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originally published: 05/30/2023 

(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- On Thursday, October 12, 2023, State Theatre New Jersey presents a screening of High Fidelity followed by a live conversation with John Cusack regarding his career and the making of his films.  With four decades' worth of roles in over 70 films, the Hollywood icon has enjoyed a varied and diverse career. Fans will get the opportunity to experience a moderated discussion, with Cusack answering audience questions as well. The event begins at 7:30pm.

Cusack first gained the attention of audiences by starring in a number of 1980’s film classics such as The Sure Thing, Say Anything, and Sixteen Candles. Following these roles, Cusack successfully shed his teen-heartthrob image by demonstrating his ability to expand his film repertoire by starring in a wide range of dramas, thrillers, and comedies including The Grifters, Eight Men Out, Being John Malkovich, and Grosse Pointe Blank.

In 2001, Cusack was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture—Comedy or Musical for his role in the feature version of Nick Hornby's English novel, High Fidelity. In addition to starring in the film, Cusack also co-produced and co-wrote the script with Steve Pink and D.V. DeVincentis. The film also stars Jack Black, Lisa Bonet, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Joan Cusack.

In recent years, Cusack starred in Bill Pohland’s Love and Mercy, in which he played iconic Beach Boys songwriter and musician Brian Wilson. Cusack starred opposite Paul Dano, Elizabeth Banks, and Paul Giamatti as Wilson in the later years of his life. Cusack also starred in David Cronenberg’s, Maps to the Stars alongside Julianne Moore, Robert Pattinson, and Mia Wasikowska, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. The satirical drama is an analysis of the entertainment industry's relationship with Western civilization as a whole.

Cusack was most recently seen in the Amazon’s SciFi series, Utopia, in which he stars as Dr. Kevin Christie, a charismatic, media-savvy, and brilliant biotech mind who wants to change the world through science. Utopia is based on Dennis Kelly’s British series of the same name and highly acclaimed author Gillian Flynn served as executive producer and showrunner.

 

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Some of his other feature film credits include: The Frozen Ground, Hot Tub Time Machine, War Inc., Grace Is Gone, The Ice Harvest, Runaway Jury, Identity, Max, Cradle Will Rock, The Thin Red Line, Con Air, City Hall, Bullets Over Broadway, The Road to Wellville, True Colors, Broadcast News, Serendipity, Better Off Dead, and Stand By Me.

In April 2012, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce presented Cusack with a Hollywood Walk of Fame star, honoring his long, ground-breaking career in film.

Tickets go on sale Friday, June 2 at 10:00am and will be available for purchase online or by calling State Theatre Guest Services at 732-246-SHOW (7469). State Theatre Guest Services, located at 15 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick NJ, is open by phone and email only, Tuesday through Friday from 11:00am to 5:00pm. For in-person purchases, Guest Services is open Tuesday through Friday from 12pm to 4:30pm. Additional ticket and transaction fees may apply. 

After major renovations, State Theatre New Jersey has reopened and celebrated its 100th Anniversary in December 2021 in a fully renovated theater including newly renovated lobbies, all new restrooms, upgraded HVAC systems, a new elevator for access to all levels, and brand-new theater seats. Originally built as a silent film and vaudeville palace, State Theatre’s historic significance was honored by PBS by featuring it in its documentary series, Treasures of New Jersey, in the fall of 2018. “Treasures of New Jersey: State Theatre New Jersey” can be streamed online.

Today, State Theatre is the largest performing arts center in Central New Jersey and has welcomed more than six million people through its doors since reopening as a nonprofit performing arts center in 1988. State Theatre New Jersey is a cornerstone of the cultural vitality of Middlesex County and averages a total economic impact on New Brunswick and the surrounding area of more than $18 million a year. The mainstage programs have featured high-caliber artists such as Diana Ross, Tony Bennett, Kevin Hart, Ringo Starr, Melissa Etheridge, John Leguizamo, Harry Connick, Jr., Diana Krall, and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Program offerings include Broadway, orchestra, family, dance, comedy, rock/pop, jazz, Performances for Schools, and Sensory-Friendly Performances.

State Theatre New Jersey’s programs are made possible by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Grant funding has been provided by the Middlesex County Board of County Commissioners through a grant award from the Middlesex County Cultural and Arts Trust Fund.