John Cusack

Actor and producer, also writer · Born June 28, 1966 (60) · Evanston, Illinois, USA

John Paul Cusack (born June 28, 1966) is an American actor. Cusack began acting in films during the 1980s, starring in coming-of-age dramedies such as Sixteen Candles (1984), Better Off Dead (1985), The Sure Thing (1985), Stand by Me (1986), and Say Anything... (1989). He then started appearing in independent films and had leading roles in Eight Men Out (1988), The Grifters (1990), Bullets Over Broadway (1994), Con Air (1997), Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), Being John Malkovich (1999), High Fidelity (2000), America's Sweethearts (2001), Serendipity (2001), Max (2002), and Runaway Jury (2003). Cusack has been nominated for several awards, including a Golden Globe for his role starring in High Fidelity. He won the 2014 Canadian Screen Awards for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in Maps to the Stars. He is a son of filmmaker Dick Cusack and the younger brother of actors Bill, Joan and Ann Cusack. In 2012, Cusack was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Biography from TMDB.

Born: June 28, 1966 (60)
From: Evanston, Illinois, USA
Works as: Actor and producer, also writer
Titles: 85 on Motif · 102 credits in all
Links: IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Down 26% in 30 days

What are John Cusack's films like?

Across their 75 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Biography4 titles72^nd

Adventure2 titles79^th

Animation2 titles63^rd

Documentary2 titles84^th

Their Motif films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Motif score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight

Bonds

23%

Morality

23%

Self

20%

Survival

15%

Power

Society

Ideas

Survival17 Justice15 Romantic love14 Identity15 Family bonds12 Deception11 Loyalty7 Purpose6

What they feel like to watch

their average across 74 films

ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category

Earnest

Tone · Sincerity

ironicearnest

Ironic 6 · Wry 7 · Earnest 61

Serious

Tone · Weight

lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 21 · Serious 15 · Dark 38

Stylized

Tone · Style

naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 43 · Stylized 17 · Heightened 14

Charged

Feel · Intensity

gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 11 · Charged 27 · Intense 36

Shifting

Feel · Swings

steadyswings

Steady 22 · Shifting 39 · Whiplash 13

Some laughs

Feel · Humor

noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 41 · Some laughs 16 · Funny 17

Even-paced

Demand · Pace

slowrelentless

Slow burn 24 · Even-paced 40 · Relentless 10

Engaged

Demand · Attention

casualfull focus

Casual 31 · Engaged 32 · Full focus 11

Affecting

Demand · Emotional cost

easyheavy

Easy watch 21 · Affecting 30 · Heavy 23

Resolved

Demand · Resolution

resolvedambiguous

Resolved 50 · Open-ended 16 · Ambiguous 8

Roles they play

66 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 31 of 66 analyzed roles.

Hero

31 of 66

Shadow

14 of 66

Mentor

8 of 66

Shapeshifter

4 of 66

Ally

4 of 66

Trickster

3 of 66

Threshold guardian

1 of 66

Herald

1 of 66

Show the 66 roles

Heroas Lane Meyer in Better Off Dead (1985)
Shapeshifteras Harry in The Journey of Natty Gann (1985)
Heroas Walter 'Gib' Gibson in The Sure Thing (1985)
Heroas Hoops McCann in One Crazy Summer (1986)
Heroas Dan Bartlett in Hot Pursuit (1987)
Heroas Buck Weaver in Eight Men Out (1988)
Heroas Ivan Alexeev in Tapeheads (1988)
Allyas Michael Merriman in Fat Man and Little Boy (1989)
Tricksteras Roy Dillon in The Grifters (1990)
Shadowas Peter Burton in True Colors (1991)
Mentoras The Mapmaker in Map of the Human Heart (1992)
Heroas Joey Coyle in Money for Nothing (1993)
Heroas David Shayne in Bullets Over Broadway (1994)
Shadowas Charles Ossining in The Road to Wellville (1994)
Heroas Kevin Calhoun in City Hall (1996)
Allyas Dimitri in Anastasia (1997)
Heroas Martin Q. Blank in Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)
Shadowas Craig Schwartz in Being John Malkovich (1999)
Heroas Nick Falzone in Pushing Tin (1999)
Shadowas Nelson Rockefeller in Cradle Will Rock (1999)
Heroas Myrl Redding in The Jack Bull (1999)
Heroas Rob Gordon in High Fidelity (2000)
Heroas Jonathan Trager in Serendipity (2001)
Tricksteras Eddie Thomas in America's Sweethearts (2001)
Mentoras Max Rothman in Max (2002)
Heroas Ed in Identity (2003)
Heroas Nicholas Easter in Runaway Jury (2003)
Tricksteras Nicholas Easter in Runaway Jury (2003)
Shapeshifteras Jake in Must Love Dogs (2005)
Heroas Charlie Arglist in The Ice Harvest (2005)
Heroas Ray in The Contract (2006)
Heroas Mike Enslin in 1408 (2007)
Heroas David Gordon in Martian Child (2007)
Heroas Stanley Phillips in Grace Is Gone (2007)
Heroas Igor in Igor (2008)
Heroas Hauser in War, Inc. (2008)
Heroas Jackson Curtis in 2012 (2009)
Heroas Paul Soames in Shanghai (2010)
Heroas Adam in Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)
Mentoras Edgar Allan Poe in The Raven (2012)
Heroas Mike in The Factory (2012)
Shapeshifteras Hillary Van Wetter in The Paperboy (2012)
Heroas Emerson Kent in The Numbers Station (2013)
Shadowas Robert Hansen in The Frozen Ground (2013)
Shadowas Clem in Grand Piano (2013)
Shadowas Benjamin in Reclaim (2014)
Heroas Brian - Future in Love & Mercy (2014)
Threshold guardianas Sam in The Prince (2014)
Heroas Jack in The Bag Man (2014)
Shadowas Simon Keller in Drive Hard (2014)
Shadowas Dr. Stafford Weiss in Maps to the Stars (2014)
Allyas Lucius in Dragon Blade (2015)
Mentoras Father Mike Corridan in Chi-Raq (2015)
Heroas Clay Riddell in Cell (2016)
Heraldas Elias Van Dorne in Singularity (2017)
Mentoras Sal in Arsenal (2017)
Shadowas Miller in Blood Money (2017)
Allyas Vernon Sarsfield in Distorted (2018)
Mentoras Horace in River Runs Red (2018)
Shadowas Dutch Albert in Never Grow Old (2019)
Mentoras Dr. Kevin Christie in Utopia (2020)
Shadowas Jack Calloway in Pursuit (2022)
Shadowas Liseiwicz in Decoded (2024)
Shapeshifteras Liseiwicz in Decoded (2024)
Mentoras Liseiwicz in Decoded (2024)
Shadowas Robert in Fog of War (2025)

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense

Dread

Melancholic

Absurd

Romantic

Other

How their films linger

Bittersweet29 Hopeful26 Thought-provoking21 Fun14 Unsettling14 Feel-good15

How their films end · 22 with a twist

Happy20
Bittersweet34
Tragic8
Ambiguous13

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch John Cusack's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 60 of their 85 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (34).

Also on these channels

Howdy12 titles, show their 12 titles on Howdy
Lionsgate+7 titles, show their 7 titles on Lionsgate+
MovieSphere+6 titles, show their 6 titles on MovieSphere+
Shout! TV3 titles, show their 3 titles on Shout! TV
Sony Pictures Core2 titles, show their 2 titles on Sony Pictures Core
ViX2 titles, show their 2 titles on ViX
Cinemax1 title, show their title on Cinemax
Cineverse1 title, show their title on Cineverse
Magnolia Selects1 title, show their title on Magnolia Selects
Midnight Pulp1 title, show their title on Midnight Pulp
Monsters and Nightmares1 title, show their title on Monsters and Nightmares
Sundance Now1 title, show their title on Sundance Now
Warriors & Gangsters1 title, show their title on Warriors & Gangsters

Subscription and free streaming for John Cusack's titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Motif score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

102 credits, 85 with a Motif page; 24 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

Fog of War(2025)
as Bob Duncolm
Motif score: 10th percentile of all films
Detective Chinatown 1900(2025)
as Grant
Motif score: 42nd percentile of all films
Decoded(2024)
as 希伊斯
Motif score: 34th percentile of all films
Pursuit(2022)
as John Calloway
Motif score: 3rd percentile of all films
Utopia(2020)
Show 8 episodes · as Dr. Kevin Christie
Motif score: 45th percentile of all shows
Never Grow Old(2019)
as Christopher 'Dutch' Albert
Motif score: 46th percentile of all films
River Runs Red(2018)
as Horace
Motif score: 19th percentile of all films
Distorted(2018)
as Vernon Sarsfield
Motif score: 23rd percentile of all films
Singularity(2017)
as Elias Van Dorne
Motif score: 2nd percentile of all films
Blood Money(2017)
as Miller
Motif score: 7th percentile of all films
Arsenal(2017)
as Sal
Motif score: 3rd percentile of all films
The Fog Bowl (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2016)
as Narrator (voice)
Cell(2016)
Executive Producer · as Clayton 'Clay' Riddell
Motif score: 4th percentile of all films
Chi-Raq(2015)
as Fr. Mike Corridan
Motif score: 47th percentile of all films
Love & Mercy(2014)
as Brian Wilson 1980s
Motif score: 94th percentile of all films
Hot Tub Time Machine 2(2015)
as Adam (uncredited)
Motif score: 9th percentile of all films
Dragon Blade(2015)
as Lucius
Motif score: 41st percentile of all films
Drive Hard(2014)
as Simon Keller
Motif score: 4th percentile of all films
Reclaim(2014)
as Benjamin
Motif score: 14th percentile of all films
The Prince(2014)
as Sam
Motif score: 5th percentile of all films
Maps to the Stars(2014)
as Dr. Stafford Weiss
Motif score: 51st percentile of all films
The Bag Man(2014)
as Jack
Motif score: 19th percentile of all films
Doll & Em (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2014)
Show 1 episode · as John
Adult World(2013)
as Rat Billings
Motif score: 48th percentile of all films
Grand Piano(2013)
as Clem
Motif score: 40th percentile of all films
We're No Animals (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2013)
Producer · Writer · as Tony Lovecraft
The Butler(2013)
as Richard Nixon
Motif score: 86th percentile of all films
The Frozen Ground(2013)
as Robert Hansen
Motif score: 51st percentile of all films
The Numbers Station(2013)
as Emerson
Motif score: 22nd percentile of all films
The Factory(2012)
as Mike Fletcher
Motif score: 32nd percentile of all films
The Paperboy(2012)
as Hillary Van Wetter
Motif score: 30th percentile of all films
The Raven(2012)
as Edgar Allan Poe
Motif score: 51st percentile of all films
Shanghai(2010)
as Paul Soames
Motif score: 45th percentile of all films
Hot Tub Time Machine(2010)
Producer · as Adam
Motif score: 54th percentile of all films
2012: Roland Emmerich - Master of the Modern Epic (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2010)
Presenter · as Self
The End of the World: The Actor's Perspective (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2010)
Presenter · as Self
2012(2009)
as Jackson Curtis
Motif score: 36th percentile of all films
Igor(2008)
as Igor (voice)
Motif score: 36th percentile of all films
War, Inc.(2008)
Producer · Writer · as Brand Hauser
Motif score: 29th percentile of all films
Summerhood (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2008)
as Narrator (uncredited)
Guyville Redux (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2008)
Actor
Grace Is Gone(2007)
Producer · as Stanley Philipps
Motif score: 69th percentile of all films
Martian Child(2007)
as David
Motif score: 67th percentile of all films
1408(2007)
as Mike Enslin
Motif score: 73rd percentile of all films
The Contract(2006)
as Ray
Motif score: 24th percentile of all films
The Besieged Fortress(2006)
as Narrator
Motif score: 89th percentile of all films
The Ice Harvest(2005)
as Charlie
Motif score: 49th percentile of all films
Must Love Dogs(2005)
as Jake
Motif score: 36th percentile of all films
Runaway Jury(2003)
as Nick Easter
Motif score: 82nd percentile of all films
The Road to The Sure Thing (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2003)
Actor
Identity(2003)
as Ed
Motif score: 88th percentile of all films
Adaptation.(2002)
as John Cusack (uncredited)
Motif score: 96th percentile of all films
Max(2002)
Associate Producer · as Max Rothman
Motif score: 58th percentile of all films
Serendipity(2001)
as Jonathan Trager
Motif score: 75th percentile of all films
America's Sweethearts(2001)
as Eddie Thomas
Motif score: 28th percentile of all films
High Fidelity(2000)
Co-Producer · Music Supervisor · Screenplay · as Rob
Motif score: 91st percentile of all films
Cradle Will Rock(1999)
as Nelson Rockefeller
Motif score: 70th percentile of all films
Being John Malkovich(1999)
as Craig Schwartz
Motif score: 97th percentile of all films
This Is My Father(1998)
as Eddie Sharp
Motif score: 74th percentile of all films
Pushing Tin(1999)
as Nick Falzone
Motif score: 39th percentile of all films
The Jack Bull(1999)
Executive Producer · as Myrl Redding
Motif score: 73rd percentile of all films
The Thin Red Line(1998)
as Capt. John Gaff
Motif score: 93rd percentile of all films
Chicago Cab(1997)
Executive Producer · as Scary Man
Motif score: 57th percentile of all films
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil(1997)
as John Kelso
Motif score: 65th percentile of all films
Anastasia(1997)
as Dimitri (voice)
Motif score: 90th percentile of all films
Eastwood on Eastwood (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1997)
as Narrator (voice)
Con Air(1997)
as Agent Vince Larkin
Motif score: 76th percentile of all films
Grosse Pointe Blank(1997)
Co-Producer · Screenplay · as Martin Q. Blank
Motif score: 90th percentile of all films
City Hall(1996)
as Kevin Calhoun
Motif score: 46th percentile of all films
TFI Friday (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1996)
Show 1 episode · Actor
Floundering (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1994)
Additional Dialogue · as JC
The Road to Wellville(1994)
as Charles Ossining
Motif score: 38th percentile of all films
Bullets Over Broadway(1994)
as David Shayne
Motif score: 90th percentile of all films
Baseball(1994)
Show 3 episodes · as (voice) · as Voice
Motif score: 99th percentile of all shows
Frasier(1993)
Show 1 episode · as Greg (voice)
Motif score: 92nd percentile of all shows
Money for Nothing(1993)
as Joey Coyle
Motif score: 25th percentile of all films
Map of the Human Heart(1992)
as The Mapmaker
Motif score: 78th percentile of all films
Bob Roberts(1992)
as Cutting Edge Host
Motif score: 76th percentile of all films
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1992)
Show 2 episodes · Actor
The Player(1992)
as John Cusack
Motif score: 93rd percentile of all films
Roadside Prophets (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1992)
as Caspar
Shadows and Fog(1991)
as Student Jack
Motif score: 69th percentile of all films
True Colors(1991)
as Peter Burton
Motif score: 46th percentile of all films
The Grifters(1990)
as Roy Dillon
Motif score: 76th percentile of all films
Fat Man and Little Boy(1989)
as Michael Merriman
Motif score: 57th percentile of all films
Say Anything(1989)
as Lloyd Dobler
Motif score: 90th percentile of all films
Elvis Stories (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1989)
as Corky
Tapeheads(1988)
as Ivan Alexeev
Motif score: 39th percentile of all films
Eight Men Out(1988)
as Buck Weaver
Motif score: 87th percentile of all films
Broadcast News(1987)
as Angry Messenger
Motif score: 89th percentile of all films
Hot Pursuit(1987)
as Dan Bartlett
Motif score: 31st percentile of all films
One Crazy Summer(1986)
as Hoops McCann
Motif score: 55th percentile of all films
Stand by Me(1986)
as Denny Lachance
Motif score: 99th percentile of all films
The Journey of Natty Gann(1985)
as Harry
Motif score: 80th percentile of all films
Better Off Dead(1985)
as Lane Meyer
Motif score: 81st percentile of all films
The Sure Thing(1985)
as Walter "Gib" Gibson
Motif score: 81st percentile of all films
Grandview, U.S.A.(1984)
as Johnny Maine
Motif score: 26th percentile of all films
Sixteen Candles(1984)
as Bryce
Motif score: 74th percentile of all films
Class(1983)
as Roscoe
Motif score: 38th percentile of all films
Entertainment Tonight (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1981)
Show 1 episode · Actor
Why Is It Always Me? (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1980)
as Mike
My Only Sunshine (not in the Motif catalog yet)
Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 99^th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 101 titles, 100 of them dated from 1980 to 2025; peak year 1998.

Biggest box office

2012 (2009)

$791M worldwide

Highest rated

Being John Malkovich (1999)

Motif 97^th

Film career

19802025

Peak 1998 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 66 Motif titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

1983Screen debut· Class
1985First top-billed film· The Sure Thing
1999Career best· Being John Malkovich
2020Career best· Utopia

By role

only this rolewith another role

Acting99 of 101 · 51^stWriting4 of 101Producing10 of 101 · 58^thOther crew4 of 101

101 titles, 11 with more than one role — acting and producing overlap on 10 of them.

By decade

1980s17 · acting1990s28 · 28 acting · 4 crew2000s19 · 19 acting · 4 crew2010s31 · 29 acting · 5 crew2020s5 · acting

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 49% of 75 roles

44%

50%

44%

67%

75%

88%

33%

8388939803081318

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Motif score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on Motif, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do John Cusack's films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Motif score in the 51^st percentile, the median of all 82; across their 74 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 51^st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

51^stpercentile

Typical film, the median of 74

Approval · how many liked their films

50^thpercentile

Typical film, the median of 74

Reach · how many have seen their films

89^thpercentile

Typical film, the median of 74

Motif score across 85 titles, by percentile

75^th and up27
50^th to 74^th17
25^th to 49^th26
Below 25^th15

Shape of the crowd

36 of their 85 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

Universally Loved8
Universally Panned5
Cult Classic2
Crowd Pleaser36
Broadly Agreed15
Mixed19

Most divisive · actor

River Runs Red (2018)

87^th percentile spread · 43% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Stand by Me (1986)

Motif 99^th · 91% liked

Reviewers score the acting 66/100 in their films, across 74 reviewed titles; fans 78, detractors 46. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Motif score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their Motif titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is John Cusack's work okay for kids?

Across up to 49 Motif titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles

Violence & Gore36 titles16–86 · median 60 · moderateheavier than most films

Sex & Nudity49 titles17–68 · median 33 · mildnear the median of all films

Profanity39 titles39–84 · median 61 · intenseheavier than most films

Alcohol & Drugs33 titles27–60 · median 39 · moderatenear the median of all films

Frightening / Intense34 titles10–79 · median 56 · moderateheavier than most films

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does John Cusack work with?

People who share at least 2 of John Cusack's Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; Steve Pink shares the most, 5.

John Cusack

What are John Cusack's films like?

Genres

Themes

What they feel like to watch

Roles they play

Moods and endings

Where can I watch John Cusack's films?

Filmography

Career shape

Film career

By role

By decade

Billing

How do John Cusack's films land?

Shape of the crowd

Is John Cusack's work okay for kids?

Who does John Cusack work with?

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles