It's 1989, and you're watching John Cusack as Lloyd Dobler, standing outside with a boombox
raised high at a window, professing his undying love against all odds and creating what's
going to be the most iconic scene in movie history.
Now fast forward to today, and he is no longer making memorable big-screen moments.
That young man is only a nostalgic memory.
All that's left is, what many call, a washed up star, who is not concerned about chasing
the fast life, even if it costs him his career.
If there is an outspoken actor who refuses to conform, it's John Cusack.
Did Hollywood forget about the actor?
Or did he see the consuming industry for what it is and refused to sell his soul?
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you.
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Cusack was soaring high at the beginning of his career.
After he stole our hearts in the cult favourite Say Anything, the young actor went on to star
in other well-received romance films like Serendipity and High Fidelity.
He proved his versatility when he landed a part in the Dark Comedy, Being John Malkovich
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fmVR4OaT7E 0:06).
But as the years unfolded, the once-beloved actor was slowly beginning to be forgotten.
Though he was still cast as a leading man, it was in projects that painfully tanked.
His fight to get cast in good roles left him bitter about being part of the industry.
The times had changed since the eighties, and Hollywood was no longer the place he was
introduced to.
After years of being in the industry, he had experienced both the old and new generation
and today's ways, which Cusack sees as revolving around franchises and huge artists, proved
to be terrible for the actor.
"It's a whorehouse, and people go mad."
The star said of Hollywood, "The culture just eats young actors up and spits them out.
It's a hard thing to survive without finding safe harbour."
This mentality may have stopped the actor from fighting for a notable place in the acting
industry.
Instead, he channelled his drive into his behind the scenes skills, hoping to be the
change he wants to see in the film world.
That's right, Cusack is not just a pretty face in front of the camera.
When they aren't rolling, the actor puts paper to pen as a scriptwriter.
One of his notable films, High Fidelity, is just one example of his storytelling talent.
His last written production was in 2008, and although none of his work seems to currently
be in production, the writer has shown that even when it gets complicated in the acting
industry, he has another gift he can lean on.
As much as he hasn't had the power to change the vicious filmmaking universe, he has made
a difference in the world.
Cusack's interests range further than just entertainment.
The actor is firmly grounded in politics, and we're not just talking a tweet or two
here and there.
He goes out of his way to fight for what he believes in.
In 2010, major payment organizations like Paypal, Mastercard and Visa stopped taking
payments from "Wikileaks".
The non-profit publishing organization was doomed until Cusack came to the rescue.
Unhappy with the extreme measures taken to silence the media house, Cusack joined forces
with others outraged with the payment companies, to create "Freedom of The Press".
The organization, quote, "protects, defends, and empowers public-interest journalism in
the 21st century" and has been running since.
But it doesn't stop there.
Cusack has written over twenty articles for a credible newspaper outlet, “The Huffington
Post”.
He once travelled to Russia to meet the famous Edward Snowden, the former CIA consultant
who leaked classified information.
Together with another writer, he created a series of his conversations with Snowden,
which were published as a book, Things That Can and Cannot Be Said.
Cusack is set on making a difference in the world, and he doesn't care if he loses a few
fans along the way.
Freedom of speech has proved to be something the actor values greatly.
And he always makes sure to practice it in all aspects of his life, so why would he stop
when it comes to his acting career.
Besides calling Hollywood a mad town, the actor also gave his opinion about Superhero
movies.
Noting that he will NEVER play a superhero, even if it costs him his career.
"But now, they just want you to put on tights — if you don't put on the tights, they just
want to get rid of you.
And I'm not putting on the tights, so you know ...."
His opinionated views have not only affected his career but his fanbase too.
As an outspoken social and political activist, Cusack did not hold back his thoughts during
the time of Donald Trump's presidency.
Unhappy with America's climate at the time, the actor took to Twitter to share a photo
saying "YER DEAD—GET YERSELF BURIED" captioned "message for trump".
Conservatives were left angered, to say the least.
Cusack quickly deleted the tweet and reposted one that was less directed at the former president,
saying the words in the photo were merely a line from the film "sweet smell of success".
Nonetheless, many offended users immediately began flooding the actor's Twitter mentions.
"Message to John Cusack (we all knew you just tweeted a death threat to President Trump,
don't try to cover your tracks.
Too late.)"
Although the actor may have pushed away some of his fans, he still has his loyal supporters.
One fan shared a bizarre story of when she met the actor.
While on a flight completely star-struck to be up in the air with one of her favourite
actors, the lady couldn't bring herself to approach Cusack.
Instead, she tweeted, "Oh my god, @JohnCusack is on my flight.
I should tell him how I almost lost my virginity to Say Anything…"
While most big shot stars would have ignored the tweet and enjoyed the rest of their flight
in peace, Cusack is not that kind of celeb.
The young lady was left speechless when Cusack approached her seat and made small talk before
giving her a hug at the end of the flight.
So although Cusack might not be a big fan of Hollywood itself, he seems to care about
those who care about him, and he is not "too cool" to show it.
As loving and caring as the actor is, he doesn't seem to take it that far in his love life.
The once-gushed-over star has always been tight-lipped about his relationships.
Although some of his past romances were high profile, he has maintained the privacy of
who he is dating at the moment.
What is clear is that the 54-year-old actor is not looking to settle down any time soon,
or ever.
When asked to describe in five words or less why he has never married, the actor responded,
"I can do it in seven: 'Society doesn't tell me what to do.'"
There was a time when Cusack was really taken by Pulp Fiction star Uma Thurman.
The two have been romantically linked over the years, but perhaps the actor's attitude
towards marriage could not keep the pair together.
When Thurman was left heartbroken from her divorce with Gary Oldman, Cusack was there
to help her pick up the pieces.
And so their love blossomed... until it didn't.
The couple split up, and Thurman found love in the arms of another A-lister, Ethan Hawke
. But after rumours that her husband had stepped out of their marriage with a 22-year-old,
Uma left the marriage and, once again, a lovesick Cusack was there to give her a shoulder to
cry on.
"He's carried a torch for her all these years and never believed she'd be free after she
married and had children.
But now he's thanking the gods and moving in fast".
Though the star is not eager to make a vow anytime soon, he was reportedly very devoted
to Thurman.
But the flame did not last long, and soon, the two went their separate ways again.
Did Cusack's marriage views drive Uma away?
Or was the actor ready to settle down with someone who only saw him as a rebound?
No one can tell what drove Cusack to make the no-commitment decision, but one thing
is clear, he only has himself to worry about.
With no wife and children to support, the actor has less pressure to fight for a top
spot in Hollywood.
And it looks like the actor won't be gracing the big screen anytime soon.
Between 2012 and 2016, Cusack made a total of SEVENTEEN films!
Sadly most of them were released straight to DVD.
Most of the movies were considered terrible by critics, with the majority barely getting
over the ten percent mark on Rotten Tomatoes.
However, this didn't stop the struggling star from pursuing his passion for acting and encouraging
others to not wait around for Hollywood's validation to create something.
"If you go to L.A. to make films, you're going to L.A. to ask for permission to make films
from the studios," Cusack said, adding, "Now you can go out and shoot films with your iPhone.
Once you have films that you made, you can go to L.A. and meet people."
And the actor has maintained this attitude by not letting Hollywood numbers dictate his
career.
Cusack continues to make direct to video features, aware that they might not be exposed to a
large number of moviegoers.
Recently, the star has shown growth in his career by deciding to explore the television
avenue.
He landed a role on the British show Utopia and enjoyed it a lot more than film, it turns
out.
"You don't have to cram to put things into an hour and a half, two hours."
It sounds like we'll be seeing his face in more of our favourite T.V shows soon.
Although Cusack is not the same actor we met in the eighties, it might not be a bad thing.
The private and quiet star has grown into a man Hollywood cannot define or mould.
He seems perfectly fine with standing out from the crowd and not conforming to the world
around him.
Cusack continues to follow the beat of his own drum and inspires whoever cares enough
to listen along the way.
If all else fails in the industry, he could always run for president.
That's all we have for you today and thank you for choosing rumour juice.