the soundtrack for Shadows, Cassavetes' debut. Somehow the films got made. His best work was an un-juvenile, unflinchingly unflattering, look at the male animal.