John Cusack has acted in more than 80 movies over the past 35 years, and even he'll admit that not all of them are good.
Everyone's seen at least one of his films, such as "Sixteen Candles," "Being John Malkovich," "Grosse Point Blank," "Serendipity," "Hot Tub Time Machine," "High Fidelity," "2012," "Better Off Dead" ("I want my two dollars!") and "Identity." You might have even seen his more recent roles in "Adult World," filmed in Syracuse six years ago, or "Chi-Raq" and "Love & Mercy."
You probably have a favorite -- maybe even a guilty pleasure like "Con Air" -- but few would argue any of his roles are as iconic and as unforgettable as Lloyd Dobler "Say Anything..." The 1989 film, written and directed by Cameron Crowe, featured Cusack holding a boombox over his head and playing Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" for Diane Court (Ione Skye) alongside a cast that included John Mahoney, Lili Taylor, Jeremy Piven and Cusack's sister, Joan Cusack.
Cusack will be in Syracuse tonight (Wednesday, Sept. 12) to show "Say Anything..." on the big screen at the Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater at 7:30 p.m. After the movie, he'll appear live on stage for a conversation and Q&A with the audience.
In a phone interview with syracuse.com, Cusack says he doesn't like to look back at his career but kept hearing from the film studio that fans love "Say Anything..."
"I've never really looked back and just like, looked at the old movies, but they said people really want to see them. So I said 'OK... I'll do it,'" the 52-year-old actor admits.
NBC planned on making a "Say Anything..." sequel in 2014 without Cusack and Crowe, but the project was axed after both spoke against it.
Hollywood is obsessed with reboots, "requels" and revivals these days, but maybe some things should be left alone. Cusack tells syracuse.com he doesn't even like to think about what a sequel could be or where Lloyd and Diane would be today.
In fact, to date, Cusack says the only sequel he's ever really done is 2008's "War, Inc." -- where he plays a professional hitman in a sort of followup to 1997's "Grosse Point Blank." (He didn't even appear in the theatrical cut of "Hot Tub Time Machine 2.")
Cusack hints he knew "Say Anything..." was special, though, thanks to his unconventional hero character with great lines like "I gave her my heart, she gave me a pen." However, he didn't anticipate how prophetic his character would be when Lloyd predicted kickboxing as the sport of the future.
"I definitely knew there was going to be some sort of mixed martial arts thing going on," Cusack says. UFC, the leading MMA organization, sold for over $4 billion in 2016 and averages close to 1 million viewers for each fight.
Speaking of sports, Cusack is a lifelong fan of both the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox. The Chicago native played Buck Weaver in 1988's "Eight Men Out," about the famous Black Sox scandal where underpaid players deliberately lost the 1919 World Series and were banned from professional baseball.
Cusack tells syracuse.com that he thinks "Shoeless" Joe Jackson and pitcher Eddie Cicotte should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
"A lot of those guys were innocent for sure," Cusack says.
When asked what kind of roles he's drawn to today, the Golden Globe nominee is conscious that he won't be remembered for 2015's "Dragon Blade" (a Chinese-Hong Kong action film co-starring Jackie Chan and Adrien Brody) or 2017's "Singularity," about self-aware robots that view mankind as the biggest threat to peace. In 2012, he told The Guardian that it's harder for him to get parts in big blockbusters because he's "not putting on the tights" (i.e. superhero movies) and the business has changed to favor fewer mid-budget romantic comedies and dramas.
But there are a few recent gems, like playing President Richard Nixon in Lee Daniels' "The Butler" or the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson in "Love & Mercy."
"'Love and Mercy' was great. Sometimes you do movies for money, sometimes you do them for art, and sometimes you do movies for money to pay for the movies you do for art," he tells syracuse.com. "It depends on what you're offered and what you're going to do and all that."
Cusack filmed "Adult World" in Syracuse in February 2012, playing reclusive poet Rat Billings and a mentor to an aspiring author played by Emma Roberts ("American Horror Story"). The indie movie received mixed reviews, but is undeniably a part of Hollywood history as Syracuse is where Roberts met her now fiance, co-star Evan Peters ("X-Men").
"I had a great time with the director [Scott Coffey] and being there," Cusack says of his time in Syracuse. "I read a couple of books off set and had a good time there."
What will Cusack talk about during his Q&A in Syracuse? He's not keen on some topics -- he doesn't care about the Oscars and he doesn't want to run for office (though he often voices his political views on Twitter). He also says he's never listened to Fall Out Boy's 2003 song "Honorable Mention," so don't ask about the Chicago punk-pop band's lyric "I can be your John Cusack."
But he will share stories from his decades-long career, give a behind-the-scenes look at his breakout role in "Say Anything..." and answer audience questions.
"They can ask me whatever they want," he says. "I'm totally down."
What: 'Say Anything...' movie screening followed by John Cusack Q&A
Where: Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater, Syracuse
When: Wednesday, Sept. 12 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: Prices start at $39.75 plus fees.
Also: If you can't make the Syracuse event, Cusack will also show "Say Anything..." on Thursday, Sept. 13 at the Kodak Center in Rochester and on Friday, Sept. 14 at the University at Buffalo Center for the Arts.